Black And White Film reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 164 Reddit reviews across 7 subreddits and 19 posts to rank the best Black And White Film brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/AnalogCommunity, r/analog, r/AskReddit, r/photography, r/filmphotography. Top-rated brands include Ilford (4.4/5), Kodak (4.4/5), Kentmere (3.7/5).
Stats
Reviews164
Subreddits7
Posts19
Brands38
Products86
164 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Ilford
4.4
(44)
"I started with HC-110 (been over a year now) and I have consistent amazing results across various films - HP5+ being one of them, and I have pushed it to 1600."
"HC 110 is pretty much bullet proof with HP5. You can push, pull and do whatever."
"For HP5+ I’d take HC-110 out of the options you presented. Great developer and I like the way it renders that film."
"I basically use HC-110 and Rodinal most of the time depending on film stock. They keep forever and easy to find developing times for most stocks."
"If you push your film go for HC-110. rodinal is not appropriate for pushing at all."
"At night, if you are out at clubs, I'd go gritty with Delta 3200."
"I just ran some delta 3200 through mine and am really impressed with the results."
"Tons of exposure latitude and you can drop it off to be developed just about anywhere."
"Ilford Delta 100 is a great one."
"I love them both equally but mainly buy HP5 because it's cheaper here in the UK."
#2
Kodak
4.4
(22)
"Convenient for pro-photographers to shoot several dozen rolls of colour and a handful of b&w."
"Tmax 100 and 400. I've printed with both and they're amazing."
"I love them both equally but mainly buy HP5 because it's cheaper here in the UK."
"If I am in ‘old school mode’, Kodak Tri X 400."
"Most versatile is Kodak Tri-X 400."
"I love tri x 400!"
"I’ve done portraits on my RB67 with Tri-X 400 and had very good results."
"I’ve done portraits on my RB67 with T-Max 400 and had very good results."
"I love Tmax 100, it’s such an amazing film"
"Tri-X is only a little bit more than a roll of Fomapan and it's a much better film."
#3
Kentmere
3.7
(17)
"I like Kentmere Pan 100. Cheap, versatile, looks great."
"All good cheap films"
"Great for everyday life, especially when pushed to 800."
"Kentmere 100 if you wanna go a little cheaper."
"My last roll of Kentmere 400 turned out REALLY nice."
"Kentmere 400, Ultrafine Extreme 400, Fomapan 400 are all good, lower cost options for B&W film."
"I really enjoyed Kentmere 100, super cheap and I imagine the 400 version is also good."
"Kentmere 400 is pretty cheap, with good results."
"Kentmere Pan 400 is one I really liked (right next to tri-x and hp5 for me)"
"Kentmere is good stuff."
#4
Foma
4.1
(15)
"Love Foma 200. It is my goto BW. A little gritty and moody and I like it for that."
"Foma 100 is a very fine grain and gives nice contrast. It's my go"
"Foma film is cheap and surprisingly good. I like the ISO100 in particular."
"Along with regular Foma 100-400"
"Foma Action 400 and Arista Ultra EDU 400 are supposedly the same film. It's a generally good film"
"Foma films can look fine if developed right"
"Foma 200 is a quite special grain structure, but not everyone may notice, I guess. Worth trying."
"Foma 400 looks very noir-ish when pushed. Box speed is still grainy, but I like it."
"Foma 200 has been my go-to"
"The films by Foma are my personal favorites"
#5
Fomapan
3.7
(11)
"Fomapan films always get my two thumbs up."
"Hp5 will give you very nice images, but if you want to get the grainy look, go with Fomapan."
"Fomapan 100 is cheap."
"Check out Fomapan 100. I've only shot one roll, but it is really nice for the price."
"I also love Fomapan 100 though I know it isn't on your list."
"Fomapan 100 looks very well when developed in Rodinal."
"Fomapan 400 also looks very well when developed in Rodinal."
"Still worth trying it out though."
"Cheap and good. Last weekend I made enlargements to 24x30cm paper, so 10x magnification. Looks great with just a little grain visible."
"Cheapest is probably fomapan, available everywhere, but the 200 and 400iso are not their real speed so they are grainier than other films."
#6
Arista
3.3
(6)
"All good cheap films"
"Shot a lot of arista and bergger in sheet film and had great results."
"I bought a 100' roll of Arista 400 EDU and make my own rolls, it's pretty great."
"I use the shit out of Arista everything. Film, paper, chemicals, on all formats. It’s fine."
"I personally do not like Arista EDU 400, I found that it looked very muted and lacked...contrast"
"I find it unforgiving if you aren't getting the perfect exposure, or if you are playing with shadows."
#7
Film
5.0
(4)
"A powerful and thought-provoking film that captures the essence of urban life."
"Superb movie, so far so good"
"It's a beautifully shot movie with a very strong social message behind it."
"Really anything by Charlie Chaplin (and Buster Keaton really) is comedy gold."
#8
HP5
3.6
(5)
"I personally prefer HP5 for its stable results."
"I generally like HP5 better."
"In Europe I pay 4 € for HP5."
"I believe hp5 is still 'okaish' cheap if you can bulk load."
"Not a fan of HP5 in 35mm unless I want grain."
#9
Blue Moon Camera and Machine
5.0
(2)
"Oh! Then definitely give my neighbors at Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, OR a try…"
"Oh! Then definitely give my neighbors at Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, OR a try…"
#10
Stanley Kubrick
5.0
(2)
"A brilliant satire on the Cold War and nuclear tensions."
"A brilliant satirical take on the Cold War."
#11
Fuji
5.0
(2)
"Fuji Acros II"
"Acros. It’s smooth tonality is great for portraiture."
#12
Universal Pictures
5.0
(2)
"A hilarious and clever homage to classic horror films."
"A powerful and moving film that depicts the horrors of the Holocaust."
#13
Akira Kurosawa
5.0
(2)
"An iconic film that brilliantly blends action and humor, redefining the samurai genre."
"A masterpiece of cinema that showcases the art of storytelling and character development."
#14
Toho
5.0
(2)
"Probably the original 1954 Godzilla."
"A masterpiece that influenced countless films."
#15
HP
5.0
(2)
"HP5 is best all arounder, can be shot even at 1600 with good results if it’s processed right."
"This was probably the most cost effective setup I have ever shot and it gives you the ability to push your film."
#16
Ilford HP5
4.5
(2)
"Hp5!!"
"I'm actually picking up HP5 from the lab. Never shot it before."
#17
Bergger
4.5
(2)
"I love Bergger Pancro 400 because of its look and exceptional latitude."
"Bergger Pancro is... interesting. If you like grain, it's got grain. But it's a very sharp, detailed film"
#18
Cinestill
3.5
(2)
"I use cinestill and shoot mostly Tri-x....results look great to me"
"Cinestill BWXX is overpriced."
#19
Disney
5.0
(1)
"Mouse pilots steamboat. Pure gold."
#20
Citizen
5.0
(1)
"A retrospective at the life of a recently deceased news mogul."
#21
Nikon
5.0
(1)
"I wonder if part of it was the Nikon's matrix metering."
#22
Agfa
5.0
(1)
"Agfa Copex Rapid is a great choice with good availability in Europe."
#23
Warner Bros.
5.0
(1)
"A timeless classic that beautifully captures the essence of love and sacrifice."
#24
Adox
5.0
(1)
"Adox CMS 20 II is highly recommended for its control over light."
#25
Reginald Rose
5.0
(1)
"A gripping courtroom drama that explores the complexities of human nature."
#26
TMax
5.0
(1)
"I love the looks of TMax 100."
#27
Acros
5.0
(1)
"I love the looks of Acros."
#28
Tri-X
5.0
(1)
"Trustworthy for important shots like concerts and portraits."
#29
Cabinet
4.0
(1)
"Murderous somnambulist kidnaps girl for mad scientist."
#30
Adorama
4.0
(1)
"Adorama had some Acros expiring 10/21 on sale this week for $5.99/roll in 35mm. Might be worth checking out."
#31
Fujifilm
4.0
(1)
"If you want something different, try Fujifilm Acros."
#32
Fomopan
4.0
(1)
"Forgiving and easy."
#33
B&W
4.0
(1)
"You don't have to compensate too much with B&W; just stand develop and it should be fine."
#34
Sin City
4.0
(1)
"Visually pleasing with vibrant colors, felt like watching a comic book."
#35
Expired BNW Films
3.0
(1)
"You could find some expired bnw films too."
#36
Washi
2.0
(1)
"If you wanna experiment with some 'weird' bnw films, Washi has different films, not sure if you can find them easily outside of France."
#37
Ferrania
2.0
(1)
"More difficult to get it right but with great results if you do."
#38
PanF
2.0
(1)
"PanF 50 has less resolution and requires immediate processing."
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