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.
Also developed in C-41 the Portra 800 shows strong halos around point light sources in the dark:
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.
Further Reading
- Analogue Adventures Landing Page
- Leica M lens reviews
- Technical Knowledge
- Share your own analogue adventures on our Discord
Support Us
Did you find this article useful or just liked reading it? Treat us to a coffee!
via Paypal
Latest posts by BastianK (see all)
- Review: Nikon AF-S 105mm 1.4 E - October 5, 2024
- Analogue Adventures – Part 35: Kodak Eastman Double-X 200 - October 2, 2024
- Review: Viltrox 28mm 4.5 AF Pancake - September 26, 2024
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
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?
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.
Hey BastianK, have you tried Domke Filmguards? I haven’t tried them myself with CT Scanners but from this test it seems to work.
https://carmencitafilmlab.com/blog/airport-x-ray-will-they-ruin-your-film/
I’m not sure if Domke is available in Europe or not TBH. I’d assume they are? I just bought several of them because I’ll be flying to Europe for two weeksholiday in a couple months. So hopefully they work LOL
I did use exactly that Domke bag, didn’t help. Sadly.