Buying guide
Best budget film
Six inexpensive films that still look good, so you can shoot more and worry less.
01 ISO 200 · Color negative · Medium · Wide · $
The cheapest colour negative worth shooting: warm, slightly muted, very forgiving.
02 ISO 200 · Color negative · Medium · Wide · $
Golden, nostalgic colour with more punch than ColorPlus for a little more money.
03 ISO 200 · Color negative · Medium · Wide · $
Cool, airy greens and soft contrast; the budget Japanese look.
04 ISO 100 · Black & white · Fine · Moderate · $
An inexpensive Czech classic with old-school tonality.
05 ISO 400 · Black & white · Medium · Wide · $
Ilford value line: dependable and cheap enough to shoot daily.
06 ISO 100 · Black & white · Medium · Moderate · $
A long-running Chinese classic; simple, grainy and full of retro charm.
FAQ
What is the cheapest film worth shooting?
Kodak ColorPlus 200 and Fomapan 100 are the usual answers; both are cheap without being unusable.
Does cheap film look bad?
No. Budget films have more grain and less latitude, but in good light the difference is small.
Where should I spend more?
Development and scanning. A good lab improves a cheap film more than a premium film improves a bad lab.