Best Film for the Pentax K1000 (With Sample Photos)

Updated August 2026. We first wrote this guide several years ago, and quite a bit has changed since then. Film prices have gone up, some stocks are harder to find, and Fujifilm C200 is no longer a film we’d recommend seeking out today. We’ve updated the guide while keeping all of our original sample photos.

The Pentax K1000 is one of our favorite cameras for getting into film photography. It’s simple, fully manual, and relatively affordable compared to a lot of other film cameras.

If you’re still deciding whether it’s the right camera for you, you can read our full Pentax K1000 review.

For this guide, we’re focusing on something we had a lot of questions about when we first started shooting film: which film should you actually put in it?

All of the main film stocks below are ones we’ve personally shot, and the sample photos throughout the article were taken with our own Pentax K1000.

What is the best film for the Pentax K1000?

If you’re looking for one film to start with, we’d go with Kodak Gold 200.

It’s affordable, easy to find, and has the warm, nostalgic colors that we love about shooting film. ISO 200 is also a nice fit for the K1000 if you’ll mostly be shooting outside during the day.

Here’s a quick comparison of our favorites:

Film	Type	ISO	Look	Typical price*	Best for
Kodak Gold 200	Color negative	200	Warm, nostalgic colors	~$9	Everyday photography
Kodak ColorPlus 200	Color negative	200	Softer, slightly more muted colors	~$8–10	Affordable everyday film
Kodak Portra 400	Color negative	400	Natural colors and skin tones	~$17–25	Portraits, travel, lower light
Ilford HP5 Plus	Black and white	400	Classic black and white	~$10–13	Black-and-white photography

Prices are approximate as of August 2026 and can change depending on the retailer and whether you’re buying individual rolls or multipacks.

1. Kodak Gold 200

If we were loading a K1000 for the first time today, Kodak Gold 200 would be our first choice.

It’s one of the more affordable color films that’s still easy to find, and we’ve always liked its warm tones. It works especially well for travel, landscapes, everyday photos, and those late-afternoon scenes where you really want that classic film look.

ISO 200 also works nicely with the K1000 for daytime shooting. Since the camera tops out at a shutter speed of 1/1000, a slower film gives you a little more flexibility when you’re outside in bright light.

Gold 200 typically costs around $9 per roll as of August 2026, with multipacks sometimes bringing the price per roll down a little further.

If you want to see more sample photos, we also have a full Kodak Gold 200 review.

2. Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak ColorPlus 200 is another film we’ve used quite a bit with the K1000.

Compared with Gold 200, we find the colors a little softer and more muted. It has a slightly different feel that can work really well if you like that older, less polished film look.

ColorPlus used to have a bigger advantage when it came to price. These days, the difference between it and Gold can be pretty small, so we’d choose between the two based more on which look you prefer.

As of August 2026, ColorPlus is generally around $8 to $10 per roll.

You can see more examples in our full Kodak ColorPlus 200 review.

3. Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 400 is considerably more expensive than Gold or ColorPlus, but there’s a reason it’s remained so popular.

We especially like it for portraits and photos with people in them because of how it renders skin tones. ISO 400 also gives you more flexibility when you’re shooting in changing light, shade, or indoors.

The downside is the price.

When we originally wrote this guide, Portra was already a more expensive option, but the gap has grown quite a bit since then. As of August 2026, expect to pay around $17 per roll when buying a five-pack and potentially $20 or more for an individual roll.

Because of that, we wouldn’t necessarily use Portra for every roll. Gold or ColorPlus makes more sense when you’re casually taking photos, while Portra is nice when you’re photographing something where the extra cost feels worthwhile.

One other thing to keep in mind with the K1000 is its maximum 1/1000 shutter speed. ISO 400 is great for shade, overcast days, and lower light, but on very bright days you may need to use a smaller aperture.

4. Ilford HP5 Plus

If you want to try black-and-white film, Ilford HP5 Plus is an easy recommendation.

It’s an ISO 400 film, so it’s flexible enough for a variety of lighting conditions, and it has the classic black-and-white look that makes shooting film so much fun.

It’s also a forgiving film to learn with and remains widely available.

HP5 Plus generally costs around $10 to $13 per roll as of August 2026.

We have more sample photos and thoughts in our full Ilford HP5 Plus review.

What happened to Fujifilm C200?

When we first wrote this article, Fujifilm C200 was one of the films we recommended for the Pentax K1000.

We shot quite a bit of it, which is why you’ll still find our original C200 sample photos below.

C200 itself is no longer a film we’d recommend going out of your way to buy today. Fujifilm now sells a different ISO 200 color-negative film simply called FUJIFILM 200.

If you come across the original C200 for sale, there’s a good chance you’re looking at older or expired stock. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t shoot it, but results can vary depending on how the film was stored.

For someone buying their first roll for a K1000 today, we’d simply start with Kodak Gold 200 instead.

Another film to consider: Kodak UltraMax 400

Kodak UltraMax 400 is another good option if you want an affordable color film with a little more speed.

We’ve shot and reviewed UltraMax before, although the sample galleries in this particular article aren’t UltraMax photos taken with our K1000. You can see our photos and full thoughts in our Kodak UltraMax 400 review.

At ISO 400, UltraMax can be a useful alternative when you expect to shoot in shade, on cloudy days, or in situations where ISO 200 might feel limiting.

Choosing film for the Pentax K1000

The K1000 can use standard 35mm film, so you have a huge number of options. There are a few things about the camera that are worth keeping in mind when choosing a roll.

Remember to set the ISO manually

The Pentax K1000 doesn’t automatically detect the speed of your film.

When you load a new roll, you’ll need to set the ISO on the camera yourself. So if you’re switching from Kodak Gold 200 to Portra 400, for example, remember to change the ISO setting from 200 to 400.

It’s an easy thing to forget, especially when you’re first learning to shoot film.

The battery powers the light meter, not the shutter

One of the nice things about the K1000 is that the camera itself is mechanical.

The battery powers the built-in light meter, but the shutter will still work if the battery dies. You would just need another way to meter the scene.

ISO 200 vs. ISO 400

For bright daytime photography, we generally like ISO 200 film with the K1000.

The camera’s fastest shutter speed is 1/1000, so slower film gives you more room to work with in bright conditions.

ISO 400 becomes more useful if you’re shooting in shade, cloudy weather, or lower-light situations.

Neither is necessarily better. It mostly depends on where you expect to be taking photos.

Color negative film is forgiving

If you’re still learning to expose film manually, color negative film is a good place to start.

Stocks like Kodak Gold, ColorPlus, and Portra generally give you some room for small exposure mistakes, which is helpful while you’re getting used to reading the K1000’s meter.

How much does it cost to develop film in 2026?

Unfortunately, buying the film is only part of the cost.

If you don’t have a local lab, there are plenty of mail-in labs that will develop and scan your film for you. As of August 2026, basic developing and scanning generally starts around $14 per roll and can go above $20 depending on the lab and scan quality you choose.

The Darkroom, for example, currently starts at around $14 per roll for 35mm developing and scanning.

Shipping is another expense, so if you’re mailing your film to a lab, it usually makes sense to save up several rolls and send them together.

Once you add everything up, a $9 roll of film can easily cost $20 to $30 by the time it’s developed and scanned.

It’s definitely not as inexpensive to shoot film as it was when we first wrote this article.

Where to buy 35mm film

We’d stick with established photography retailers or a local camera store whenever possible.

B&H, Adorama, and Freestyle Photo are some of the larger online retailers that regularly carry 35mm film. Local camera stores are also worth checking, especially if you want to avoid shipping a few rolls across the country.

Be a little more careful when buying film through marketplace sellers, particularly if the listing doesn’t clearly show the expiration date or how the film has been stored.

That matters much more when you’re buying older or discontinued stocks like Fujifilm C200.

Pentax K1000 film FAQ

What film does the Pentax K1000 use?

The Pentax K1000 uses standard 35mm (135) film. You can use color negative, black-and-white, or slide film in the camera.

Can you use 400 ISO film in a Pentax K1000?

Yes. ISO 400 films like Kodak Portra 400, Kodak UltraMax 400, and Ilford HP5 Plus all work with the Pentax K1000.

Just remember to set the camera’s ISO dial to match the film you’ve loaded.

Can you use 200 ISO film in a Pentax K1000?

Yes. In fact, Kodak Gold 200 is our favorite starting point for the K1000, especially if you plan to shoot primarily outdoors during the day.

Does the Pentax K1000 work without a battery?

Yes. The camera’s shutter is mechanical and can operate without a battery. The battery is needed for the built-in light meter.

Our favorite film for the Pentax K1000

If you’re buying your first roll, we’d start with Kodak Gold 200.

It’s still relatively affordable, it’s easy to find, and we really like the warm colors it produces. It’s also a good match for the K1000 if most of your photos will be taken outside during the day.

From there, it’s worth experimenting.

ColorPlus has a slightly different look, Portra gives you more flexibility and beautiful skin tones if you’re willing to spend more, and HP5 Plus is a great introduction to black-and-white photography.

The best part about trying different film stocks is seeing how much the same camera can change depending on what’s loaded inside it.

If you’re still deciding whether this camera is right for you, you can read our Pentax K1000 review.

And if you shoot a Canon instead, we also have a guide to the best film for the Canon AE-1.

Have a favorite film you’ve used with your K1000? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.