Best Reviewed
35mm Color Film
- Best general-purpose film Kodak High Definition *Est. $6
- Best professional-grade film Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 *Est. $7
- Best film for portraits Kodak Portra 160NC *Est. $4
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Best professional-grade film
- Good for landscape and nature photography
- Versatile enough for most lighting
- Can be converted to slides
- Flesh tones can tend to red
- Greenish cast under fluorescent light
Reviews say Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 the best 35mm color film choice for outdoor landscape and nature photographs. There is a very tight grain and high color saturation, experts say, and it performs well in varied types of light but best in natural light. Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 can easily be converted to slide format. Some user reviews say the colors can be dull or flat, but they don't specify the lighting conditions. We saw a user review that says fluorescent lighting will produce an unavoidable "greenish cast." Reviews say it's also not the best choice for portraits because Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 tends to produce excessive reds in skin tones. Reviews say Kodak Portra 160NC (*est. $4) is the best choice for portraits.
We found the most accessible information at Popular Photography, which describes 83 films but doesn't rate them. The good reviews at defunct PHOTOgraphic magazine, which has been absorbed by Shutterbug, are no longer available online and Shutterbug doesn't sell back issues of PHOTOgraphic, so a library may be your best bet. Jafa Photography gives high grades to just about everything, so it's hard to tell which really rates best. We found good user reviews at PhotographyReview.com and Amazon.com.
Our Sources
Although this chart won't tell you what film is best, it will help you determine what film is most likely to meet your needs. Fujicolor Superia 100 is a "general purpose film with improved color reproduction under mixed lighting."
Review: 83 Color Films Compared, Julia Silber and Peter Kolonia, Aug. 2003
2. PHOTOgraphic.comDetails/Subscribe
Defunct PHOTOgraphic, since absorbed by Shutterbug, simply lists ten films from slowest to fastest, among them Fujicolor Superia 100.
Review: 10 Top Color-Print Films, Editors of PHOTOgraphic, Mar. 2003
3. PHOTOgraphic.comDetails/Subscribe
Defunct PHOTOgraphic, since absorbed by Shutterbug, says Fuji Superia Reala 100 is a good choice for portraits in natural light.
Review: A Guide to 35mm Films, Editors of PHOTOgraphic, Jan. 2003
Nearly every product seems highly recommended, so it's hard to tell which products are better than others. Fuji Superia Reala 100 is "a great print film with excellent sharpness and grain structure." Its lowest grade is an A-minus for colors.
Review: Film Reviews, Editors of JafaPhotography.com
About 100 user reviews give Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 an extremely high average score. The few negative reviews said the colors were "dull" or "flat."
Review: Fujifilm Fujicolor Reala 100 Reviews, Contributors to PhotographyReview.com
6. Amazon.com
A handful of user reviews gives Fuji Superia Reala 100 an extremely high average score. One notes that you can't avoid "a greenish cast" in fluorescent light.
Review: Fujifilm Superia Reala 100 Reviews, Contributors to Amazon.com
