Kodak Ultramax 400 Color Negative Film (ISO 400) 35mm 24-Exposures - 2 Pack (2 Items)

Product Information

Overall, the bottom line here is similar to with Kodak Gold. If you like that warm, inherently retro look to your photographs, Ultramax could be for you. For me, it’s not a bad film. A good number of the images I got with Ultramax were shot in the morning and afternoon sun, and the film reacted to that with good contrast. The sharpness is also nothing to complain about, bearing in mind what we’re shooting with here.

Perhaps the increased grain you can expect with the higher 400 ISO is a factor too. I didn’t notice a great deal of difference there between Ultramax and Gold though, but I’m not enlarging and examining for it. This one’s a biggy, exposure latitude is super important, especially if you’re shooting something like portraits, editorial, landscape or anything that’s a bit more professional. Portra 400 is perhaps the most widely used film in Kodak’s catalog, and for good reason – it’s nearly flawless. Its color palette is one of the most balanced among color emulsions, its exposure latitude is the widest in photography (about six stops of over-exposure and three to four stops of under-exposure when processed at box speed), and its grain is some of the finest found in a 400 speed film ( see the details in our film profile here). Consistency and predictability are other areas where this film shines. When taking an image, it is very important that you know what you are going to get. This is even more important for a film camera now that we have been spoiled with the comfort of using digital cameras. The film delivers consistently good exposure with great color accuracy and saturation. However, since the film is daylight balanced, you will want to account for the light sources you’re using when taking photos. As you can see with Kodak Portra 400 on the left, the magentas are a bit lighter, almost more pastel in tone. If you take a look at the building on the right-hand side you can see that it’s more white than the Ultramax on the right, I’d say there’s a slight yellow hue on the Ultramax.

In Summary

Great pictures in sunlight or low light, in action or still; The world's most versatile 400-speed film choice.

If you want minimal grain in your images, just be sure to expose the image well. Keep an eye on the camera’s light meter, or use an external light meter if your camera doesn’t have one. With a good amount of light, the grain is never overbearing. You can even try overexposing the film by a stop or two. You’ll be surprised by the results you can get this way. However, you will notice a slight yellow color cast if the film is overexposed too much. Finer grain for clear, sharp pictures; Great for enlargements; Improved prints from underexposed negatives For best results, avoid cool colours in your scenes, such as rainy or cloudy days. Whereas strong or warm-toned shades work well with UltraMax, blue or grey weather often throws it off-balance, leaving you with colour casts in the shadows that are difficult to correct. That’s still true, although I quite like it in the photographs here. Perhaps that’s because they kind of are travel shots, as opposed to ones taken in and around my neighbourhood. Generally, the colors produced by Ultramax are perfectly suited to most subjects and lighting situations. Skin tones usually look quite accurate (this is where you usually want to shoot at box speed), and landscapes can also look great.Lighting Conditions: If you will be shooting in low light conditions, you should choose Kodak Ultramax as it has an ISO speed of 400. If you will be shooting in well-lit situations, Kodak Gold with its ISO speed of 200 is a good choice.