Which 35mm Film Should I Use? A Film for Every Situation

Not sure which 35mm film to use? For most people the answer is Kodak Gold 200 on bright days and Kodak UltraMax 400 for everything else, including grey British winters. Below we help you choose by the light you'll be shooting in, what you're photographing and whether you want colour or black and white, with a pick for every situation and real photos from our customers 📸

Which 35mm film should I use? Our quick picks

If you only read one part of this guide, make it this one! 👇 Every film here is one we stock and our customers come back for.

• Best first colour film for sunny days: Kodak Gold 200
• Best all-rounder for the UK, all year: Kodak UltraMax 400
• Best for portraits and skin tones: Kodak Portra 400, or Kodak Portra 160 in bright light
• Best for landscapes: Kodak Ektar 100
• Best for night and city lights: CineStill 800T
• Best black and white all-rounder: Ilford HP5 Plus
• Best black and white on a budget: Kentmere Pan 200
• Best for something different: Harman Phoenix 125

Still not sure? Answer three questions: how much light will you have, what are you shooting, and do you want colour or black and white? The rest of this guide takes them one at a time 🎞️

What is 35mm film?

35mm film is the most popular film format, and the one most film cameras take. It comes in a small, light-tight metal canister holding a strip of film 35mm wide, with sprocket holes down each edge that your camera uses to wind it on. A roll gives you 24 or 36 photos (or double that in a half-frame camera such as the Pentax 17 or Kodak Ektar H35).

It comes in three main types: colour negative (the classic prints-and-scans film, and the easiest to shoot), black and white negative, and colour slide film, which is less forgiving. If you're starting out, stick to colour negative or black and white negative. Both cope well if your exposure is a little off, which takes the pressure off! 😅

1. How much light will you have?

This is the question that matters most! ☀️ It decides the film's speed, or ISO: its sensitivity to light. Low numbers (100–200) need plenty of light and give finer grain. High numbers (400 and up) cope with dull days, indoors and night, with more grain. You can read more about how ISO works on Wikipedia's film speed page, or in our own film speed explained guide.

A simple rule for the UK: from October to March, load a 400 speed film unless you know the sun is out. On a grey day the extra speed gives your camera more light to work with, so you get fewer dark, blurry frames. Trust us on this one! 🌧️

Check your camera too. Simple point-and-shoot and reusable cameras usually have a fixed shutter and aperture and suit ISO 200–400. Our guide to the best 35mm film camera for beginners has more on matching film to camera.

☀️ Bright days: Kodak Gold 200

Kodak Gold 200 is the film most people start with, and for good reason. It's warm, forgiving and affordable, and it makes sunny days look like summer holidays! 🏖️ It needs decent light, so it's at its best from spring to early autumn.

Photo: @katewilsonpowellart on Kodak Gold 200

"Kodak Gold is such a great all-rounder and works really well for pretty much any style of photography." – Kate W.

Want something similar? Kodak Eastman Kodacolor 200 is a newer everyday colour film from Eastman Kodak with fine grain and saturated colour, and Fujifilm 200 gives slightly cooler greens and blues.

☁️ Everyday and grey days: Kodak UltraMax 400

If you want one film that works in almost any British weather, it's Kodak UltraMax 400. The extra speed means sharper photos on cloudy days, in the shade and indoors by a window, and it keeps going into the evening. It's a little grainier than Gold, which most people love! 😍

Photo: @amarashootsfilm on Kodak UltraMax 400

"A little more grain than a 100/200 iso film, but has true to life colours which make it great for everyday shooting." – Amara

Torn between the two? Our Kodak UltraMax vs Kodak Gold comparison goes into the differences side by side.

🌙 Night and low light: CineStill 800T and T-MAX P3200

CineStill 800T is made for night. It's balanced for artificial light, so street lamps and shop signs come out clean rather than orange, and bright lights get its trademark red glow (halation). It's the film behind most of the neon-lit city photos you'll see! ✨

Photo: @adam.legrice on CineStill 800T

"Cinestill 800T is my personal favourite film stock, it’s perfect for everything with its distinctive colour and results, and its beautiful look when used at night." – Adam l.

For black and white in the dark, Kodak T-MAX P3200 can be shot anywhere from 800 to 3200, so it covers gigs, dark interiors and grey winter streets. Ilford Delta 3200 does the same job with Ilford's softer tones and big, characterful grain. For colour without CineStill's glow, try Kodak Portra 800, which keeps Portra's natural skin tones at parties and dusk, or Kodak Eastman Ektacolor Pro 800. There are more ideas in our best films for night and low-light photography.

Photo: Zsanett Lukács on Kodak T-MAX P3200

"The weather was overcast and grey the whole time and I found the P3200 perfect for the conditions." – Zsanett L.

2. What are you shooting?

Once you know your light, your subject narrows it down further. Here are the three we're asked about most.

😊 Portraits

For people, you want flattering, natural skin tones and smooth mid-tones, and that's what the Portra family was made for. Kodak Portra 400 is the classic: soft, true-to-life colour, very forgiving of over-exposure, and fast enough for most British days. In bright light, Kodak Portra 160 gives even finer grain, ideal outdoors or by a big window.

Photo: @scottpeters6505 on Kodak Portra 160

"The more underrated sister to portra 400 but absolutely stunning film at a slightly cheaper price." – Scott P.

When the light drops further, Kodak Portra 800 keeps the same look indoors and at dusk. Kodak Eastman Ektacolor Pro 400 is another option, with fine grain, good skin tones and plenty of room for exposure mistakes. Kodak UltraMax 400 is a cheaper everyday option that still does skin well. Colour films were historically balanced for lighter skin, so it's worth testing a roll with your own subjects. Some photographers prefer the richer colour of Kodak Ektar 100 for darker skin tones in good light.

See all our picks in AW recommends: film for portraits.

🏔️ Landscapes and travel

For landscapes you want fine grain, so distant detail holds up, and colours with some punch. Kodak Ektar 100 is the film Kodak calls the world's finest-grain colour negative film, with saturated blues and greens. It needs bright light, so pack it for sunny trips and bring a 400 film for evenings.

Photo: @Domophotography on Kodak Ektar 100

"Great for bringing out colours in landscape shots." – Dominik N.

A cheaper sunny-day option is Kodak Pro Image 100, with warmer, softer colour. For black and white landscapes, Ilford FP4 Plus and Ilford Delta 100 give fine grain and lots of detail. More in AW recommends: film for landscapes.

🏙️ Street photography

Street photography means moving subjects, shade and changing light, so speed matters more than fine grain. A 400 film lets you use a faster shutter speed and keep more of the scene sharp. In colour that's Kodak UltraMax 400; in black and white, Ilford HP5 Plus or Kodak Tri-X 400, the classic street film with punchy contrast and gritty grain! 🖤

3. Colour or black and white?

Colour is the safer start: most of the films above are colour negative, and the lab handles the rest. Black and white is a lovely way to learn light and composition, and it's usually cheaper. It's also the film to choose if you'd like to develop at home one day! 🧪

Ilford HP5 Plus: the black and white all-rounder

Ilford HP5 Plus is ISO 400, very forgiving of mistakes, and can be pushed to 800 or 1600 on dark days. It's made by Harman in Cheshire, and it's a staple in camera bags for good reason.

Photo: @sb94_photo on Ilford HP5 Plus

"It's always a film I recommend to anyone starting out or just looking for a good all rounder, can't go wrong with HP5!!" – Sam B.

Kentmere Pan 200 and 400: black and white on a budget

Kentmere Pan 200 and Kentmere Pan 400 come from the same Harman factory as Ilford and cost much less, so they're perfect for learning, testing a new camera or shooting lots! Pan 200 has more contrast and finer grain for brighter days; Pan 400 is the one for gloomier light.

Photo: @fred_camacho on Kentmere Pan 200

"I would highly recommend it to anyone getting into film photography, as it offers a great balance of grain, tonality, and contrast, making it a versatile all-rounder." – Frederic C.

For the full list, see our best black and white 35mm films guide or browse all black and white 35mm film.

4. Classic look or something experimental?

Once you've found your everyday film, it's fun to try something with a twist. Harman Phoenix 125 is Harman's own colour film, made entirely in Cheshire, with bold contrast, strong grain and colours that are never quite the same twice. Shoot it in good light and enjoy the surprises! 🎲

For something stranger, Harman Switch Azure 125 swaps colours around, so red buses turn blue and skies go pink and orange, and Lomography Redscale 100 turns everything warm red and orange 🔥 Browse more in AW recommends: experimental films.

Getting your 35mm film developed

Every film in this guide can be developed and scanned at the WonderLab, our very own lab! Colour negative, black and white and CineStill 800T are all developed in-house, and there's free tracked shipping to the lab. Once your film is with us, you can follow it at every stage on our Development Tracker.

Send your 35mm film to the WonderLab

FAQ

What is the best 35mm film for beginners?

Kodak UltraMax 400. It copes with most light, including dull UK days, and it's forgiving if your exposure is a little off. If you'll mostly shoot in sunshine, Kodak Gold 200 is just as good.

Should I use 200 or 400 film?

Use 200 when you know you'll have bright sun, and 400 for everything else. In the UK that usually means 400 from October to March.

What 35mm film is best for portraits?

Kodak Portra 400 for soft, natural skin tones in most light, Kodak Portra 160 in bright sun, and Kodak Portra 800 indoors or at dusk.

What film should I use at night?

CineStill 800T for colour, with its glowing highlights, or Kodak T-MAX P3200 and Ilford Delta 3200 for black and white.

Is black and white film good for beginners?

Yes. Ilford HP5 Plus and Kentmere Pan 400 are very forgiving, cheaper than most colour films, and a great way to learn about light.

So, which 35mm film should you use? Start with Kodak UltraMax 400, or Kodak Gold 200 if the sun's out, and add Ilford HP5 Plus when you want to try black and white. After a roll or two you'll know what you like, and that's when films like Ektar, Portra and CineStill really come into their own! 🤩 Browse all our 35mm film, and if you'd like a hand choosing, get in touch on help@analoguewonderland.co.uk.

Happy Shooting! 🎞️