The 5 Best & Most Affordable Black & White 35 mm & 120 Film Stocks with Reviews & Sample Photos

When I first started my photography journey, I started with black and white film. I was obsessed with it. I spent hours in the darkroom, developing film and creating prints, in awe over the natural nostalgia of black and white. Something about it just felt so timeless and artistic. Even now, those photographs that I took back then and spent hours perfecting, are still special to me. I was particularly intrigued by the Holga 120 camera, and have since taken thousands of Holga photos, dragging a Holga everywhere I go, even now, 16 year later.

These days, I tend to shoot color film ( you can read more about my favorite color films here), just because it gives me the option of having both the color and black and white versions of a photo. However, lately I’ve been finding myself craving the simplicity (and affordability) of black and white film. I’ve never really met a black and white film that I didn’t like, but there a few that I tend to buy more often than others, just because there is something special about the way that they capture light and shadows. And I’m always looking for a balance of price and quality. Here are my top 5 best & most affordable black and white 35 mm & 120 film stocks, along with a quick review and sample photos that I’ve taken over the years, so that you can decide which one you’d like to try out!

(By using the affiliate links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

1. FUJIFILM NEOPAN ACROS 100 II

For years, the original version of Neopan Acros 100 was my all-time favorite black and white film. Sadly, they stopped making it, but a few years ago they reintroduced this second version of the film. While it’s not quite as magical as the original version, I still buy it from time to time. I find the blacks and shadows to sometimes be a bit too dark which causes a loss of detail. What I loved the most about the original version of the film was that it had a lot of contrast, but maintained details in the shadows. I find the new version to still have that contrast, but with a little less detail that I’m able to pull out of the blacks when editing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it, but I can’t help but be a little heartbroken over the loss of the original version of the film. I actually have a full blog post and YouTube video about this film stock! It comes in both 35 mm and 120 formats.

WHERE TO BUY

35 mm

Amazon

B&H Photo

120 film

Amazon

B&H Photo

2. ILFORD HP5 PLUS 400

I haven’t tried this one out quite as much, but it’s actually one of the films that I first started shooting with back in the day. It’s a little less contrasty than Neopan Acros 100 II, but I find it to have a bit more detail in the shadows. Because it is a litle more flat, it gives you more flexibility when it comes to editing and post-processing. It definitely has that classic nostalgia that I’m always looking for when it comes to black and white film and automatically makes it look like your photos were taken 50 years ago. Since it is a 400 ISO film, you’ll find it has more grain and grittiness that the Neopan Acros 100 film. But this also means that it performs better in low light and is more versatile overall. This is a great film to throw in your bag when you’re traveling or when you’re not sure what the lighting conditions are going to be. I recently ordered more of this film and I’m excited to add more Ilford HP5 Plus photos to my portfolio. :) It also comes in both 35 mm and 120 formats.

WHERE TO BUY

35 mm

Amazon

B&H Photo

120 film

Amazon

B&H Photo

3. KODAK TRI-X 400

Kodak Tri-X 400 is probably the most common and most easily accesible film on the list. It’s super affordable and really has that traditional black and white film look. I definitely buy this one the most out of all of the films on this list, because it’s a great price and has never failed me. I love how dark the blacks and I find it to have the perfect amount of contrast. These days it’s probably one of my favorite black and white films because it really fulfills that nostalgia and classic black and white look that I’m always on the hunt for. It’s super sharp and not too grainy for a 400 ISO film. I always have a handful of this film in my fridge. You really can’t go wrong with this one!

WHERE TO BUY

35 mm

Amazon

B&H Photo

120 film

Amazon

B&H Photo

4. LOMOGRAPHY EARL GREY 100

Honestly, any Lomography black and white film is fun to experiment with, and they won’t break the bank. I shoot a LOT of Lomography film, especially the color negative 400 which comes in both 35 mm and 120 film. But lately, I’ve gotten into trying out all of their black and white films. They are all so unique and great for finding your personal style. I particularly love the Lomography Earl Grey 100 film, which has that nostalgia that I’m always looking for, but also has a unique tonal range compared to others on this list. You’ll notice it has an overall muted and gray tone. It reminds me of a faded black and white photograph you might find in an old trunk in your grandparent’s attic. It’s moody and dreary, which I absolutely love. There are a ton of other black and white films you can try out from Lomography, like the Lady Grey 400 & Potsdam 100. Those are also two great black and white film stocks!


WHERE TO BUY

B&H Photo

5. KENTMERE PAN 100

Kentmere Pan 100 is a film stock that is somewhat directed towards beginners and students, so it’s very affordable. It’s also super forgiving and versatile, which makes it a great film stock all around. Even though I love the way it looks, something about it doesn’t feel quite as special as the others on this list. But maybe it’s just because I have more of a history with some of the others. :) If you’re on a bit of a budget though, this one is a perfect place to start and won’t disappoint. I just took a few rolls with me on a trip to England, and I’m pleasantly surprised by the beautiful contrast and sharpness. When I first started shooting with the Holga 120 GCFN (which I used for all of the images below), I pretty much exclusively used 100 ISO film. The lens on a Holga is naturally soft so using a 100 ISO film brings more sharpness and clarity to your images. I’m reminded of why 100 ISO film is so great with toy cameras, but it is temperamental on cloudy days or in low-light settings. When I’m not sure of the environment I’m going into, or if I notice the weather is going to be overcast, I tend to stick with 400 ISO film. If you’re interested in learning more about Holga cameras, make sure to check out my blog post here, or my YouTube video here! It also comes in a 200 ISO and 400 ISO film speed.

WHERE TO BUY

35 mm

B&H Photo

120 film

B&H Photo

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my B&H Photo storefront & Amazon Storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

Review of the New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour with Viator | New York City Travel Tips

(By using the affiliate links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

For my latest trip to NYC, we were only going to be there for two full days. Even though I’ve been to the city a handful of times, I still like to see all of the classic sites every time I visit. It’s just not a trip to NYC without a ride on the ferry and a photo of the Statue of Liberty! When I found the New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour with Viator, it seemed like the perfect way to maximize my time in the city.

We opted for the 9:00 am tour instead of the 10:00 am so that we’d have more daylight left afterwards to keep exploring the city. I’m not gonna lie, in my head I was wondering how in the world we were going to see all of the sites listed on the itinerary without getting stuck in major traffic or rushing through the experience. But honestly, it was one of the more peaceful and easy tours I’ve been on! I would definitely recommend this tour for any age group. There was a little bit of walking through Central Park and near Rockefeller Center, but nothing crazy. One of the ladies on our tour had just had knee surgery and decided to stay on the bus for a few of the sites, so you always have that option.

The meeting point for the tour was right near Times Square and fairly close to our super cute hotel, the StayPineapple Midtown. I highly recommend this hotel for couples or singles. It’s a great price, and incredibly clean and cute!

To start the tour, we hopped right on the bus and drove through Times Square and our tour guide, Don, was the perfect New York City native to tell us everything about literally every building we drove by. He grew up in the city and had plenty of stories to keep us entertained throughout the entire day.

It was definitely nice to watch the city go by in our nice, quiet, air conditioned bus. It was raining on and off throughout the day but Don provided us with rain ponchos, which came in handy when we were walking through Central Park. Don had some pretty interesting facts about the history of Central Park and how back in the day, children weren’t even allowed to play in the park! We got to see some beautiful buildings from within the park, though it was a bummer that the fog was covering the very tops of the skyscrapers. As a photographer though, I actually prefer a day with unique weather because I’d rather create a photograph that is unique and unlike the standard tourist photo that everyone gets. :)

After Central Park, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to Rockefeller Center. It actually wasn’t as crowded as we expected, though I’m sure it can get a bit crazy during the winter holidays. We saw some gorgeous views of the statues, churches, and skyscrapers surrounding the area and were given plenty of time for photo ops. It would be super fun to take this tour during the holidays to see the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and ice skating rink though!

As we were walking throughout the area, we even got to see Leslie Bibb and Jenna Bush live on the air on the Today Show! It was our only celebrity sighting of our whole NYC trip, so the tour was totally worth it just for that! We just recently finished watching The White Lotus, so I recognized Leslie Bibb right away and couldn’t believe she was right there in front of us!

After our celeb sighting, we hopped back on the bus and made a quick pit stop for a view of the Empire State Building. Then it was time for our Staten Island Ferry ride! I always love a boat ride so this was probably the highlight of the day. It’s just a great way to see the beautiful skyline from afar and snap your classic Statue of Liberty photo. After our ferry ride across the river, we hopped right back on it to come back to the city. Our tour guide gave us very specific instructions so that no one got lost or left behind.

Once we made it off the ferry, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to the World Trade Center and ate lunch in a cute food court called Gansevoort Liberty Market that had plenty of food options for everyone. We had a hard time deciding what we wanted because everything looked delicious! We opted for a hot noodle soup though because it was surprisingly chilly for a rainy day in June in New York City. It was delish!

We ended our tour with a somewhat somber visit to the 9/11 Memorial, but our tour guide, Don, had some lovely words to share about the incredible strength and positivity that came from such a catastrophic event. He gave us a few minutes to walk around the memorial and pay our respects, and then we got back on the bus to head back to our initial starting point near Times Square. After the tour was over, my husband and I wandered back to Times Square and popped into the famous M&M store. There is so much to do over there, so it’s a great way to keep the day going after the sightseeing tour is over.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE NEW YORK IN ONE DAY GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR?

Absolutely! Especially if it’s your first time in NYC, it’s a great way to get your bearings and cross a ton of landmarks off of your bucket list without having to figure out transportation yourself. It was super nice to not have to worry about the metro or taxis or ubers or traffic. Our bus driver knew all of the shortcuts and secret routes to keep us on track throughout the day. We got back to the Times Square area around 3:30, so it was a good 6.5 hour tour. It didn’t feel crazy long though, mostly because we were always on to the next thing! But I never felt rushed or overwhelmed. I told my husband that it was one of the most relaxing days I’ve ever had in NYC! I’m so used to rushing down into the subway and feeling stressed about figuring out where the heck we’re going. At this point, we’ve done quite a bit of traveling but it’s still near impossible to not get totally stressed at some point on every trip. While I do wish the weather had cooperated with us a little more, the dreary rain kind of made everything feel a little more special and memorable.

This tour is great for families, seniors, or first time visitors. Even as someone who has been to NYC multiple times, I learned so much about the history of the city and all of the incredible architecture and buildings that we saw along the way. Our tour guide, Don, was the perfect quintessential NYC native, and had a bit of that New York sarcasm and directness that really helps you to get the full understand of NYC culture. We had the best time! And if I ever bring my parents and siblings up to NYC, you better believe we’re going on this tour because I’m not trying to be the one with the pressure of dragging a group of people around a city like New York. I was worried that the tour would be a bit boring since I’d seen all of the sites before, but I truly loved getting the full NYC experience and it was exactly what I wanted for a quick visit to all of the top landmarks.

If you’re interested in booking this same tour, you can find it on Viator here! Or you can check out my other recommended tours all around the world in my Viator shop here. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have the best trip!

P.S. Make sure to stop by Don Antonio’s for the best pizza you’ll ever have. Go for the one that’s lightly fried. Yes, fried. It’s incredible.

<3 Myles Katherine