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Vintage Olympus camera on a wooden surface with three film rolls: Fujifilm, Kodak 200, and Phoenix.

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Pop-up Shop | Living & Hobby

A Legend in the Film Camera World Shares Tips!
Film Selection for Beginners

When starting with film cameras, one of the first challenges is choosing the right film.

This time, we spoke with Mr. Mouri, the owner of (Kawauso Shoten), a shop highly trusted by film camera enthusiasts, about recommended films for beginners and how to choose them.

Smiling man in glasses and a blue shirt with a tie, gesturing with his hands while sitting at a table in a bright room.

Kawauso Shoten

An online photography shop handling many rare films. Named after the extinct Japanese river otter, the shop’s name reflects a desire to pass on film camera culture to the next generation. Its original film “Rera” has repeat customers not only in Japan but also overseas.

Which film does Mr. Mouri, a film expert, recommend for beginners to use first?

It may be surprising, but most of the so-called ‘emo’ films were created within the past decade.

Excluding the era when film and lens quality was not advanced, film cameras around the 1990s—when digital cameras were just spreading—could capture photos nearly as clear as digital cameras.

Such films are recommended as the ‘standard’ type for film cameras, especially for beginners. For color, Fujifilm ‘FUJIFILM200’ is suggested; for black and white, Kodak ‘TRI-X400.’

Red bench with "Gardenmaster" branding, surrounded by potted pink and white flowers, against a brick wall.

Fujifilm ‘FUJIFILM200

Snow-covered railroad tracks leading to a frozen lake under a bright sun, with a bench and barren plants nearby.

Kodak　TRI-X400

Since they don’t produce the often-described ‘emo’ look, you may feel, ‘This isn’t the kind of film camera photo I imagined.’

However, by first understanding the standard look of film cameras, it becomes easier to imagine the kind of photos you truly want to capture.

Which kind of ‘emotional’ do you seek?
Step up with a challenge: films that are a little more unique than the standard.

Now that you’ve seen the standard films, let’s take a look at some that are a bit more unique.

A Kodak UltraMax 35mm film box with yellow and blue packaging, placed on a reflective surface.
A large white cloud in a blue sky above leafless trees with some golden-brown leaves.

Kodak　ULTRAMAX400

Kodak’s ‘ULTRAMAX400’ is characterized by vivid blue tones. You can see this clearly when compared side by side with photos taken using other films.

Two photographs on a wooden surface: one of a cloudy sky with trees, the other of a large, flat building under a clear blue sky.

ULTRAMAX400（Left）and ILFORD ILFOCOLOR Vintage Tone 400（Right）

Even though these are all photos of the sky, you can see that each one captures a different atmosphere.

On the left, ‘ULTRAMAX400’ produces a strong, vivid blue, while on the right, ‘ILFORD ILFOCOLOR Vintage Tone 400’ creates a pale, nostalgic atmosphere, with the sky’s blue appearing soft and muted.

The ‘ILFORD ILFOCOLOR Vintage Tone 400’ is also a popular film, released in the summer of 2024.

This is truly for advanced users—films that express a unique worldview.

Next, we’ll introduce some truly extraordinary films.

Red box of Harman Phoenix ISO 200 color film on a reflective surface, displaying brand and product details.
A train speeding past at sunset, reflecting warm orange hues, against a clear evening sky.

HARMAN　PHOENIX200

A large boat with Japanese text on its side is docked, viewed from a low angle against a clear blue sky.

HARMAN　PHOENIX200

What do you think? The contrast and color saturation are intense, resulting in a very distinctive look.

This is HARMAN’s “PHOENIX200,” a film that was only recently released. When it first appeared, its bold originality caused quite a stir among film photography enthusiasts.

Compared with the “standard” film photos you saw earlier, you can clearly see how far this film departs from the norm, making it truly unique.

Next is ‘AUTUMN200’ from HANDS ON FILM.

A green-striped train at a city station under a bridge, with sunlight casting shadows on the platform and tracks.

HANDS ON FILM　AUTUMN200

This film has an overall bluish-green cast. Reflected light on train bodies and windows appears reddish, which is also characteristic of this film.

Compared with the overall reddish tones of the “PHOENIX200” we just saw, this looks as if it were from an entirely different world, doesn’t it?

Just like the “standard” film I showed you at the beginning, film cameras were originally improved with the goal of achieving high-resolution, clear images.

The unique films I introduced just now, however, are creations of a younger generation inspired by old photographs. Over the past decade, many imaginative films have been released—films so original that they would have been unimaginable in the past. Looking back, there has never been another time when such a wide variety of films were available.

How about choosing the film first → and then the camera?

Man in glasses and blue shirt with patterned tie sits at a desk, speaking, with hands clasped. White background with a document in front.

Choosing film also depends on compatibility with the camera.

Sometimes, a particular combination of film and camera simply won’t produce the kind of photos you had in mind, and in some cases, the film may not even fit into the camera. So, if you already have a camera, the best approach is to bring it with you to the store when shopping for film and ask for advice.

On the other hand, if you don’t own a camera but have a clear vision of the photos you want to capture, you can start by asking: which film can bring that vision to life? Then, the next step is to find a camera that works well with that film. This reverse approach to choosing might be possible precisely because we now live in an era where so many types of film are available.

In fact, now is the best time to enjoy film cameras!

A man in a shirt and tie stands behind a counter with various boxed products in a bright, clean setting.

At the 53rd ‘World Used Camera Fair,’ Kawauso Shoten will also have a booth, of course.

At the ‘World Used Camera Fair,’ specialty camera shops gather on one floor. Experts in cameras, films, and lenses are present, so you can consult them for recommendations.

Such a wide variety of films did not exist ten years ago, and ten years from now, film camera culture itself might disappear.

If you’ve encountered film cameras at this time, you are lucky! Please enjoy to the fullest the unique charm of film cameras available only in this era.

At the ‘World Used Camera Fair,’ please take the opportunity to experience this fascinating world.

53rd “World Used Camera Fair”
開催期間：September 4(Thu)ー9(Tue), 2025
Click here for details