Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 review: cheap(ish) Portra? Get in while the getting’s good!

If you’re a film shooter but you don’t always pay close attention to the latest goings-on in the analog photography world, you may have been caught out by spotting Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 for sale at your film retailer of choice. What’s this – a brand new Kodak film stock? Well, no. Not exactly.

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 is a rebranded version of a very famous and popular film stock, the legendary Kodak Portra 160 (as are the other versions of Ektacolor with higher ISO ratings). The reason for its appearance and its natty rebranding is that the original Eastman Kodak company has managed to bring some of its film manufacture back in-house, following years of financial turbulence that saw its film stock being distributed by Kodak Alaris – a separate private equity-owned division that was divested from Eastman Kodak in 2013.

Having somewhat reversed its financial fortunes, Eastman Kodak is ready to make films again – but Alaris still owns the name ‘Portra’. So, one of Kodak’s most popular color films gets a quick rebrand, a snazzy new box – and a slight but much-needed price discount.

Specs

Price & availability

Eastman Kodak has set the price of Ektacolor a little below that of its more famous Alaris sibling. Currently, you can get hold of Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 for around $14.59 / £15.45 per roll – Portra 160, when you can find it, tends to go for around $21.99 / £20 for a single roll, so that’s a not-inconsiderable saving.

Availability, however, is more of an issue. Word is starting to spread that Ektacolor is Portra by another name, and stock drops tend to be hoovered up quite quickly – I’ve got into the habit of signing up to be notified so that I can pick some up the instant a fresh drop arrives, so to be fair, you could call me part of the problem.

So, while it’s cheaper than Portra, it’s considerably pricier than other color films like Kodak ColorPlus 200 ($8.49 / £9.90) or Kodak Kodacolor 200 ($8.99 / £9.99). Overall it sits somewhere in the mid-range – not so expensive that you’d be precious about shooting it, but not cheap enough to be considered a budget film.

Performance

Portra is perpetually one of Instagram’s favorite films, and it’s not hard to see why. Its color reproduction is absolutely stunning – vivid and crisp, but also pleasingly natural for the most part. Sure, those blue skies might be a shade deeper than you remember them, those pink flower petals a little more vivid, but it never looks overblown or unnatural. Skin tones are also soft, subtle and pleasing; it’s an excellent choice for portraiture.

With an ISO rating of 160, this strain of Ektacolor is a daylight film – at its best when the sun is high in the sky and there’s plenty of light to go around. Its grain is incredibly fine – not quite as non-existent as Kodak’s famously sharp Ektar 100, but make no mistake, this is a clean, sharp film.

Portra is also well-known for its exposure latitude, and Ektacolor Pro 160 did not disappoint. Even in harsh, directional light, you’ll find that the film tends to deliver a well-balanced exposure with plenty of detail in highlights and shadows – opening up lots of interesting possibilities if you’re someone who likes to edit your scans in Lightroom or similar software. This is especially useful if you want to tweak your tones a little following a bit of a dull day light-wise.

The film still looks good if you decide to blow out the highlights for artistic effect, while if you go the other way and happen to underexpose, it still holds out pretty well, with no unsightly colour shifts. Shooting in a range of lighting conditions on some quite changeable days, I found that Ektacolor Pro 160 delivered pleasing results again and again.

Sample images

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These images were shot on Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160, using a Pentax ME Super with a 50mm f/1.2 lens and a Canon EOS 300 with a 28-90mm f/4-5.6 lens. They were shot in London on days when the weather was mostly sunny with some cloud cover. They were exposed and developed at box speed, using the regular C41 process.

Image 1 of 8

Verdict

It’s Kodak Portra at sub-Portra prices. If you’re looking for a sharp, clean, naturalistic daylight film that’ll make colors pop and doesn’t mind a bit of over-exposure, Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 is your girl. There’s absolutely no reason to buy regular old Portra anymore, not while this cheaper but otherwise identical alternative exists.

I think the only real criticism I can level at Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 is that if you’re someone who’s into film photography for lo-fi looks, grainy vibes and unexpected chemistry, you might find it a trifle dull. It’s certainly nothing like, say, Harman Phoenix II, which is a genuinely unpredictable film that thrives on dramatic halations and crazy colors. Ultimately, Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160, is a nice-looking, naturalistic film that is well-suited to a broad range of shooting situations. Nothing wrong with that!

Alternatives

Kodak Portra 400 (or Ektacolor 400, which is the same thing) will deliver similarly natural tones and broad exposure latitude, but with a higher ISO sensitivity rating for use in lower light.

Kodak Kodacolor 100 is rated to a similar daylight sensitivity as Ektacolor Pro 160, but is quite a bit more affordable. Similar to Kodak’s budget-friendly Pro Image 100, it does a solid – if unexciting – job.