Kodak Professional Portra 400

Daniel Haskins · Sep 17, 2010

Poop, can we just talk about the new film and leave the business/digital whatever stuff for another thread. I for one am very excited about this new film. I never liked using the Portra films because I found the VC too much, and the NC not enough. Always found myself using Fuji 400H. I'm glad they are making an all around good film. And also glad that it incorporates Vision3 technologies. I shot a little bit of Vision3 250D in 16mm and really loved the way it came out. Really a new 400 speed portrait film is just what I'm looking for since I like to shoot natural light handheld. The finer grain is nice too!

Looking at the skin tones in the sample images, they kind of remind me of Ektar 100 skin tones, only toned down a little bit.

JBrunner · Sep 17, 2010

Apug isn't going to change in the hybrid direction.

Lets go back on topic please.

Daniel Haskins · Sep 17, 2010

holmburgers said:
The real question is.... what the hell is "antenna dye stabilisation"? Or Vision technology for that matter.

All the good stuff that makes their movie film so good. I read a tech paper once on the Vision3 technologies, but I don't remember where it was.

perkeleellinen · Sep 17, 2010

I couldn't spot it when I looked, so does anyone know when this film is going to be available to buy?

[1000 posts - woo!]

AgX · Sep 17, 2010

In November.

[1000 posts - we all talk too much...]

DanielStone · Sep 17, 2010

perkeleellinen said:
I couldn't spot it when I looked, so does anyone know when this film is going to be available to buy?

[1000 posts - woo!]

KODAK says Oct. 2010

looks to me like they're going after the wedding folks, most of whom LOVE the 400H. J. Canlas and Jose Villa are two that come to mind. Great photographers. Think that Contax 645 renders things a little differently too, maybe its the zeiss glass. Who knows?
-Dan

AgX · Sep 17, 2010

Kodak seemingly states 2 different months...

Ektagraphic · Sep 17, 2010

AgX said:
Kodak seemingly states 2 different months...

Yes they do. For those of us in the US, they had noted that the new Portra 400 should become available in October and the Portra 400VC and Portra 400NC stock should run out around December.

Ektagraphic · Sep 17, 2010

TSSPro said:
I had been a proud fuji shooter for years- In more recent times I feel like I should pick a camp (manufacturer) and support them with as much product consumed on my end as the budget will allow. With the introduction of Ektar and now Portra 400, in my eyes it is proof that Kodak is putting effort, even though is may be consolidating their offerings, toward newer film technologies. Even though my $100+ a month may not be much, but its still helping, right?

Hmm...well, Kodak, here I come.

Yay! Nice move and a good optimistic view

andrewkirkby · Sep 17, 2010

It can be ordered now from major distributors...

Not sure of delivery date.

But i'm keen to check this out.

The last time i used 400 speed (colour) film seriously was quite a while ago.

Photo Engineer · Sep 17, 2010

munz6869 said:
Umm, why not start your own site, instead of changing this one - 43,866 analogue aficionados can't all be wrong? Also, many of us have... darkrooms!

Marc!

Marc;

He has his own web site! Some pretty good analog photographers have given interviews there. You should listen to some.

As for the 43,874 (up a bit today) members, remember that members are not subscribers and members and subscribers are not all participants. Many are observers. I would estimate that only about 10% of this figure really participates actively in APUG. As for film and paper usage, IDK, but the percentage compared to digital is rather small.

The good news is that however many it may be, it is enough for Kodak to produce a new film in this tough market even with sales declining and with, as Scott says, some executives at EK being against film.

So, I go my own way and love film and I encourage others to participate here and use film!

PE

Robert Budding · Sep 17, 2010

Scott_Sheppard said:
If you guys think that going to hybridphoto.com is worth anybody's time then you are smoking CRACK !!

That site is DEAD... There is NO COMMUNITY THERE !!

Is you guys don't embrace the hybrid workflow then all you will have to shoot is some B&W made by some 3rd world factory !!

Its a proven FACT that 99.9% of ALL COLOR FILM is scanned.

By alienating 99.5% of the worlds film shooting population you are cutting off the hand that FEEDS YOU !!

Do you really think that Kodak will continue to make B&W stock after the color dies off, AGAIN you are smoking CRACK !!

I know for a FACT that there are executives at Kodak that would LOVE to KILL ALL FILM !! This includes your beloved B&W !!

Analog based photographers need to hang with other analog photogs. When you guys shun them out and tell them to piss off, all this does is drive then to go shoot DIGITAL. When that happens you can kiss film goodbye !!

You all better think about your OLD SCHOOL ways real quick before there is no more old school film to shoot at all !!

LONG LIVE Hybrid Analog Photography !!

Enjoy

Scott

I agree with you, Scott. I like this site, but I still haven't found a good place to talk about hybrid workflow. Why not add a separate forum here for those of us who are interested? It would make it easier for the purely analog folks to ignore us (perhaps there's a way to add a forum filter to the 'New Posts' feature), and many of us would spend more time here.

Sirius Glass · Sep 17, 2010

Robert Budding said:
I agree with you, Scott. I like this site, but I still haven't found a good place to talk about hybrid workflow. Why not add a separate forum here for those of us who are interested? It would make it easier for the purely analog folks to ignore us (perhaps there's a way to add a forum filter to the 'New Posts' feature), and many of us would spend more time here.

Robert Budding · Sep 17, 2010

So Sirius isn't serious?

Photo Engineer · Sep 17, 2010

Greg Davis said:
There was a sub-forum here for hybrid. As far as I know, it died from inactivity, but I could be wrong and it may be still alive somewhere in the dark recesses of the site.

It became hybridphoto.com

PE

Robert Budding · Sep 17, 2010

Photo Engineer said:
It became hybridphoto.com

PE

I expect that there would be more traffic if it had remained a part of this site.

I just find it odd that people claim that they want to promote the use of film, yet they want to exclude a large segment of film users. I do print B&W in a traditional darkroom, but for color, I use a hybrid process. I guess that makes me a bad person!

Q.G. · Sep 17, 2010

Robert Budding said:
I just find it odd that people claim that they want to promote the use of film, yet they want to exclude a large segment of film users. I do print B&W in a traditional darkroom, but for color, I use a hybrid process. I guess that makes me a bad person!

If so, me too (as if i wasn't already. But that's another topic).
But how am i, are you, as part of that segment of film users, excluded by APUG?

Now take Kodak... they take my Portra away, and leaves me praying and hoping that their replacement product isn't anything like Ektar.

Robert Budding · Sep 17, 2010

Q.G. said:
If so, me too (as if i wasn't already. But that's another topic).
But how am i, are you, as part of that segment of film users, excluded by APUG? . . .

I'd love to talk about all aspects of film use here, but it's not allowed. If I try, I'm directed to a dead web site.

Sirius Glass · Sep 17, 2010

Robert Budding said:
I expect that there would be more traffic if it had remained a part of this site.

I just find it odd that people claim that they want to promote the use of film, yet they want to exclude a large segment of film users. I do print B&W in a traditional darkroom, but for color, I use a hybrid process. I guess that makes me a bad person!

What you are missing is the history. When the hybrid process was allowed, there were endless threads on this versus that and "mine is better than yours". Most were happy with the separation. If a vote were taken today the results would be the same. There are many other sites that handle the hybrid process issues.

Steve

B&Wpositive · Sep 17, 2010

Scott_Sheppard said:
Is you guys don't embrace the hybrid workflow then all you will have to shoot is some B&W made by some 3rd world factory !!

Its a proven FACT that 99.9% of ALL COLOR FILM is scanned.

By alienating 99.5% of the worlds film shooting population you are cutting off the hand that FEEDS YOU !!

Kind of blunt and derogatory to some people here, but still true and a good point. This site needn't alientate itself from reality. Scott Sheppard, you are the man when it comes to reality of film/hybrid, and a good interviewer, too. I enjoy your program. Keep up the good work. And hopefully not too many people took offence to your post. But you made some great points nonetheless. I can't stand that division and fact that hybrid/scanning is nearly forbidden to talk about. And yes, I was a subscriber at one point in time.

Robert Budding · Sep 17, 2010

Sirius Glass said:
. . . If a vote were taken today the results would be the same. There are many other sites that handle the hybrid process issues.

Steve

That would make sense, since you've already driven most hybrid photographers away.

Sirius Glass · Sep 17, 2010

Robert Budding said:
That would make sense, since you've already driven most hybrid photographers away.

No, they are still here. They just do not talk about it here. for example jd callow is one IIRC.

You have two ears and one mouth. There is a reason for that. Use the first first.

Now lets get back on topic.

BetterSense · Sep 17, 2010

I agree that even though I don't work digitally at all, hybrid is important in keeping film alive.

Think of it this way. Even in 2010, I can get vinyl records pressed at RTI, for a couple bucks each. Even garage bands can still have records pressed, but, RTI lets you submit albums for pressing on any medium you want; I imagine they would be fine with a flash drive full of mp3's. Do you think they would get as many orders if they required their customers to submit their albums on 2" magnetic tape?

I'm not saying that APUG should allow discussions of digital media, though. There are already forums where people discuss digital imaging.

jpberger · Sep 17, 2010

The objection to talking about chemical and electronic processes in the same breath strikes me as a kind of religious preference in the same way some one might avoid cheese burgers because they combine meat and milk. There's nothing wrong with that, and it could be a very meaningful important marker of ones values and relationship to the surrounding world, but to someone in a different tradition it doesn't necessarily make sense, and that person would be right to object if someone imposed the same restrictions on them.

One could argue that "Hybrid photography" essentially goes back to the 1880s and the invention of halftone reproduction-- photographers have used electronic means, especially to distribute work essentially forever. Also, as one of those rare people who optically prints colour-- scanning was the gateway drug, and something I still do depending on the desired output.

fotch · Sep 17, 2010

The overhead cost of time and money for Hybridphoto vs a sub-forum should lead to a logical answer of what should be done. I suppose its part of the analog fear that the other will overtake a predominately analog site.

However, if it wasn't very popular as a sub-forum, even less popular as a stand alone site, IMHO, the only thing to fear is fear itself.

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