New Versions:Kodak Professional Portra 400NC and 400VC films

[Fotogeorge]

FYI:

NEWSLINE: Professional Markets Monday, January 07, 2008

Kodak introduces improved versions of Kodak Professional Portra 400-speed color negative films

Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester , N.Y. , is offering improved versions of its Kodak Professional Portra 400NC and 400VC films. The enhancements build on the introduction of improved Portra films in 2006. The finer grain of the Portra 400NC and 400VC films, combined with the spectacular skin tone of the entire portfolio, enable professional photographers to create striking photographs, says Kodak. The technology innovations also result in better scanning, the company adds. The new Kodak Professional Portra films will be available worldwide on a stock-turnover basis beginning in the first quarter of this year.
©Photo Marketing Association International

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Their website also shows the update:
http://kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/portra/400main.jhtml

"Even finer grain." My my!

There is a Q&A about why they keep updating the film, it's a good read:
http://kodak.com/global/plugins/acr...tra400QAs.pdf?id=0.2.26.14.7.14.22.5.14&lc=en

 

[copake_ham]

Very good news indeed, although it seems as if we need a "scorecard" to keep track of all the Portra revisions!

Nonetheless, I'm happy anytime there is a new or improved film being introduced. Much better than the opposite kind of news.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

The edge markings should be help enough for now:

Original Portra: 160NC, 160VC, 400NC, 400VC, 800
1st Update: 160NC-2, 160VC-2, 400NC-2, 400VC-2, 800-2
2nd Update: 400NC-3, 400VC-3

What I find really interesting is that the ISO 400 is the first one to get the bump. I'm not surprised because it's such a beautiful film for all situations, with nonexistent grain, that I can't even see the difference from the 160 at 11x14 printed on RA-4.

 

[Uncle Bill]

This is great news.

 

[Craig]

I thought it was pretty impressive in the "old and unimproved" formulation.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

Wow, seriously surprised and very stoked we got an upgrade so quick. 400VC is my staple, and I'm sure glad they improved it again so fast rather than waiting. When I'm busy I can do 50-70 rolls a month, and the newer version was a great improvement over my previous film, 400UC. So, when is the 'No Grain' version going to be released?

 

[Photo Engineer]

As I said before, Kodak has a dedicated team to both B&W and color film improvement. Since the teams are smaller, the improvements come along more slowly but it is taking place.

PE

 

[copake_ham]

Wow, seriously surprised and very stoked we got an upgrade so quick. 400VC is my staple, and I'm sure glad they improved it again so fast rather than waiting. When I'm busy I can do 50-70 rolls a month, and the newer version was a great improvement over my previous film, 400UC. So, when is the 'No Grain' version going to be released?

If you re-read the OP and check out K's site - they have already been released - but availability is subject to vendor stock out of the "older" version.

As I said before, Kodak has a dedicated team to both B&W and color film improvement. Since the teams are smaller, the improvements come along more slowly but it is taking place.

PE

Ron,

You're being modest for your former colleagues. To come out with a new version of 400 NC/VC just one year after that last "new" version is "fast" not slow!

And I suspect, you know that!

I do hope that the film folk at K come to visit this site soon - perhaps in a "controlled" format so we can ask some serious questions without a lot of negativity.

Now, I wonder what they have in store for 160 and 800?

 

[Photo Engineer]

George;

When I was still there, they would have had maybe 9 teams. Ones on 160NC, 160VC, 160UC, 400NC, 400VC, 400UC and so on. You get the picture. Then they would all have been released at one time! So, to me the pace is slower.

PE

 

[wildbill]

Speaking of 400UC. I've only shot one roll of 120 400UC on a seagull tlr i was given to fix. They were family shots and I had it developed and printed at A&I. The color was outstanding. How long was this film around and why did it get axed? Is 400VC close?

 

[Photo Engineer]

Bill;

I wish I knew the answers. I have not made a direct comparison. I used VC films almost exclusively.

PE

 

[Sirius Glass]

Speaking of 400UC. I've only shot one roll of 120 400UC on a seagull tlr i was given to fix. They were family shots and I had it developed and printed at A&I. The color was outstanding. How long was this film around and why did it get axed? Is 400VC close?

I wish I knew.

I have not used the 120 VC 400 that I have yet so I can't say.

When I heard that 120 UC400 was being discontinued I rushed to Samys and brought every roll they had (55 rolls) so that I could keep the film from the hoarders.

I wish that I had done the same with 120 HIE, but APUG had not gotten to me at that time. Since then APUG got to me and I process my black and white film.

Steve

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

Actually, I was joking, the "No Grain" comment was that each new versions has 'even finer grain' so when does it disappear completely.

I still have a few pro-packs of 100 and 400 UC in 120, saving them for another decade so I can rant about how good it was way back when in the 'aughts...

 

[Tim Gray]

I'm mostly a B&W guy, but I've used some of the 160NC/VC-2. I never did get around to ordering any of the version 2 400 films (local stores don't carry it). Heck, I guess I'll just have to try 400NC-3 now...

 

[Sirius Glass]

I still have a few pro-packs of 100 and 400 UC in 120, saving them for another decade so I can rant about how good it was way back when in the 'aughts...

RAOFLMAO - These youngens, it was afore their time, but I 'member back when gas was $3.00 per gallon!

Steve

 

[Photo Engineer]

Actually, I was joking, the "No Grain" comment was that each new versions has 'even finer grain' so when does it disappear completely.

I still have a few pro-packs of 100 and 400 UC in 120, saving them for another decade so I can rant about how good it was way back when in the 'aughts...

You will never get zero grain.

I did coatings of cast dyes which were pure dye molecules in gelatin. We measured them and they showed measurable grain. It gets down to the noise in the system.

PE

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

You will never get zero grain.

I did coatings of cast dyes which were pure dye molecules in gelatin. We measured them and they showed measurable grain. It gets down to the noise in the system.

PE

Can you say what kind of enlargement would be necessary to have visible grain clumping?

 

[Silverhead]

I'm just curious to see if Kodak can get its grain down to the same level as Fuji Provia 400X...which is quite frankly, incredible for a 400 ISO film. Obviously, being a negative film, the Portra won't be able to match the color saturation of the Provia, but if the grain is small enough then it could turn into a really sweet all-purpose portrait film.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Can you say what kind of enlargement would be necessary to have visible grain clumping?

Well, with the cast dye coatings, there was no 'clumping' as such. At worst, since these were sulfonic acid azo dyes, the dye would form a micelle in gelatin + water and you might be able to see that, but I think in this case we were looking at noise in the system.

As far as regular films, I have enlargements up to 16x20 from 35mm and they are remarkably clear of clumping. You can see some grain, but not what I would class as the traditional clumping I saw in films from the 50s and 60s.

However, I have a 16x20 of a blue swimming pool on Kodacolor X from the 60 and even with that uniform color, you cannot see clumping. So, it varies.

I hope that answers your question.

PE

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Thanks PE, that gives me an idea. I enlarged Portra 400NC 35mm on Supra Endura, and I was amazed not to see grain at all. I can't enlarge bigger with my current setup, but that's already quite impressive. And the shadow detail was great: my subject had a black shirt with slight bits of shiny thread that you can see just clearly enough.

 

[GGardner]

It seems unfortunate that Kodak would bring us this great new film, but the only place we can see it is on their tiny image gallery. These 300x300 (?) images from medium format film don't really tell us much about the product.

 

[Snapshot]

I, for one, am quite happy for the release of the new Portra film. I can't wait to try out the 400VC. The 400NC long roll looks interesting well.

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

Portra film's been on my to-do list for a long while, and this is fantastic news - between this and the new T-Max it seems film development is still a very worthy aspiration for Kodak. We need some encouragement now and then from ol' yella.
Who knows, Fuji may counter this development with their own, they seemed to play off each other historically.

 

[Neanderman]

Kodak has a dedicated team to both B&W and color film improvement.

I would assume this is more 2 electron sensitization at work?

Ed