film users: what kind/brand/format of film do you use? why?

[Sally Mack <photographs.by.sally.mack2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For those of you who use film, what do you use and why?  What are your 
favored shooting conditions and subjects?  Have you tried a film that 
you especially disliked?  Why?

The best way to determine the best film is to shoot a few test rolls but 
I'd like a heads-up on anything really good or really bad.

I use Kodak's "new" Portra VC (Vivid Color) negative film, either 160 or 
400 ASA in my 35mm Nikon FM3a, which is totally manual.  I use only 
natural lighting and shoot "nature," often water, sticks, weeds, 
whatever's where I'm shooting.  (The websites 
http://home.earthlink.net/~photographs.by.sally.mack/ and 
http://home.earthlink.net/~photographs.by.sally.mack2/ show some of my 
photos.)

I'm happy with the Portra VC film as long as the photos are printed by 
an analog lab (digital labs turn the colors too bright and too hard, 
garish).  The film seems to have a tendency toward certain blues, 
lending things a bluish cast if there's a tiny bit of certain dark blue 
anywhere in the picture.  On the other hand, I haven't had that problem 
for awhile, so maybe it was just those particular rolls of film.

I'm wondering if anyone has particular recommendations, especially those 
of you who use natural lighting outdoors.  (Sorry, digital folks, I'm 
not ready for that, yet.)

Thanks.

--Sally