ULTRA Colors and FASTER Film!

At the risk of sounding immodest, I think the title I chose says it all. Not on my behalf, but on behalf of a color print film that may just be the finest and lushest ISO 400 speed color film EVER brought to market.

The film I refer to is KODAK's ULTRA COLOR 400, a print film introduced by KODAK simultaneously with its slower sibling ULTRA COLOR 100. Despite the massive encroachment of digital imagery into just about every sphere of photography, every now and then a key provider of photographic materials, in this case film, brings a product to market that stuns and delights its users. The slower and faster company siblings introduced by KODAK slightly more than 15 months ago are really exceptionally fine examples of what KODAK was able to do in its film dominating heyday. And as I said a few sentences back, these products are excellent examples of what film is still capable of.

I knew this film was about to be introduced before it was first released and set out to use it, to see if KODAK still had the ability to really capture those special moments. The two films at both ISO 100 and 400 are proof that when KODAK wants to, they can still produce world-class emulsion based products.

Below are my observations on this film and how it has performed.

COLOR SATURATION:

VERY HIGH even for an ISO 400 speed film. It has long been known that with color print and slide film that when the speed rating of the film goes up, color saturation goes down. It is my opinion that that old rule does NOT apply to the ISO 400 version of this film. The consumer grades of Kodak films such as Gold 100 and 200 and MAX 400 show a noticeable difference in the levels of saturation as one increases film speed. This decline in color vividness is not noticeable with the two speeds of ULTRA. The reason for this is that KODAK designed the emulsion to be a true "film family" so that photographers could use both films without having to worry about results. In essence, the slower speed version is for still life, portraiture, scenics, etc. and the ISO 400 version is usable in lower light or where action is expected to come into play. The vividness of the colors remains exactly the same with both films.

These films use KODAK's T grain crystal technology to pump up the brighter primary colors without forcing them "over the top." Unlike Fuji print films with their super-saturated appearance of brighter colors, with the inherent loss of details, the two KODAK films retain their sharpness in detail while delivering brighter, but faithful colorations of the subject you saw through your viewfinder. This film at ISO 400 loses nothing when dealing with complexions and is especially effective when employed with lower temperature warming filters such as the 81 and 81A filters produced by Hoya.


GRAIN:

Compared to Fuji films of like speeds, KODAK films have traditionally been more grainy. The two ULTRA films reverse that trend. As a professional quality film, the ISO 100 version is significantly less grainy than other KODAK, AGFA, KONICA and FUJI print films. The same holds true for ULTRA COLOR 400. Despite the increased speed, the 400 speed version has reduced grain to keep it completely consistent with its slower sibling, making it an ideal wedding portrait film. The ISO 100 speed film can be used outdoors and when the wedding moves indoors to the church or reception hall, the photographer can switch to the faster 400 speed version for use in lower light or with flash, while still retaining the consistency of look.
In the end, no one will be able to tell the difference and that characteristic alone is enough to recommend this film.

CONTRAST:
It is my opinion that both films, but especially the ISO 400 when shot at its rated speed are medium to medium-high contrast films. Again, increasing speeds tends to reduce contrast. KODAK has eliminated that rule as well, by keeping the faster film consistent in every respect with the slower ISO 100 version. The 400 speed version handles over/underexposure very well and the film WILL handle +2 EV over and -2 EV under with aplomb and still reproduce quite usable images.

This film also maximizes on its ability to deliver faithful and pure 'whites.' Significant over-exposure will result in the loss of detail in parts of your picture where white is dominant. However, with the incredible accuracy of newer camera light meters, this should not be a problem.

Like the ISO 100 version, this film is considered to be a professional grade of film. As such, you will pay considerably more per roll than for consumer grades of KODAK or FUJI film. For that reason alone, this film deserves to be processed by a professional grade lab. I would not waste this film by having it processed at a one hour lab, a CVS or Eckerd drug. Professional labs almost always provide more personalized service, many on a frame-by-frame basis. You will pay more, but for users of this more expensive grade of film, the results will be worth it.

When you care enough to use what may well be the epitome of ISO 400 speed print film, it makes no sense to spend less for processing. The labs I used overseas utilized AGFA SENSATIS paper (with the liquidation of AGFA Imaging, this paper is becoming harder to find) and it delivered stunning results. I would ask your lab to use the best paper available to them and when they do, you will be amazed with the end result.

For those photographers who have not switched to digital or who still shoot film for special events like weddings, you need look no further. As of the time of this writing, ULTRA COLOR 400 is the finest ISO 400 print film available on the market. There may yet be continued R&D for film advances, but don't hold your breath that there will be any major advances like there are in digital imaging.

If the ULTRA COLOR family of films are the pinnacle in film evolution, then film is as close to perfect as it is ever going to be. These two films from KODAK are absolutely stunning in their resolving power and the images they deliver. You could choose much worse products but none better. These two films need to be seen to be truly appreciated (and believed).

I give this ISO 400 film my STRONGEST and MOST EMPHATIC recommendation ever.