Analogue Adventures – Part 30: Kodak Portra 800 C-41

kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Kodak Portra 800

There are already two articles covering Portra 800, but both times they have been developed in the ECN-2 process by Silbersalz35. What was missing was Portra 800 developed in the more common C-41 process, so here we go.
Exposed as ISO640. Processing (C-41) and scanning was done at urbanfilmlab in Germany.

kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41

Also developed in C-41 the Portra 800 shows strong halos around point light sources in the dark:

kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Portra 800 C-41

I definitely like this more when processed in ECN-2. As I have that option close by I will definitely go for it.

Talking about the higher ISO color negative films in general after having used the Portra 400, Portra 800, Silbersalz 500T and Wolfen NC500 the 500T is definitely my favorite.

kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/11 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/11 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 21mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om c-41 minolta cle
Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Portra 800 C-41

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My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f/0.95 to a 200mm f/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.

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5 thoughts on “Analogue Adventures – Part 30: Kodak Portra 800 C-41”

  1. I’d have to agree with your assessment that in pretty much all situations I prefer 500t. Friends of mine that are exclusively into film tend to only use portra 800, as they like the look and don’t want to edit and don’t care about dynamic range

  2. Hello Bastian, thank you for the review! The Portra 800 has its own unique color rendition – it’s a matter of personal preference. However, I have a more general question about analog photography and air travel – perhaps even worthy of its own discussion: CT scanners are now being increasingly used at airports worldwide, most recently in Stuttgart. These scanners can cause significant damage to films, with internet research showing varied experiences. Not every airport allows for manual inspection; Lisbon, for example, refuses due to Portuguese laws. What are your experiences, and how do you handle this?

    1. During my last trip I also came across those scanners in various countries.
      They ruined one of my films and I am actually not yet sure how to deal with that in the future.
      In Germany I had okay experiences with manual inspections, in Turkey the contrary and in Morocco I wouldn’t even have dared to ask.
      I am aware of the problem, I don’t have a solution yet.

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