Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 400 is the default choice for a generation of film photographers, and the reasons haven't changed much in twenty-five years: it's the colour negative film that handles mixed light, forgiving exposure, and human skin better than anything else at the same speed.

Character

Grain is fine for an ISO 400 stock — noticeably finer than HP5 at the same speed on a scanned frame, and much finer than most ISO 400 colour negatives that came before it. The palette leans slightly cool-warm: neutral whites, skin tones that sit naturally without the golden push you'll get from Superia or the clinical neutrality of professional transparency stocks. Contrast is low to medium — Portra holds highlights and shadows generously, which is why it's the go-to for bridal parties standing under harsh midday sun.

Exposure latitude

This is Portra's superpower. Nearly three stops of overexposure is recoverable without colour shift. Two stops under is usable with a modest scan correction. You can rate a roll anywhere from ISO 200 (denser shadows, creamier skin) to ISO 800 (a touch grainier, still clean) and the results read as "a Portra look." Most photographers settle on 200 or 320 for a slightly denser, richer image.

Best for

• Portraits in any light — the colour balance is specifically tuned for skin.
• Weddings, events, and anything with mixed lighting (window light plus tungsten, daylight plus shade).
• Travel and documentary work where you can't meter perfectly every frame.
• Overcast days where you want softness without a grey cast.

Less ideal for

• High-contrast landscapes where you want saturation — try Ektar 100 instead.
• Reciprocity-sensitive long exposures. Portra's reciprocity failure is modest but present above one-second exposures.
• Ultra-fine-grain studio work where you could use something slower.

History

Portra started as a line in 1998 — originally VC ("vivid colour") and NC ("neutral colour") variants at multiple speeds. Kodak consolidated the line in 2010 around a single reformulated Portra 160 / 400 / 800, dropping the VC/NC split. The current 400 emulsion is that 2010 formula; nothing on the box has changed since. Manufacturing moved back and forth between Rochester and outsourced facilities during Kodak's bankruptcy years; current supply is back on a stable footing.

How to log it in Film Logbook

• Rate honestly. If you're shooting at ISO 320, log 320, not 400. Scanners and labs calibrate differently; the ISO you actually metered at is the one you want on the roll.
• Tag the light. Because Portra handles so many conditions well, notes about the light ("harsh backlight", "overcast", "open shade") matter more than exact exposure when you're reviewing a roll months later.
• Bracket on the generous side. Given the latitude, half-stop over bracketing is a safer habit than under. Note when you do it.
• Track lab and scanner. Portra's colour palette is more scanner-dependent than other stocks — the lab that scanned a roll is worth keeping with the scans in your archive.