Film-buying tips

• Buy film in four- or five-packs, even if you only use one roll a month. Freeze the film you don't use right away. It will keep beyond the expiration date.
• Label all film with the expiration date, and allow a couple of hours for film to reach room temperature before loading your camera.
• Avoid film with foreign language labeling, even if it's a familiar brand. This is often film that's shipped from another country, and may have been intended for a different climate or different flesh tones.
• Store-brand film is often made by manufacturers like Agfa, Fuji, or Konica. Good deal? Usually, but test a roll before photographing an important occasion.

What photo fans use
Serious photographers have varying opinions on film brand and behavior. For them, it's a matter of taste, much as an artist chooses watercolors over oils. The films that get frequent acclaim are made by Kodak, Agfa, and Fuji. You'll have to experiment to find your brand. Here are some more tips to consider:

• Want an ultra-slow color negative film? Agfa alone makes an ISO 50 film. A tripod is essential to minimize camera shake for the longer exposure times this film demands.
• Color negative films for pros (Fuji NPH, Kodak Portra and Supra) are balanced for flesh tones and lower overall contrast. But, less costly "prosumer" films deliver similar results and better contrast.
• High-end 800-speed films capture fast action and low-light images with ease.
• Chromogenic films let you bypass traditional black-and-white print films. Ilford, Konica, and Kodak offer 400-speed B/W print films that can be developed by any one-hour lab.
  

<< Pro vs. Consumer, P.2 | Glossary, P.4 >>