Kodak Portra 400 120 Roll Film Professional 5 Pack

Product Information

The Kentmere 120 announcement is only the latest medium format film to be released this year, following the launch of Kodak Gold 120 earlier this year and the release of Cinestill’s 400D aswell. The 2010 Portra 400 update also incorporated technology from Kodak’s VISION line of motion picture films (see listings below). Kodak Portra 400 provides genuinely excellent film latitude, equal to, or better than that offered by Fuji’s Pro 400H line of films. The film is available in 35mm, 120 and sheet film format and coated on an acetate base. The Kentmere range is owned and manufactured by HARMAN technology and follows the same high-quality processes that are used to make all ILFORD PHOTO films and papers.

The Nettar does not have a light meter as it is a 6×6 folding camera made sometime around the 1950s (source: Camera Wiki & Butkus). There is beauty in the simplicity of not having a light meter and exposure readings can be figured out either by learning the Sunny 16 rule or using the Light Meter app on a smartphone. However, miscalculations do happen occasionally as we will see later. Although marketed for high contrast at its box speed of 400, I opted to pull it to ASA200, developing the film in Ilford DD-X, dilution 1:4 for six minutes at 20 deg C, agitation 10 secs/minute. The camera was a hand held Mamiya 1000S.I figured I could post process it to higher contrast if I wished, and I wanted to see what the potential tonal range was.To read the news about the launch, head over to the post over here. This article is a full review of the film which includes a trip to the city of amour, Paris! Havane Cafe in Paris Film features & price

For a fun video shooting the film in Paris, head on over to my Youtube channel here! I can promise loads of b-roll and cool Parisian-themed music. Final ThoughtsIt’s great to have the Kentmere option now in medium format for cost-conscious photographers. At a time where spending is being reined in across many budgets, the film is well positioned to offer a great value to those that still favour the larger negative over the economy of 35mm. Also, as film photography continues to expand to new beginners who want to experiment or learn, having companies investing in film that supports learning and experimentation without breaking the bank is very encouraging. We are now pleased to be able to offer that same level of quality, value, and consistency to all medium format photographers. Spectacular skin tones Portra Films delivers smooth, natural reproduction of skin tones, plus exceptional colour saturation

The negs were converted to digital files with a Canon macro lens and converted to positives using Grain2Pixel software. It has been the first choice for many top photographers over its lifespan - in fact when Kodak went through bankruptcy and restructuring in 2012 Don McCullin panic-bought 150 rolls of Kodak Tri-X in case it didn't survive the turmoil! Fortunately for Mr McCullin and every other photographer, Tri-X did survive and is still available fresh in both 35mm and 120 formats. You might have seen the news already, but if not, today is the launch of Ilford’s Kentmere range in medium format. Kentmere 35mm 100 and 400 ISO films have been available under the Ilford umbrella since 2007 as a quality budget option for photographers. Now, the film is being stepped up in size! It has also been optimised for high quality scanning and enlarging post-development - the ISO 400 variant is perfect for everyday use in a variety of light levels. Lomography state that: “ Lomography Color Negative 400 120 film will dazzle you with bold colors and stunning sharpness. Whether you are shooting under sunny or cloudy conditions, you’ll get great results. Try this film with your favorite Lomography 120 camera and see for yourself!”

About Lomography Color Negative 400

The film is expected to retail around GBP 4.90 but Ilford does not set a retail price. This will be left to the individual retailers to finalise depending on their relative costs. Of course, writing this before launch day, I do not know yet what those prices will be, so I will be looking forward to comparing what retailers set to other medium format film priced in the same range. I expect price comparison to be a strong factor for many photographers considering which film to invest in this winter. For me, I’ll be wrapped up in all the thermal blankets and clothes this winter with the heating off as much as possible so I can afford a little more in the film budget. Kentmere 120 offers another affordable option for medium format shooters at a time when price is scrutinised more heavily for many. Kodak Tri-X 120 film is a truly legendary film. Kodak Tri-X emulsion was first introduced in 1940 in sheet film, making it over 80 years old! FP4 has been around since 1968. HP5 since 1976. The initial versions at least. Plus versions were introduced later on. Kodak Portra 400 is an ISO 400/27° daylight-balanced professional colour negative films introduced in 1998 and made originally for portrait and wedding applications. Like Portra 160, the film was formerly available in “Natural Color” (NC) and “Vivid Color” (VC) variations, before being updated in 2010, when both were replaced with “New Portra”. Wide exposure latitude: The film has a wide exposure latitude, which means it can handle a wide range of lighting conditions. This makes it ideal for use in a variety of situations.

The films were exposed in my Voigtlander Brilliant TLR, made in 1938. This has a Voigtar 75mm f/4.5 uncoated lens, so I was careful to shield the lens from bright cross lighting. I exposed the film for the shadow detail at EI 400. Kodak Portra 400 was launched in 1998 and replaced the older 'Vericolor' emulsion in Kodak's range. Originally there were two variants of Portra: 'Vivid Colour' and 'Natural Colour' but a technical update in 2010 made the difference redundant with a new and improved film. The new Portra 400 Film is the world's finest grain high-speed colour negative film. At true ISO 400 speed, this film delivers spectacular skin tones plus exceptional colour saturation over a wide range of lighting conditions. For years, professional photographers have preferred Kodak Portra Films because of their consistently smooth, natural reproduction of the full range of skin tones. In that same tradition, the new Portra 400 Film is the ideal choice for portrait and fashion photography, as well as for nature, travel and outdoor photography, where the action is fast or the lighting can't be controlled.

Final Thoughts

Outstanding scanning results with finer grain and an emulsion overcoat specially designed for scanners, Portra Films reproduce beautifully. The age-old adage of metering for the shadows holds true with this film; and I’ve found that in practice, even when pushing, it’s difficult to blow the highlights. I’ve shot this film in broad daylight from 320 to 800 without a problem. Grain can creep in more noticeably when pushing, but if developed properly it can be kept at a minimum; much more so than a conventional grain film like HP5. Developing Overall, Kodak Portra 400 film is a high-quality film that is perfect for photographers who want to capture beautiful, lifelike images with natural skin tones and excellent colour reproduction. High image quality: Kodak Portra 400 film is known for its fine grain and excellent colour reproduction, which makes it ideal for capturing high-quality images. Over the last 10 years, Kodak Portra 400 has become the industry standard for colour negative film. As soon as you see the results, it’s obvious why so many people love it. It delivers beautiful colours and generally outstanding image quality. This was particularly evident this time as we focused on the soft pink tones of the fresh tree blossom and blues of the sky. Colours that plays perfectly to Portra 400’s strengths, especially in the mild, warm sunlight we have at this time of year.