Fuji 400, an affordable film stock I fall in love with!
At half of Kodak Ektar's price, how does it compare?
A few months ago, I had a work trip to Austin and brought my camera along with me. I met up with my friend Nick from LoPro Productions, and the three of us (Nick, Sarah, and I) spent the day shooting around the Texas Capitol. I ended up going through a roll of Fuji 400, or the cheapest film you can still grab at any Walmart, and a roll of Kodak Ektar 100, or the fanciest Rochester thing you can find.
Some people say Fuji 400 is a Kodak UltraMax rebranded as Fuji. Here are some shots of both! Check the film borders if you are in doubt of what film stock it is.
Fuji 400 Gallery
Ektar 100 Gallery
Conclusion
This wasn’t a deep dive with datasheets and technical specs, but just a quick comparison.
Fuji 400 definitely has noticeable contrast and lower latitude compared to something like Ektar. It has more personality. It reminds me a lot of the film simulations from Fuji digital cameras, and even a bit of slide film, despite being a color negative. The reds are strong, the greens aren’t exactly accurate, but you know what? It gets the job done. And honestly, it’s miles ahead of some of the more experimental film stocks out there (Harman, I’m looking at you), all at a lower price.
At half the cost? I’ll take it.
😲😲 These are awesome shots Raf!! Colors and contrast are really good. Always loved photography but never really invested a lot on it! Makes me want to do now.
Yay! I’m so glad you posted these! In my last post I asked if anyone had shot the Fuji 400 since I was winding down my last few roles of Superia. Your photos look great! I love the colors of the Fuji, although it’s no Superia. I still like it better than Ektar, which I’ve never been a huge fan of. It leans too red for me. My son and I are constantly having a debate over Ektar vs. Portra. He loves Ektar and hates Portra. He says Portra is too green. - Anyway, great work!