I don’t think any film simulation is going to be an exact match because there are too many variables, but I think it’s perfectly alright to not be 100% spot on, as long as it gives the right impression, and this recipe does just that. I also examined images captured with actual Portra 400 film. It was good verification that my recipe is at least in the ballpark, as I’m sure their preset is in the ballpark. It was very close, but who knows how accurate their Portra preset is and what exactly it is supposed to be simulating (which film version and process). To verify that I was close, I put a couple of images through the RNI Films app on my phone using their Portra 400 preset, and compared it to my Portra 400 film simulation recipe. Nailing down an exact Portra 400 look is tricky business because it depends on which version of Portra 400 film you are talking about, plus whether it was scanned (and which scanner) or printed (and which chemicals and paper). Otherwise, just keep trying to get the custom white balance right by taking different measurements until you find one that looks good.Įdited using RNI Films app, Kodak Portra 400 preset. My suggestion is to use auto-white-balance, and once you capture an image that looks right, use custom white balance to make a measurement of the scene and set it. Interestingly enough, once I got it right I then tried to get the same custom white balance on my X-Pro2, but it measured slightly different. The measurement that worked was out the back door of my house midday, slightly back-lit, partly cloudy with a lot of green in the scene.
Finally, I used Custom White Balance, but it took seven or eight different measurements before I got it right. Then I tried setting the Kelvin value, starting with 5600K, but couldn’t find one that was correct. Next I set it to Daylight (using the same shift) but it wasn’t quite right. I first tried auto-white-balance (with a white balance shift of +2 Red and -5 Blue), and I got good results a few times and not good results a bunch of times. White balance became both the key to this film simulation recipe and the problem. It’s designed for use in daylight, and using it in other circumstances will skew the white balance (which could be good or bad, depending on the image). Being daylight balanced means if you use it on a cloudy day, indoors, under artificial light, etc., it will look different. There isn’t a huge difference between the different Portra 400 films, but there are small distinctions as they each have a slightly varied look.Īs the name implies, this film is designed for portraits, and has a warm tint in order to enhance skin tones.
I’ve used Portra 400NC (“neutral color”) and 400VC (“vivid color”) in the past, but I’ve not shot on Portra film for at least a decade, and I’ve never used the current one. There have been four different versions made since it was introduced in 1998: the original film (1998-2000), 400NC and 400VC (2000-2011), and the current version (2011 to present).
Portra 400 is a daylight balanced color negative film made by Kodak. I gave up a couple of times, but then some inspiration pushed me forward, and eventually I got it right. What I didn’t realize is that challenge was the keyword, as this was extremely difficult to figure out. I liked the idea and thought it would be a fun challenge, so I agreed. Jump – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F – “Portra 400”įuji X Weekly reader Luis Costa asked me if I could create a Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe for the Fujifilm X100F.