Recently, there has been a resurgence in film photography, and for good reason. Whether you are a professional photographer, a creative hobbyist, or someone who simply wants to capture everyday moments on film, using the right 35mm roll can make a big difference. The film you choose affects the sharpness, color, grain, and overall feel of your photos. It can also impact how well those memories hold up over time. This Capture's guide highlights the top 20 film rolls available in 2025. From vibrant color stocks to classic black and white options, each roll on this list offers dependable quality and a unique look that helps you get the most out of your camera and your creative vision.

What Should You Consider When Choosing a 35mm Film Roll?

The film you use can greatly influence the final look of your photos. Here are the key factors to keep in mind:

• Color or black and white: Choose based on your subject, setting, or desired aesthetic.
• Number of exposures: Most rolls offer 24 or 36 exposures. Some formats may have only 12.
• Film type:
  • Color negative film is flexible and widely used.
  • Slide film (reversal film) gives more vivid results but is often pricier.
• ISO (film speed):
  • ISO 25–100: Best for bright outdoor scenes (beaches, snow).
  • ISO 200–400: Good all-purpose options for daylight and moderate light.
  • ISO 800–3200: Works better indoors or in low-light settings but produces more grain.
• Grain and texture: Higher ISO usually means more visible grain, which may or may not suit your style.
• Brand differences: Some films are known for rich colors, others for sharp contrast or vintage aesthetics.
• Availability: Choose film that is easy to purchase online or in local stores, especially for ongoing projects.

How Did We Select the Best 35mm Film Rolls for 2025?

We ranked the top film rolls based on the following criteria:

• Image quality: Strong color reproduction, sharpness, and reliable results.
• Longevity: Ability to produce prints or scans that last over time without fading.
• Ease of use: Films that are beginner-friendly and perform well across different cameras and lighting conditions.
• Price: Average retail price, with common sale prices considered when applicable.
• Availability: Films that are still in production and easy to buy in 2025.
• Popularity: Trusted by professional photographers and highly rated by everyday users.

We excluded any discontinued or hard-to-find options, even if the film was considered high quality in the past. Well-known brands like Kodak, Fujifilm, and Ilford appear in the list due to their consistent performance and continued availability.

Top 20 Best 35mm Film Rolls of 2025

Whether you're shooting portraits, landscapes, or experimental images, these 35mm film rolls stand out in 2025 for their quality, availability, and timeless character.

1. Kodak Portra 400

These film rolls for vintage cameras are fantastic because of the low contrast and vivid colors. That’s why it’s such a beloved film roll option for photography enthusiasts. Professional Portra is a C-41 color negative film with 36 exposures and ISO 400. It’s also readily available online or even at some in-person stores. This makes it perfect for multiple lighting conditions and great for photos of people.

While this is the most popular and cherished option, you also can’t go wrong with the Kodak Portra 800 or Portra 160 (great for portraits and scanning). We recommend using the Kodak Portra 400 for flexibility, but for bright or dim lighting situations, the others are good alternatives.

Ideal for:

• Portraits
• Weddings
• Travel photography
• Lifestyle shoots in natural light

2. Fujifilm Provia 100F

While a little more difficult to find than Kodak Ultramax 400 or other Fuji color print film, this slide film option deserves a spot on our list because it offers an exceptional tonal range, great blue and orange tones, reduces saturation, and flexibility for both landscape and portrait photography.

Its ISO 400 rating gives it good versatility in various lighting conditions, from overcast skies to indoor window light. The grain is noticeable but fine enough for most scans and prints, and the colors remain consistent across frames.

Ideal for:

• Outdoor portraits
• Street photography
• Travel and nature scenes
• Everyday use in daylight

3. Ilford HP5 Plus

Known for its rich saturation and ultra-fine grain, Kodak Ektar 100 is a favorite among landscape and nature photographers. It offers the boldest color of any Kodak film, producing vibrant blues, greens, and reds that look almost digital in their clarity. With an ISO of 100, it performs best in bright lighting and produces extremely sharp results when scanned.

This film is less forgiving than Portra in mixed lighting, but when used correctly, it delivers professional-quality images with minimal grain. It is ideal for those who want color-rich photos with maximum detail and a clean, crisp finish.

Ideal for:

• Landscapes
• Cityscapes
• Still life photography
• Outdoor travel photos in bright light

4. Kodak Ektar 100

Another great Kodak option, this single roll film is a C-41 color negative with 36 exposures and ISO 100. It’s perfect for high saturation and excellent ultra fine grain for sharp pictures. 

Ideal for:

• Landscapes
• Travel photography
• Still life and detail shots
• Large-scale prints in bright light

Availability in 2025: Still widely stocked at most online film retailers and camera stores, with stable production and consistent quality. Pricing remains slightly higher than average due to its premium results.

5. Fujifilm Velvia 50

This option is one of the world’s best and sharpest color transparency film rolls for film photography and offers an ISO of 50 with 36 exposures using E-6 chemistry. While it is harder to find than Kodak Ektachrome options, many photographers prefer this Fujifilm roll because of the powerful coloration and excellent contrasting features.

Ideal for:

• Nature and landscape photography
• Outdoor scenes with bold colors
• Macro photography
• Archival-quality prints

6. Ilford Delta 400

If you need photos for an indoor/outdoor wedding, family vacation, or reunion, then this high speed film might be a good choice. It will demonstrate great detail and you can get both 35mm and 120mm film rolls in this type. It’s also quite affordable and readily available.

Ideal for:

• Weddings and events
• Travel photography
• Street photography
• Everyday black and white shooting

7. Kodak Tri-X 400

Another black and white film with an ISO 400, this versatile option is great for beginners to monochrome film photography. It’s versatile, iconic, and produces a wonderful grainy, gritty look that lots of people adore in the digital age. It’s good for scrapbooks, vintage aesthetics, and nostalgic presentations.

Ideal for:

• Vintage and documentary-style photos
• Street photography
• Portraits with a nostalgic feel
• Artistic projects or zines

8. Fujifilm Pro 400H

This awesome film choice has light coloration and is great for a wide range of different lighting, situations, and experiences. It’s quite fun to use and offers wonderful grain. The biggest complaint is also something a lot of people enjoy: it can show greenish and purplish tints at a higher level than competitors.

Ideal for:

• Weddings and portraits
• Editorial-style shoots
• Travel and lifestyle photography
• Shooters who want a soft, airy color palette

9. Ilford FP4 Plus

Want the sharpest black and white photos possible for such an affordable price? This very fine grain and sharp exposure latitude roll of film will do the trick. Plus, it works for both indoor and outdoor photography. However, it only offers 12 exposures, which may not be convenient for all uses.

Ideal for:

• Fine art and still life
• Architectural photography
• Studio or natural light portraits
• Outdoor black and white landscapes

10. Kodak Gold 200

If you are going to be using your 35mm film camera to shoot bright, outdoor, sunny pictures, then this Kodak option might be a good choice. You can even overexpose this film slightly and still achieve fantastic bright colors that bring your photos to life. As a Fuji alternative, choose Fujicolor 200.

Ideal for:

• Sunny outdoor scenes
• Family vacations
• Everyday photography
• Budget-friendly film stock with classic Kodak look

11. Fujifilm Superia X-tra 400

The Fujifilm Fujicolor Superia line offers fantastic film rolls for hobbyists because they are flexible and great for all types of photography. With an ISO 400, it’s good with minimal grain and good sharpness. While the colors may not be as vivid as other film rolls for artistic purposes, the smooth appearance of photos with a heavy magenta tint is great for nostalgic aesthetics.

Ideal for:

• Everyday photography
• Travel and street shots
• Vintage-style prints
• Hobbyist film shooters looking for flexibility

12. Ilford XP2 Super

This black and white film roll for darkroom printing offers a wide exposure latitude, regular C-41 processing, and ultra fine grain for crisp, high-quality black and white photos. While generally considered an all-purpose film, it may also be good for artistic uses because of the easy processing and ability to create both crisp and vintage aesthetics.

Ideal for:

• Black and white portraits
• Mixed lighting conditions
• Vintage or experimental photography
• Anyone who prefers to develop black and white film with color film

13. Kodak T-Max 400

If you like the Kodak Tri-X, but want even finer grains for crisper, more modern looking images, then this may be the film roll for you. In fact, it’s marketed as the world’s finest 400-speed B&W film and is great for daylight as well as cloudy or low light indoor situations.

Ideal for:

• Portraits and headshots
• Indoor or studio photography
• Travel and documentary work
• Anyone looking for sharp black and white images with minimal grain

14. Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100

Neopan 100 Acros is a medium speed, ultra-high quality black and white negative film and features wonderful grain quality for daylight shooting. It’s popular among film enthusiasts because of the sharpness and three-dimension tone reproduction but may be more expensive than some other black and white alternatives.

Ideal for:

• Landscape photography
• Fine art and studio portraits
• Black and white architecture or still life
• Photographers looking for clean, precise detail

15. Cinestill 800T

When you have a low light situation where other 35mm film rolls just won’t penetrate for good color, this is a great option. Even in higher light, it produces warm images, but for night photography the tungsten-balanced tons and halation around light sources make this an optimal choice.

Ideal for:

• Night photography
• Cinematic street shots
• Neon signs and urban lights
• Low-light indoor settings

16. Lomography Color Negative 800

This is a high-detail and super-fast film with 800 ISO that’s great for ultra saturated images, heavy blacks, sharp contrasting whites, and super-fine grain colors. It’s also a good choice for action shots and moving subjects like sports photos, vehicles, walking, or animal shots.

Ideal for:

• Street and action photography
• Night markets and concerts
• Urban exploration
• Color-rich, high-energy scenes

17. Rollei Retro 400S

If you want extreme exposure control using your film camera, this option offers panchromatic black and white processing that allows you to produce images based on your exposure settings. While not recommended for beginners, this option is great for artistic choices if you’re experienced with film camera exposure.

Ideal for:

• Experimental black and white photography
• Fine art and conceptual shoots
• High-contrast architectural or urban scenes
• Experienced film photographers looking for control

18. AgfaPhoto Vista Plus 200

This is one of the rarer types of film rolls on our list but is so adored by enthusiasts that we had to include it. People love it for its extreme sharpness and fine grain detail as well as the wide exposure latitude. You may pay a little more for this, but it was discontinued in the mid-2000s so it will be harder to come by in a few years than it is currently.

Ideal for:

• Bright daylight shooting
• General travel photography
• Vintage camera tests
• Collectors or film shooters seeking rare stocks

19. JCH Street Pan 400

For a moody look with muted tonal range, this fine grain 35mm film type is a fantastic choice. It’s great for urban photography and is also great for film negative scanning uses. It is very sensitive to red light as well, which makes it great for Winter photos as well as sunset and sunrise images.

Ideal for:

• Street and urban photography
• Winter landscapes and snow scenes
• Sunrises and sunsets
• Black and white creative projects

20. Lomography LomoChrome Purple

We couldn’t have a list without this new film type that produces extreme purples that bring something artistically innovative to your photos. With this film, blue becomes green, green becomes purple, yellow becomes pink, and red stays red. This creates trippy images of nature, skin tones, and anything else for experimental fun.

Ideal for:

• Experimental and artistic photography
• Nature and floral shots
• Urban scenes with bold colors
• Photographers looking to try something new

Tips for Getting Started with Film Photography

If you're new to 35mm photography, start by testing one or two film types in different lighting conditions. Keep track of the film speed (ISO), how your images turn out, and which colors or contrasts you prefer. This will help you build confidence and choose the right film for your shooting style.

Once your rolls are finished, make sure they’re developed by a trusted lab that works with color or black and white film, depending on what you’ve used. Before scanning, it’s a good idea to gently clean your negatives to remove dust or fingerprints that could affect image quality.

Taking these steps early on will help you get the best possible results from both your analog photos and digital scans.

Which 35mm Film Roll Should You Try First?

Those are the 20 best film rolls for photography that you can still buy today. While we recommend testing different film rolls and seeing what works for your purposes, the Kodak Portra 400 is great for flexible photography, you can also choose B&W options like Ilford FP4 Plus or Rollei Retro or go with something more unique like LomoChrome Purple.

Regardless of which film rolls you choose, make sure you convert 35mm negatives to digital to preserve the images forever. Capture can digitize your film rolls as high-quality digital images that you can share, enjoy, and view for years to come.