Explore the best 35mm film rolls of 2025 in Australia and capture memories with superior quality.
Why Film Photography is Thriving in Australia
There's been a resurgence in film photography here in Australia, and it's easy to see why. Whether you're a professional photographer, a creative hobbyist, or simply someone who loves capturing everyday moments, the right 35mm film roll can significantly enhance your photos. It affects the sharpness, colour, grain, and overall feel, ensuring your memories remain vibrant over time. This guide covers the top 20 film rolls available in 2025, offering everything from vibrant colour stocks to classic black and white options.
What to Consider When Choosing a 35mm Film Roll
Colour or black and white: Choose based on your subject, setting, or desired aesthetic.
Number of exposures: Most rolls offer 24 or 36 exposures, while some formats have only 12.
Film type: Colour negative is flexible and widely used. Reversal (positive) film, sometimes called slide film, offers vivid results but is less forgiving and pricier to develop.
ISO (film speed): Ranges from ISO 25 to 100 for bright outdoor scenes to ISO 800 to 3200 for low-light settings.
Grain and texture: Higher ISO usually means more visible grain, which may or may not suit your style.
Brand differences: Some stocks are known for rich colours, others for sharp contrast or vintage aesthetics.
Availability: Choose a stock that is easy to purchase online or in local stores, especially for ongoing projects.
Top 20 Best 35mm Film Rolls of 2025
Whether you're shooting portraits, landscapes, or experimental images, these film rolls stand out in 2025 for their quality, availability, and timeless character.
1. Kodak Portra 400
This stock is cherished for its low contrast and vivid colours, making it a favourite among photography enthusiasts. It's perfect for various lighting conditions and portraits, and its wide exposure latitude forgives overexposure gracefully.
2. Fujifilm Provia 100F
Known for its exceptional tonal range and flexibility, this reversal film is ideal for landscapes and portraits. Its fine grain ensures clarity in every shot, and the colour accuracy is outstanding in daylight conditions.
3. Kodak Ektar 100
Favoured for its rich saturation and ultra-fine grain, this film is perfect for bright lighting, providing bold colours and sharp results. Street photographers and travel shooters love it for outdoor daylight work.
4. Fujifilm Velvia 50
Renowned for its sharpness and vibrant colours, this film is a top choice for nature and landscape photography. The punchy saturation suits Australian landscapes particularly well, from red desert to blue coast.
5. Ilford HP5 Plus
This versatile black and white film is loved for its classic grain, making it ideal for vintage aesthetics and artistic projects. It pushes well to ISO 1600 and beyond without losing too much quality.
6. Kodak Gold 200
An Australian classic. Kodak Gold 200 is affordable, widely available, and delivers warm, natural-looking colour in most lighting conditions. It's the go-to for casual shooting and family snapshots.
7. Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400
A versatile all-rounder that handles mixed and indoor lighting well. Its cooler tones make it popular for candid street photography and event coverage.
8. Ilford Delta 100
A fine-grain black and white stock that delivers exceptional sharpness and shadow detail. Ideal for studio work, portraits, and any scene where you want maximum definition.
9. Kodak Ultramax 400
If you want a single film for everything from beach days to birthday parties in mixed indoor light, Ultramax 400 delivers consistent, saturated results without demanding careful exposure control.
10. Lomography Color Negative 400
Made for those who want something different. Lomo's colour palette sits between Kodak warmth and Fuji cool, with just enough unpredictability to keep results interesting and distinctive.
11. Kodak TMax 100
The sharpest black and white film in this list. TMax 100 produces extremely fine grain and extraordinary detail, making it ideal for large prints and studio portraits where precision matters.
12. Fujifilm Fujicolor C200
A slower, budget-friendly colour film that rewards shooters in bright Australian sunlight. The colours lean slightly cool and neutral, making it excellent for outdoor lifestyle photography.
13. LomoChrome Purple
Not for the faint-hearted. LomoChrome Purple turns greens into purples and creates a heavily shifted palette that suits experimental, artistic, and fashion photography.
14. Kodak Portra 160
The finer-grain sibling of Portra 400. It delivers even smoother skin tones and reduced grain, making it the preferred choice for studio portrait photographers who shoot in controlled light.
15. Ilford FP4 Plus
A medium-speed black and white stock with excellent tonal gradation. FP4 Plus works beautifully in both harsh Australian sun and overcast conditions, and it scans with excellent contrast control.
16. Rollei RPX 400
A lesser-known but well-regarded option. Rollei RPX 400 offers a classic grain structure reminiscent of older stocks, suiting photographers who want a more traditional analogue aesthetic.
17. Cinestill 800T
Originally a cinema stock, 800T is tuned for artificial and mixed lighting. It produces a distinctive halation effect around highlights, creating a cinematic glow loved by night-street and portrait photographers.
18. Agfaphoto Vista Plus 200
A budget-friendly option for those getting started. Colour accuracy is dependable in sunlight, and the stock is forgiving enough for beginners still dialing in their exposure technique.
19. Lomography Lady Grey 400
A fine-grain black and white stock with a soft, moody aesthetic. It produces dreamlike images that suit portrait and lifestyle photography with natural light.
20. Kodak Colorplus 200
One of the most affordable colour stocks on the market and a staple in Australian camera shops. Colorplus 200 delivers reliable warm tones in daylight and is an excellent entry point for anyone picking up a film camera for the first time.
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 ISO, how your images turn out, and which colours or contrasts you prefer. This will help you build confidence and choose the right stock for your shooting style.
Once your rolls are finished, have them developed by a trusted lab that works with colour or black and white, depending on what you've used. Before scanning, gently clean your negatives to remove dust or fingerprints that could affect image quality.
From Film Roll to Digital: Preserving Your Shots
Once you've shot a roll and had it developed, you're left with a strip of negatives carrying your original captures. These strips are fragile and degrade over time, especially in Australia's variable climate. Getting them digitised is the best way to protect them long-term.
Partner shops in the Capture Australia network can scan your developed negatives into high-resolution digital files, whether it's a single roll from last weekend or a collection of rolls from years ago. Some shops also offer basic colour correction and dust removal as part of the scan. Find a partner shop near you and ask about their negative scanning services.
Which 35mm Film Roll Should You Try First?
Start with Kodak Portra 400 for its flexibility across lighting conditions. If you prefer black and white, Ilford HP5 Plus is hard to beat for versatility. Budget-conscious starters will do well with Kodak Gold 200 or Colorplus 200. Once you've developed a few rolls, you'll have a much clearer sense of which stock suits your eye and your shooting style.