When I started shooting large format in 2005, if you would have told me I would have a relative cornucopia of choices for 8x10 sheet film in 2019 I don't think I would have believed you.

If you've followed some of my posts you may recall that I am returning to 8x10 after a hiatus. It was too hard to deal with in NYC, but now I live in rural Maine. Have Subaru, will travel. I even have a fancy roof rack to stand on Ansel Adams style. My Gibellini Bellatrix should be arriving this week. A member of this forum sold me a nice Komura 300mm Tessar, and I have the right tank for the Jobo!

But you gotta have film, assuming you don't make it yourself. There are so many! Two Kodak high speed emulsions, double sets of Ilford medium speed stocks, plus HP5 (the absence of Delta 400 is noted here). We're not even counting Ortho Plus which I played with in college.

Then you have Bergger Pancro 400, a film I know little to nothing about, but it looks like it comes in a fantastic box. The Arista line up is here, along with some unfortunately named Foma stocks (ACTION 400!). My understanding is that these are the same films? Who can say? Then you have the rebrands and the weird films from ADOX.

For color we have 3 color negative films from Kodak, and correct me if I'm wrong but 3 color reversals from Fuji? (Assuming they still make RVP100 in sheets). Adding the promise of E100 in sheets some time later, glory be hallelujah.

And to top it all off with a sort of sinful vulgarity, instant stocks in both B&W and Color that seems to be available whey they get around to it.

Who made the deal with the devil to bring about such a garden of analogical delights? I'm stuck here trying to put a B&W film in my shopping cart, committing to multiple dollars per shot. Right now FP4+ is there as 'ol reliable. But of course there is no grain in 8x10 so why not HP5+? Oh but Delta is sharperrrrrrrrr. I'm a little unwilling to pay $10/sheet of TXP or TMY4. Portra seems like a bargain at $154 until you realize that Fuji gives you 20 sheets of Provia per box.

If I ever get around to picking a horse, maybe I'll let you know. I am NOT and I say NOT going to get fancy in the developer section. That kind of navel gazing is for winter print making.