Kodak Ultramax 400

UltraMax 400 has carried that name since 2007, when Kodak rebranded the Gold 400 line that had been on American drugstore shelves under the Kodacolor Gold and Gold 400 labels since the late 1980s. It is the film that ends up in disposable cameras, in grab-and-go three-packs at CVS, in the cameras of people who do not know what film they are using. And it is better than its reputation suggests.

The color sits between Gold 200 (which runs warm and saturated) and Portra 400 (which is neutral and controlled). UltraMax has a slight cool bias in highlights, decent saturation in the midrange, and a tendency to go a little green in shadows under artificial light. That green shadow is the tell that identifies UltraMax on a lightbox, and some photographers chase it intentionally for a specific analog look that became popular with the film photography revival in the early 2020s.

Grain is visible at ISO 400 and more visible in shadows, especially underexposed ones. Rate it at 400 and expose generously. Like all color negative stocks, UltraMax handles overexposure better than underexposure. One stop over gives you denser shadows and cleaner highlights. One stop under and the green shadow cast gets stronger and the grain gets worse.

Available in 35mm only, in 24 and 36 exposure rolls. The 36 exposure rolls are the better value. No 120 format.

The reciprocity exponent of 1.10 is Zone Light Meter's correction past one second. Consumer 400-speed stocks were not designed for tripod work, but the correction is applied correctly if you end up in that situation. Night shots with UltraMax have a particular look that some photographers specifically go after, green shadows and all.