Kodak Professional Portra 800 Print Film

Kodak Professional Portra 800 Print Film 

DESCRIPTION

Kodak Professional Portra 800 Filmis a high-speed film designed for the most challenging low-light photographic applications. Portra 800 features a winning combination of exceptionally fine grain, exposure latitude, superb sharpness, unmatched color saturation, and excellent skin tones. Choose Kodak Professional Portra 800 Film for vibrant color and slightly higher contrast to add snap to images shot in flat or overcast light.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-9 of 9  
[Apr 02, 2010]
shakenbake
Intermediate

Strength:

One F-stop faster than Portra 400

Weakness:

Grain and colour saturation is unacceptable.

My film was developed by a very reputable processor with whom I have trusted my films for quite some time. I agree with Irakly Shanidze, this film is extremely grainy. I could see the grain in a 4 by 6 print, it was that bad. With all the technology that brought us B&W C41 films such as XP2, how come all this grain?

The colours are way too saturated, to the point where a flesh tone shadow turned out to be as red as a tomato on many of my prints. For Kodak emulsions, back to Portra 400 for me, even though I lose an F-stop.

What a disappointment!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Ilford XP2 adjusted to 800 ISO ex[posure.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[May 27, 2008]
quietlightphoto
Professional

Strength:

Fine grained, wonderful colors & flesh tones.

Weakness:


Need to go to Pro shop to purchase it.


I've been using the newer version for about a year now. This is a VERY good film. I now prefer it over the excellent Fuji NPZ film. The grain is very fine for an 800 speed film, the colors and flesh tones are wonderful. I rate it @ 640. When printed by an experienced printer, I consistently get wonderful 11x17 inch prints with it. I have many samples of it on my Flickr site.

Quiet Light Photography

Customer Service


Not needed

Similar Products Used:


Fuji Press 800 & NPZ

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 03, 2007]
quietlightphoto
Professional

Strength:


Fine grain, great colors, very good exposure latitude and scans very well.

Weakness:


Not the easiest of films to procure.


I recently burned about 10 rolls of the Kodak 800 (exposed @ 640), and I really like it. Wonderful colors, fine grain and very good exposure latitude. The lab technician that soups and scans my negatives was very impressed with it. In the past, I always shot Fuji's NPZ (another very good film) but from here on out, I will go with the Portra 800 when I need speed.

Quiet Light Photography

Customer Service


Not needed

Similar Products Used:


Fuji NPZ (very good)

Kodak Portra 160VC (very good)

Kodak 400UC (VERY good)

Fuji NPH (very good)

Fujo Pro S 160 (very good)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 31, 2007]
ajuk
Casual

Strength:

Good resolution, nice colours under difficult lighting. Still get better results with a compact camera loaded with this than a compact digi at 800, with a lot more tone and depth.

Weakness:

Not much difference between this and 800Z which is a much older emultion.
Very Expensive! (price is in pounds not dollars)

This review is for the new version of Portra 800 that Kodak naturally did nothing to let anybody know about

I shot a roll of the new Portra 800 (800-3??) at my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party early in 2007, I think I have really giving it all I could throw at it in terms of a harsh light situations. It was dark in that pub and I was getting exposures of 1/30th of a second at f1.8 which is about as slow a shutter speed I can comfortably go to.

I think it would be hard for me to give an accurate review, as I used a consumer lab and I think many of the images may have been over lightened, this has caused blacks to become clumps very grainy dark blue mush. Although even when properly printed the blacks are still disappointing, While highlight and brighter mid tones appear to be near grainless Maybe it would both be better rated at 640. I suppose because because this film is from 2006 and 800Z is now about 5 years old I was expecting more than I got, but really there isn't much between them as far as I can tell. I doubt this film has the new 2 electron sensitization I hear they developed for movie film, but I could be wrong.
I would say that most of my 9x6" prints retain enough quality to be hung on the wall.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Fuji 800Z

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
2
[Sep 16, 2000]
Irakly Shanidze
Expert

Strength:

Faithful flesh tones, reasonably sharp

Weakness:

Boy, it's grainy! I mean it is!

This is a very grainy film. When I read a review in PP, I could not believe what I saw because 8x10 print from Kodak Portra 800 35mm negative is a nonsense. I had much more loving experience with Kodak Max Zoom 800. The grain could not be blamed on a lab I use because they neve let me down - neither before nor after. First time I thought that I fried the film because it was a very hot and very long day, but the second time - not a chance.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Kodak Max Zoom 800, nothing else in this speed

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Oct 02, 2000]
Richard Murrian
Intermediate

Strength:

Striking color, dead-on skin tones. Excellent for low-light Glamour/Nude work.

Weakness:

!PRICE! D***, these Porta films are ridiculously priced!

These awful reviews of the Porta 400VC & 800 films are ridiculous. The previous poster complained about grain and made a comment about "after the 2nd time", yadda, yadda, yadda... Well, I have shot 25 rolls of this film, entirely used for low-light nudes and glamour work, and can tell you the grain is very good for such a fast film. Only evidence of grain is in the shadows... If you are having a problem with your result from these films, I'd suggest finding a new (go with a "Pro" level) processor- This film apparently prints on a different channel from the other Kodak color films, so find a lab that knows how to handle this film! The Porta films are THE BEST "people" films out there right now- Don't take my word for it! Read what almost EVERY pro photo mag has had to say about them! Only comoplaint is the price- My God, Porta 800 costs twice as much a Supra 800! The Porta gives better results for skin tones, but not TWICE as good... Cheapest I've found it for was $6.49/roll for Porta 800, and that was online.
This is a serious film. Don't take it to your local drug store developer and expect them to know what to do with it. If you take your film to drug stores for development, you really have no need for such a "pro" film and should be very satisfied with Kodak Royal Gold, which is an excellent consumer grade film.
Pros and serious amateurs doing People work: TRY THIS FILM!!!

(3 of 5 stars for value due to ridiculous price)

Customer Service

?

Similar Products Used:

Supra, Assorted Fuji/Agfa/Ilford

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
3
[Oct 29, 2000]
David Ferrett
Intermediate

Strength:

Fast

Weakness:

none

Great film. I have not had the problems stated in other reviews with grain. Infact, I'm very impressed with the apparent lack of grain! To be fair, I using 6x6 and 6x7 format. I also overexpose this product by 1/3 to 1/2 stop (a full stop when I have enough light). Before complaining about grain, try this.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 08, 2000]
Zippy Galoo
Expert

Strength:

Color, Saturation, Skin Tones, Latitude, NO GRAIN! (even ISO 800).

Weakness:

No apparent.

This was the first time I have used PORTRA films. I had the film professionally processed at ISGO labs in Burbank, CA. I shot both PORTRA 400VC & PORTRA 800 (rated at manufacturers suggested speed). I exposed this film under tungsten lights, correcting color temp. with a 80A. I was amazed with the results. The skins tones were spot on! The color on both films was amazingly vibrant and saturated. No grain on either of the films. Wonderful experience with the film. Plan on using it more in the future.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 07, 2001]
Jason Lyman
Intermediate

Strength:

saturated, warm color balance. skin tones look great.

Weakness:

none i've seen

quickly became my favorite indoor color print film for available light portraits. skin tones are warm and pleasant. the grain I can see (and I really have to look) is very pleasing to my eye. colors are nice without being too punchy. contrast is better for portraits than Supra 800, with better colors than either Fuji 800's I've tried.

Another bonus. I shoot this film at it's rated speed. The Fuji Films look better rated at 640, meaning I lose 1/3 a stop of light. This film looks GREAT at 800.

Only drawback. Well, two...
-Hard to find (as with most pro film, must visit a speciality store)
-VERY expensive! I'd be really upset about that, if the results I've gotten weren't so d*** impressive.

BTW I don't use a speciality lab for prints most of the time. Usually just send it out through Sav-On. If they make it look good (which they do), I'm sure the right pro lab could really work wonders with this film.

If you shoot people in low or available light conditions, I can't recommend a better film for the job. Pricey, but well worth it when you need it.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

fuji superia 800
fuji nhgII 800
kodak supra 800

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-9 of 9  

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