Kodak Portra 400 VC

[kivis]

Just got a bunch of this film for a great price. Anybody have any experience with this film?

 

[nemo999]

Just got a bunch of this film for a great price. Anybody have any experience with this film?

It does what Kodak claims for it - quite fine grain for the speed, and high saturation as indicated by the VC ("Vivid Color") in the product name.

 

[MikeSeb]

Yes. Lovely film. As its name implies, more vivid than its Portra NC ("natural color") cousin, but still with good skin tones. I use it when I need a bit more color saturation than I get from my standard Fujicolor 160S or 400H films (both of which I to be between Kodak's NC and VC lines in terms of color saturation, and a bit "cooler"). Very nice sharpness and fine grain.

None of these are as saturated as Velvia transparency film, which I've used but little. If you have experience with transparency films, someone here more knowledgable than I about those could chime in with a comparison.

 

[Bosaiya]

I used some for the first time recently. It was an outdoor shoot in low-lit alleys. Very beautiful. The client was happy and asked for more. What can be better than that?

 

[nyoung]

It and its companion 160VC are my only C-41 films since Kodak sent out the free samples a couple of years ago.

Its gives more of a "transparency look" to the color print with its increased contrast and saturation but it really excells in tough conditions.

Underexposed two stops @ 1600, Portra 400VC is head and shoulders better than the Fuji 1600 shot at box speed - less noticable grain and much more saturated color.

 

[lns]

Yes. Lovely film. As its name implies, more vivid than its Portra NC ("natural color") cousin, but still with good skin tones....

My experience exactly.

-Laura

 

[PVia]

Great...one of my all-time favorites especially in medium format.

 

[Windscale]

Yes. Lovely film. As its name implies, more vivid than its Portra NC ("natural color") cousin, but still with good skin tones. I use it when I need a bit more color saturation than I get from my standard Fujicolor 160S or 400H films (both of which I to be between Kodak's NC and VC lines in terms of color saturation, and a bit "cooler"). Very nice sharpness and fine grain.

None of these are as saturated as Velvia transparency film, which I've used but little. If you have experience with transparency films, someone here more knowledgable than I about those could chime in with a comparison.

I think, setting aside the varibles with different developers as I only use 2, the use of films has a lot to do with personal tastes and the choice of lenses. I do prefer the 400H, 160S, Provia slides. Most of my lenses are the older German types for example a few Leicas, Rolleiflex TLR (Tessar, Planar and Xenotar - 75/3.5), a few Solinar, Apotar, Color-Skopar and Tessars (in both 135 and 120 6x6 formats). Other films may be more at home when using other lenses. But when it comes to grains, most of Kodak and Fuji's are rather good.

Also, it may just be me, I have always found Velvia 100 to be slightly under-rated, that is, I found it exposing better at 50-64 instead. Anyone has the same observation?