What film format should I shoot for artistic means?

I'd like to start shooting film, I know I'd like to shoot with a 50mm f/1.8 for that large DOF. Is it worth starting this having no darkroom experience and having labs develop my film? What format should I go with? Looking to primarily shoot with higher ISO monochromatic films... Any input at all is greatly appreciated. Thanks!|||f/1.8 won't give you large Depth of Field. In the 35mm format you would have to stop down to f/11 or f/16 to get large Depth of Field with a 50mm lens.





For the greatest artistic means and to avoid the unavoidable demise of film look at coating your own 8x10" plates.





Amazing look. Each is one of a kind like a painting.








http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardcyna鈥?/a>





http://www.alternativephotography.com/pr鈥?/a>|||Shoot medium format 120 or 220 film. The negatives are huge compared to 35mm and will set your work apart from amateurs - you can do so much more with a huge negative. You'd have to spend thousands on digital to achieve the same results.





So you will need a medium format camera. Look up a camera supply store in your area - not a ONE-HOUR-FOTO place. Some place that sells used cameras and darkroom supplies. Talk to the experts in there. They will probably put you in a 1990 Mamiya or something similar and get your rolls developed.





They help you with used darkroom equipment when you're ready.





They'll have lenses for you, too, when you're ready to branch out from "normal" lenses. For example you'll want a longer focal length for portraits.|||The vast majority of second hand 35mm SLR's available today will come with a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.7 lens. I personally really like this focal length and use those lenses frequently. Which particular brand of SLR you choose is up to you. I own plenty of different brands (Canon, Olympus, Sigma, Minolta, just to name a few) and I get great results with all of them.





I will say that Canon is probably my favourite (the Canon A-1 being my favourite SLR pictured here with my favourite lens, the 50mm f/1.4)





http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicC鈥?/a>





and I only use manual focus SLR's and lenses. There is just something about the old heavy thumb winder cameras that just isn't present in the electronic models of the 80's.





As far as film goes, I shoot pretty much exclusively Ilford. I rarely put colour film through them, but that is of course my personal taste.





If you are talking film 'format' for artistic measures then I will go out on a limb and say have a look at a medium format camera. I picked up a Yashica A TLR (pictured below)





http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2298鈥?/a>





For 拢37 off eBay and it is one of my favourite cameras, the results are just amazing. I will add though that unless you already are familiar with using a camera in Manual mode you could find this camera a little difficult to use, there are no auto settings on these.





Hope you enjoy your new purchase!, remember that if you buy a Pentax or Nikon you can use the lenses on the Digital equivalent.





.|||Well if you are using a 50mm F1.8 I am going to assume that is a lens you have for a digital SLR. Therefore your format would be 35mm film.





Ilford make some fine B%26amp;W films. I would try these. The ISO of film you use will depend on the subjects you shoot and the amount of available light. The higher ISO films will show much more grain than the lower ISO films.