Portra 400 Is Overrated—There, I Said It

Look, I get it. Kodak Portra 400 has been the darling of the film community for years. It’s the “safe” stock. The one everyone recommends in Reddit threads and YouTube tutorials. The creamy skin tones, the pastel vibe, the “forgiving exposure latitude.” Yeah, yeah, yeah. But let’s be real—Portra 400 is overhyped.

It’s not that it’s a bad film. It’s just not as magic as the internet would have you believe. If you’ve shot it, scanned it, and stared at the results thinking, “That’s… it?”—you’re not alone.

Let’s Break It Down

Portra 400 does have strengths. It handles overexposure well, has solid grain for ISO 400, and plays nice with skin tones in soft light. But here’s the thing—it’s become the default. The go-to. The predictable choice. And in my opinion, that’s where the problem starts.

There are plenty of other film stocks that bring similar vibes but pack more character, grit, or punch—depending on what you’re going for.

Try These Instead:

Fuji Pro 400H (RIP, but worth chasing down)
Known for cool tones and fine grain, Pro 400H was like Portra’s moodier cousin. If you can find a roll, treat it like treasure.

Cinestill 400D
Color rendition that feels cinematic with highlight halation for days. Less predictable, more interesting. This stock wants you to take risks.

Kodak Ektar 100
Yeah, it’s slower—but the color saturation and contrast are wild in the best way. If you shoot in good light and love rich landscapes, this one sings.

Lomography Color Negative 400
Cheap, quirky, and surprisingly capable. Grainier than Portra, sure, but it has soul. If you want your work to feel alive, this one’s worth a spin.

If You’re Gonna Shoot Portra, Go All-In with 800

Here’s my hot take: if you’re gonna drop the cash on Kodak Portra, skip the 400 and just shoot Portra 800.

Why? Because Portra 800 is actually versatile. You can rate it at 400 or even 320, and it gives you that Portra color palette with more depth and richness. It’s bolder. It has more presence. It stands up in low light without turning into a noisy mess. And when you nail exposure, it looks downright cinematic. Oh, and you have to talk about the superior grain structure… you’re shooting film… you want the grain structure.

Portra 400 plays it safe. Portra 800 shows up ready to throw hands—and I respect that.

Final Thoughts

Look, at the end of the day, shoot what gets you stoked. But if you’re feeling underwhelmed by Portra 400, don’t let the internet gaslight you into thinking you’re missing something. You’re not. It’s just mid.

Explore your options. Push your process. Take risks. Because that’s where the real magic happens—in the imperfections, the surprises, the stock you weren’t “supposed” to use.

Stay gritty.

– Brendan