Pushing the new Portra 400

[imokruok]

Has anyone tried pushing the new Portra 400 yet? The samples I've seen online show grain well in-line with Kodak's 160 films, so my gut feeling is that this film might push well to 800 or 1600.

I'm not terribly happy with the way that Portra 800 goes to 1600, so am wondering if the new Portra 400 might be my new 1600 color film. I won't have my hands on the stuff until the end of week when I get the chance to run over to one of the places here in LA that has it rolling into their stock, but wanted to pose this question ahead of time. Thanks!

 

[Clancycoop]

I didn't know it was already available.

 

[imokruok]

Samy's in LA had a whole batch that sold out really fast; Freestyle I think still has some. When I asked Kodak about it a couple of weeks ago, they said their distributors were starting to add it to the final shipments of the old Portra 400.

 

[italy74]

Ciao
I have a few rolls of new Portra 400 available at hands.
I'll put one in the FM3A and shoot 1600. I'll let you know asap.
p.s. If Kodak Italy wouldn't have the kindness to provide me a few sample rolls, I'd be really amazed to shoot sooner than you American guys !

 

[Tim Gray]

I think it would be pretty good one stop under with no change in development. Just like the old Portra 400s are. And Portra 800.

In fact, I just got back some rolls of 800 today. At the end of one I think I shot a couple shots at proper exposure and one stop under and it took me a minute to figure out that that's what I had done - they all looked pretty good.

 

[dimkasta]

New Portra? will it come in VC and NC again?
How can you tell if a roll is of the new or of teh old kind?

 

[Chuck Albertson]

New Portra? will it come in VC and NC again?
How can you tell if a roll is of the new or of teh old kind?

No. It's just "Portra 400." I have a 120 roll of the new stuff, and all it says on the foil wrapper is "New Portra 400."

 

[vincentbenoit]

http://figitalrevolution.com/

 

[imokruok]

http://figitalrevolution.com/

Thanks for that link. There are some nice comparison shots there.

The new film isn't as revolutionary as I'd hoped, but I do think it is a noticeable improvement. I just got a 5-pack in 120 this week, so I'm looking forward to trying it out!

 

[venchka]

Portra 400 would appear to be the analog version of Digital Auto ISO. 25 to 3200. It works. After a fashion. Like digtial.

 

[Paddy C]

The catch (or benefit as you might see it) with colour neg, is that you can alter the appearance so much post-scan. As Stephen Schaub rightly points out.

I call it a catch because I wonder how valuable any screen-based comparison is. Any film can be made to look a number of different ways and not necessarily intentionally. Scanning, monitors, workflow all determine the outcome.

I love Fuji 400H and believe that I will stick with it but will give the new Portra 400 a try once I'm out of the 400NC I have.

 

[Rollmo]

Have a look at what AP reported about Portra 400:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xnhufj

Its a 3 page (PDF) excerpt from the November 13 issue.

 

[italy74]

Hi guys

testing new portra 400 at 800 (mostly) and 1600 right now.
Taking advantage of a break during a scheduled saturday work, I took my FM3A, the 40 CV F/2 and went through the park here around to shoot.

I'll let you know asap.

 

[italy74]

Quite strange, yet interesting, I'll have in the same roll sun and snow, colours and b/w given by the actual snowfall.. (the only thing I really hate of the place where I live, it snows too much for my tastes)

 

[italy74]

One more line.. for the latest shots - I hope to finish the roll today or tomorrow at most I could try it on the vivid tints of a russian doll I received as a gift from my friend Olga. I took a few snapshots in the terrace sun and in the inner dim and reflected winter light with her new "roommates" (one for all, the little figure of Pinocchio I have on my desk) with different lenses (50 F/1.4 and F/1.8, Tamron 28-75, Nikkor 105 VR) ... I'm really curious to see how they turn out !

EDIT: I took a few snaps both with my F6 and portra 400 at regular iso as well as the FM3A and Portra up to 800/1000

 

[Roger Hicks]

Barely usable at 1600 (error recovery only), OK at 800, good at 400 + 200, starts losing sharpness significantly at 100 and below.

Cheers,

R.

 

[italy74]

Roommates - given the short distance a bit more dof would have been useful

Portra 400 (@ 800 iso) - -0.3 EV (1000 iso eq.) - 1/30s - F/2.8 or so.

A bit larger view

 

[bwcolor]

Any More Examples of New Portra 400 Pushed??

Any More Examples of New Portra 400 Pushed??

Now that the film has been out for a good while, any shots that you can share? Let us know if you push developed or just changed the EI on the camera and developed normally... thanks.

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

It actually pushed beautifully to 1600 and 3200. In the film podcast recently, they had samples at 6400 that where completely useable. 1600 as error recovery only is simply not the case considering the vast quantity of samples online proving otherwise.

 

[umcelinho]

i've shot it at 800 then pushed 1.5 stop with good results, grain is minimal, colors are fine:


corner by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr


hangman by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr


xing by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr

but when i shot it at 1600 and had it pushed 2 stops, colors came out a bit off, these streetlights are orange just like that, but i felt it came out a tad underdeveloped maybe... haven't tried shooting it at 1600 and pushing 2.5 stops, though.


serenata ao marco zero by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr


break by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr


sísifo by Marcelo Colmenero, on Flickr

might be my crappy scanning skills though, haven't ruled that variable out!