Too often people look at cameras first, then they might look at lenses (which are really more important than the cameras) and lastly they might think about the films. There is an argument for saying that this is absolutely the wrong way round and that the film you have in your camera is going to have more impact on the image than the camera into which you have loaded it. I predominantly use black and white film as you can see from the above selection I took from my drawer for the purposes of taking the photo, but I did spend many years with Kodachrome (ahh....) and jobbing 200 asa Kodacolour Gold in my OM's when I had no time for developing etc. Now I have time and also the inclination to go back to my first love; black and white photography. In many ways black and white is a cop out - for me it's easier to get interesting images in black and white than it is in colour so I suspect the native graphic generosity of black and white images covers my lack of ability.
I do have favourite films:
Tri-X
Now very expensive in the UK, though the developer I use (HC-110) is almost free. Tri-X has the "pepper and salt" grain that many, including me, like, and together with a very light green filter I have on my Leica it gives me great landscapes in which the foliage stands out in the mid-tones. Close up definition is also fine, though it is a 400 asa film and the grain is grain. I generally expose it at 250 asa and go easy on the agitation in the developing tank and this controls the contrast and the highlights and puts more detail in the shadows. I sometimes forget myself and agitate too much which I always regret! My regime is expose at 250 asa, develop in Dilution B (6.3ml syrup to 300ml) at 20 degrees C for 6.5 minutes. I agitate it very gently at the start, then at 1,2,3 and5 mins.
