Kodak Ultramax 400 - Film Review

This is my go-to film because it is affordable and produces great, consistent results roll after roll. Shooting on my Nikon FG-20 photos achieve a nice level of graininess and in my perspective can seem to pick up on the hues of the season you shoot in (warm tones in spring & summer, cooler tones in fall & winter). This was one of the first films I ever used and I plan to keep coming back to it for years to come!

Firstly, I got into film and photography less than a year ago. I am a beginner amateur, no doubt. I’m running a Pentax Spotmatic, and most of my experience is with the Super Takumar 55mm f/1.8.

That said, I started shooting on Ultramax 400. It’s a little grainy no matter what you do, but it’s just the right amount for it to be charming unless you underexpose. This film excels in bright sunlight, where its slightly pastel color palette gives the final picture a nostalgic and oddly personal vibe.

Despite needing lots of light to fully take advantage of this film’s capabilities, it’s surprisingly forgiving, which makes it a great film for snapping photos without too much thought. I learn by doing, and mistakes are crucial to that process. If the mistake is too big, I can’t examine what went wrong and change what I’m doing. With Ultramax 400, I can tell where I went wrong without having a totally ruined picture and can better learn from my mistakes. Add to that the availability and relatively low cost of the film and it makes it perfect for learning how to shoot on.

It’s the kind of film that reflects your progress and skill. It’s not the best and I’m sure I’ll graduate from shooting as much as I do with it, but I think I’ll always have a soft spot for it. Definitely recommend.

It’s better than Fujifilm’s consumer stocks, but that’s not saying much really. Ultramax is a bad film stock in poor lighting. Even the slightest underexposure is a real killer in my opinion. You have to shoot this in bright full daylight/bright golden hour settings. Even then you can feel underwhelmed by it’s weird desaturated and muted tones in certain shots compared to the Porta stocks and Gold. Overall I feel it’s a lackluster option compared to Kodak Gold which I believe is the more comparable alternative in terms of pricing and use.