Kodak Introduces New Professional Portra 400 Film. (Yes, Film.)

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Film. Remember film? Yes it may be easy to overlook with the flurry of digital camera releases lately, but film is still alive and kicking and Kodak has just introduced a new Professional Portra 400 film. According to Kodak, the new Portra 400 features "the finest grain structure available in a 400 speed color negative film."

Grain. Remember grain? It's what we now call "noise" in a digital image though it looks different and somehow, according to many film lovers, kind of nice.

The new Kodak Professional Portra 400 also employs Kodak Vision Film Technology, Antenna Dye Sensitization in the cyan and magenta emulsion layers and a whole bunch of other neat stuff that'll make your portraits look sexy smooth.

Read more about this crazy film stuff in the Kodak press release below.


PRESS RELEASE

Kodak Continues to Enhance Award-Winning Professional Film Portfolio

Creates World’s Finest Grain 400 Speed Color Negative Film with New KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 14, 2010 – Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) today introduced the new KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 Film, featuring the finest grain structure available in a 400 speed color negative film. The new film incorporates KODAK VISION Film Technology, plus Antenna Dye Sensitization in the cyan and magenta emulsion layers to achieve its unbeatable fine grain. Photographers will appreciate the beautiful, natural skin tones and superb color reproduction of this new film, a long-time trademark of the KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA Film family. Kodak will celebrate this new film, as well as other innovations, at Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany Sept. 21 - 26.  The celebration highlights Kodak’s 125 years of innovation, including its rich history, present accomplishments, and next wave of game-changing technologies

“This new PORTRA film follows a Kodak tradition of looking across our multiple business lines and leveraging our innovative technologies to make even industry-leading products better,” said Steven Decker, General Manager, Film, Paper and Output Systems, and Vice President, Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group, Eastman Kodak Company. “The new KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 Film is perfect for scanning and enlargements, two key components of today’s photographic workflow. At the same time, we’ve preserved the attributes that photographers have come to expect, like the unmatched skin tone reproduction of our PORTRA family of films.”

For years, professional photographers have preferred KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA Films for their consistently smooth, natural and beautiful range of skin tones.

The new KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 Film utilizes optimized Emulsion Spectral Sensitivity and Image Modifier Chemistry, Kodak’s Proprietary DIR Couplers and Micro-Structure Optimized T-Grain Emulsions.  It is an ideal choice for portrait and fashion photography, as well as nature, travel and outdoor photography, where the action is fast or the lighting can’t be controlled.

The new film replaces the existing KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400NC and 400VC Film offerings.  Kodak estimates that current supplies of KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 NC and KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 VC Films will last until end of year 2010 at the current sales pace.

"The new PORTRA 400 Film's skin tones are spot on without compromising saturation and contrast,” said Jonathan Canlas, a noted professional wedding, portrait and commercial photographer based in Utah, USA. “And for someone who scans film in house, it could not be easier to scan in terms of density and color. This new film delivers consistent and reliable results under a myriad of lighting situations."

The new KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 Film will be available in 35 mm, 120/220, and 4x5 sheet format, beginning in October 2010.

For more information, please visit www.kodak.com/go/professional.