FWIW, Mike is absolutely right on with his outdoors in the shade advice. Oleg and Hardball also agree with everything I've been taught. Weegee continues the parade of good advice. As for Pack Rat, I can't comment intelligibly.
In terms of film, I'd suggest Ilford's HP5 over the Tri-X, as I've found it a little contrastier, which ought to help detail. If you've got to have it in a hurry, Kodak has a film called "Black and White Plus" which is C41 chemistry and so can be done anywhere, which is the winner-hands down- of films like that, although still not as good as true B&W. There's also the issue of what kind of paper, particularly with black and white.
For color, I'd suggest Kodak's pro color negative film in a 160 speed called 160VC. VC stands for Vivid Color, which means it's contrasty and every day I see a picture of a cheetah on yellow grass that sticks out like a sore thumb taken with this film. It will show detail.
After all that, if everybody swears that Brand X ammo in weight A in style M is the only way to fly, but your gun hates it, and loves Brand Y in weight B in style N, what are you going to shoot? Same concept here. If it works for you, run with it, and to heck with what anybody else says.
Whichever way you go with the film, if you bust your butt to shoot good pictures, and then take it to Walgreen's to let some bored 17-year old watch a machine print them, you'll get crap. _NEVER_ put film into a bag with the name "Qualex" on it, unless it's Kodachrome. Find a halfway decent lab that will actually _look_ at the pictures to see if they're printed right, re-doing them as necessary. It will be more expensive, but it will be worth it.
Avoid red backgrounds especially. It drives meters crazy and will often result in a color shift.
Avoid too much white, especially if your gun is stainless or nickel. The meter won't like that, either.
Magazines love slides because they're objective. "Print it _this_ shade of red! _Just_ like the slide!" If you want your grandkids to see it, shoot Kodachrome, preferably the 25. If you're going to project it or need it in a hurry, shoot Ektachrome/Fujichrome in the E-6 chemistry, but be aware that it will break down after 7 or 8 years. Fuji's Velvia is the top gun, with exceptional saturation. The E-6 chemistry in ISO 64 is generally (not always) tungsten balanced for controlled artificial lighting, so not suitable for outdoor shooting, usually. Slide or print, shoot the slowest film you can lay your hands on, as it will be both cheaper and sharper. If you're on a tripod, and the camera is left by itself, who cares if it takes three hours for an exposure?
Morning shots tend to be "warmer" than afternoon and evening shots. Yellower, rather than blue.
Any SLR will do the trick. The more you pay for the body, the more use it's designed for, you're not paying for bells and whistles. The more you pay for the lens, the better it will be in low light/fast action, sharpness will be better on the edges, and color saturation will be better. Find an outfit that fits your hands and feels good, with comfortable controls, and forget whose name is on it, within reason. Used SLRs are an investment, lots of them are available from people who wanted autofocus, and they'll outlive you with decent care.
Also, let me echo Hardball's bracketing philosophy. The cheapest thing in your camera bag is film, and there is a reason why every pro you ever get near sounds like his camera swallowed a dozen crickets. Pro photographers are often (not always) no better than amateurs; they just shoot more film. Pictures are just like bullets: Shoot enough, and you're bound to hit something sooner or later. That's not advocating "spray and pray," rather _aimed_ shots taken leisurely to ensure one hit. The better you are, the fewer shots it takes, but imagine if you had to wait an hour to find out if you hit your target, and you knew you absolutely had to do it. You'd fire a couple just to make sure, right?
Steve
