The subject of camera film types is a tough one, because your choice depends on so many things – how fast your lenses are, what kinds of lighting will you be shooting in, what do you want to do with your photographs, and what kind of camera you have. There are essentailly two main types of camera film – negative film, used to make prints of your photos, and slide or transparency film (chrome film – Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Fujichrome etc.)
Shooting slide film means you have to have a projector to view them, but the upside is that landscapes look fantastic when you project them on a huge wall!
Somehow, prints just don’t wield the same impact – but they are easier to share and look at.
I love slide film. It’s the real thing! The slides you project on the wall or screen are the actual camera film that was inside the camera so your slide images are the true representation of what you (and your camera!) saw.
Because of this, slide film is a little harder to use, to ensure great results. But when you do make a great shot it it REALLY great – and the WOW factor when it is enlarged on a screen is undeniable!
There are also differences in the charactersitics of camera film made by different manufacturers. Go out and buy several rolls of different kinds of film, Get some Kodachrome 64, Fujichrome 100. Ektachrome 100, and spend the day taking test shots. Have them all processed at the same lab and see which film type you like best.
For nature photography, my personal preference is to use the finest grain, slowest ISO rating slide film types I can, for my specific shooting situation. These would be ISO 100 or less. I used to shoot Kodachrome 64 all the time, but I have become quite fond of Fujichrome 100, especially for outdoor work. The greens and blues seem a bit more saturated.
I still use Kodachrome camera film from time-to-time, but it has to be sent away to a special lab in another city, and I just don’t feel comfortable sending my photos through the mail these days!
Also, whatever camera film type you choose should be readily available anywhere in the world – if you are travelling and can’t find camera film types you are familiar with, you run the risk that your photos will not turn out the way you anticipate.
So, whether its Kodak, Fuji, Agfa or some other brand, I think you should give slide film a try, for the professional-looking nature photos you want!