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I shoot digital, should I use film as backup camera body? What type of 35mm film would I use?

I shoot using Canon equipment. My primary body is a 5D. I also have a 350D (rebel XT). I was considering the XT my backup body, but now my wife is being my second shooter. I have come across a really good deal for an older Canon EOS 1 film body with accessories. The 6 frames per second sounds fun, other than that I would likely only use it as a backup body. What do you think, should I bother?
I do several types of photography, but for the purposes of this question it is for wedding photography.
Also, if people with 35mm film experience are reading, where is a good online supplier of film, and what type would you recommend for wedding photos? I shoot formals with three flashes (one on-board and two with umbrellas), so I don't need high ISO for those, but of course candids of reception are often poorly lit. Because of this, I would appreciate a low-ISO and a high-ISO opinion of film. Thanks so much!

What film I don't buy locally comes from B&H-they have great prices, a great selection, and get it to you fast.

For a wedding film, look no further than Kodak's recently redesigned Portra 160NC and 400NC. They're both very fine grained. They're also both really low contrast, which is desirable for a wedding film.

The Fuji products, 160C and 400H, are also really good, although the Kodaks are newer(less than a year old) and thus slightly better I feel.

Either Kodak Portra 800 or Fuji 800Z would be great for low light, although, again, the Kodak is slightly newer. I would say that Portra 800 is also the lowest contrast 800 speed film on the market.

If you want black and white, either Kodak Tri-X(400) or Plus-X(125) are sort of classic choices. HP5+ and FP4+ are the Ilford equivalents to these. Kodak's TMAX line or Ilford's Delta line are know as T-grained film, and, for a given film speed generally have finer grain than the same speed traditional grain film, although I personally don't like the grain structure.

As for whether or not film is still viable, that's a question you have to decide for your self. The quality is certainly there-when properly exposed and processed by a decent lab, 35mm film can easily give quality comparable to all but the best DSLRs. Film has a certain look to it that's hard to replicate with digital. You may find that you find it preferable to drop your film off at the lab and pick up a stack of corrected proof prints rather than have to spend hours in front of the computer getting your files in shape.

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