Versatile & Pleasing Grain
When it comes to color negative film I lean towards using slower ISO’s like 50 & 100 for the resolution. However this 400 ISO film still has fine grain that falls across the image in a satisfying way.
Popular for a good reason
Honestly, I assumed this film was all hype before I shot it. But, when I was stocking up for a weekend trip to Chicago, it was the only thing in stock, so I gave it a try. I’m very glad that I did! I think the best way I can describe it is “transparent.” Not in that it doesn’t color image (it does), but in that it does exactly what I want it to. It reproduces the scene in the way that I imagine it will when I think of the “film” look. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this, as it is really expensive, but definitely a great film for anyone looking for clean, sharp, accurate images.
Kodak's bread and butter
As the title suggests, this is one of Kodak’s most successful films for consumers. It is fine grained and suitable for all uses from portraiture to landscapes. This film renders colors in a very pastel-like manner. So if soft colors are your thing, you will love Portra. I think this film has been shot to death in California featuring people with skateboards or people at the beach. But outside of those two situations, I would use Portra for photographing while hiking, vintage car shoots, or photographing friends in an outdoor environment. I do not recommend portra for indoor flash photography with a point and shoot camera because I have found that my pictures turn out more yellow than expected because of white balance issues. Overall this is an excellent film but it is getting 4/5 because it is expensive and currently extremely hard to find in stock.
Problem...
How do I fix undeveloped film if I spilled foundation and leaked onto negatives? I am unsure if the foundation leaked into the roll itself, in the camera.
Definitively one of the most versatile and forgiving color films presently available
I mostly shoot this film in 120 rolls and almost always at half speed (ISO 200) and develop it at 400 with great results. Usually I expose for the shadows and this way it gives me the best shadow details preserving the highlights.
Love it for daylight and night photography. and in both situations is very forgiving.
It produces decent colors including skin tones.
Great skin tones- but the cost not so much.
Fantastic film that loved being shot over exposed by a stop or two. The skin tones are fantastic. With the recent price increase- I tend to use this film sparingly now.
Excellent Quality - Tough Price
I’ve used P400 in 35mm as well as medium format, and the grain size, light response, and the colors are incredible. My only reservation is the cost. It’s quite expensive when you’re shooting a lot and can be difficult to swallow the cost when it’s 2x as much as some others. Unmatched quality, unmatched price.
Dependable
Very even and consistent film that will constantly meet your expectations. Picks up subtleties well and doesn’t blow them away with other overly vibrant colors. Smooth. You likely wont be surprised with the pictures produced. Level tones. Moderate price – typically available from film providers. Shoot pretty much anything with it.
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Portra 400 is very forgivable film and I also push to 800 for sports photography. 400 is vibrant film that I ever had. Very satisfied of this film
Consistently Great
In my humble opinion this is probably one of the greatest films produced. It’s not cheap but we’ll worth the price. It is the truest to life in terms of color and skin tones. It has great latitude as well, making it great for pushing and pulling. It’s hard to shoot a bad frame with this film.
My all around favorite film.
If I had to pick only one color film to shoot for the rest of my life it would be Portra 400. It has fine grain, amazing exposure latitude, beautiful color, nice warm tones, and is very versatile!