Kodak Portra 400 is one of those films I come back to when I want reliable results without having to think too hard. It handles a wide range of light well and produces clean, natural-looking colour.

It’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

What is Kodak Portra 400 film?

Kodak Portra 400 is a colour negative film with an ISO of 400, designed to be flexible in different lighting conditions. It’s well known for accurate colour, fine grain, and strong exposure latitude.

It’s commonly used for portraits, travel, and everyday shooting, especially when light conditions change throughout the day.

Colour and overall look

Colours on Portra 400 are natural and well balanced. Blues stay rich without looking overly saturated, and warmer tones come through softly rather than aggressively.

On this roll, the blue sky and water in Miami looked true to life, and the colourful graffiti at the Wynwood Walls translated cleanly without becoming overwhelming. The film has a polished look, but it still feels natural.

Shooting Portra 400 in Miami

I took a roll of Portra 400 with me on a recent trip to Miami and shot it in bright daylight as well as closer to sunset. It handled both situations well without needing much adjustment.

Some of my favourite frames from the roll were palm tree silhouettes against a pink sunset sky. The contrast stayed controlled, and the colours didn’t shift in strange ways as the light dropped.

Grain and image quality

Grain is fine and unobtrusive, especially in good light. Even toward the end of the day, images stayed clean and detailed.

If you like scans that don’t need much correction, Portra 400 is a solid choice.

Camera and lens used

These photos were shot on an Olympus OM-1 with the Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 lens.

Final thoughts on Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 400 is dependable, flexible, and easy to work with. It’s not experimental, and it doesn’t add strong character of its own—but that’s often what makes it useful.

If you want a film that delivers consistent, natural colour across a wide range of situations, Portra 400 is hard to beat.