Kodak Portra 400 vs Kodak UltraMax 400

Updated October 14, 2026 · 8 figures compared

Portra 400 and UltraMax 400 are both ISO 400 Kodak color negatives for C-41: Kodak recommends the first for portrait, fashion, travel and outdoor photography, and designs the second for snapshots in difficult light A1 B1. On Kodak’s own grain scale, UltraMax shows more grain, a Print Grain Index of 46 against 37 for a 4×6 print from 35 mm A1 B1. In a lab’s side-by-side test, UltraMax came out punchier in color and contrast, and Portra softer, with a slightly warmer white balance E1.

A GA — 004 Color negative

KodakPortra 400

In production

Film sheet Preset GA — 004 / P

B GA — 009 Color negative

KodakUltraMax 400

In production

Film sheet Preset GA — 009 / P

Compare other films

From the Kodak Portra 400 sheet, on Kodak UltraMax 400: “Same speed, consumer film: more saturated and grainier (PGI 46) in a lab side-by-side, and pitched as the budget choice”
From the Kodak UltraMax 400 sheet, on Kodak Portra 400: “Same speed, professional film: finer grain (PGI 37 against 46), softer contrast and a little more latitude in a lab's side-by-side test”

Side by side

2 of 8 rows differ

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Kodak Portra 400 and Kodak UltraMax 400, documented figures side by side
Identity
	A Kodak Portra 400	B Kodak UltraMax 400
Brand Same	Both Kodak
Manufacturer Same	Both Eastman Kodak
Type Same	Both Color negative
Process Same	Both C-41
ISO Same	Both 400
Formats Differs	135, 120, 4x5, 8x10	135
Both are listed in 135. Only Kodak Portra 400 is listed in 120, 4×5 sheets and 8×10 sheets.
Status Same	Both In productionchecked September 29, 2026 [A2]: source 2 of Kodak Portra 400 [B2]: source 2 of Kodak UltraMax 400
Also known as	Kodak Ektacolor Pro 400 (rename, 2026, reported) [A4]: source 4 of Kodak Portra 400	None
Character
Grain Differs	Print Grain Index 3735 mm, 4×6 print [A1]: source 1 of Kodak Portra 400	Print Grain Index 4635 mm, 4×6 print [B1]: source 1 of Kodak UltraMax 400
Kodak Portra 400 shows less grain: PGI 37 against 46, 35 mm, 4×6 print (lower is finer). [A1]: source 1 of Kodak Portra 400 [B1]: source 1 of Kodak UltraMax 400
Contrast	Low to medium	Medium to high (reviews)
Latitude	About −1 to +3 stops in published tests	Takes overexposure well, but narrower than Portra 400 (reviews)
Resolving power	Not given; MTF curves published [A1]: source 1 of Kodak Portra 400	Not given; no MTF curve published [B1]: source 1 of Kodak UltraMax 400
Reciprocity	No correction from 1/10,000 s to 1 s [A1]: source 1 of Kodak Portra 400	No correction from 1/10,000 s to 1 s; longer exposures 'may require compensation and filtration' [B1]: source 1 of Kodak UltraMax 400
Look	Warm and natural; reviews call the saturation restrained	Saturated consumer color, usually called warm; punchier than Portra 400
Best for	Portraits, fashion, travel and outdoor work (Kodak)	Snapshots in mixed light, action, zoom lenses and flash (Kodak)
Datasheet and preset
Datasheet	E-4050, edition 2025-01 (PDF)	E-7023, edition 2016-02 (PDF)
Spectral curve	Published	Published
Preset	GA — 004 / P · darktable and Photomator	GA — 009 / P · darktable and Photomator
Both have a preset.

Source numbers carry the film: A3 is source 3 of Kodak Portra 400, B3 is source 3 of Kodak UltraMax 400. Not published: none of the sources on file gives this figure.

Same scene, two presets

SceneBeach cabinBeech forest

Beach cabin under storm clouds, with the preset inspired by Kodak Portra 400 (GA — 004 / P) applied (simulation). — **A · GA — 004 / P** · Kodak Portra 400

Beach cabin under storm clouds, with the preset inspired by Kodak UltraMax 400 (GA — 009 / P) applied (simulation). — **B · GA — 009 / P** · Kodak UltraMax 400

The same beach cabin under storm clouds, base development without a preset. — **Reference** · base development, no preset

Same RAW file, two presets · rendered in darktable 5.6 · simulations on a digital RAW, not film scansPhoto: seume on discuss.pixls.us, CC0 1.0 · Photo credits

Both images start from the same RAW file, with the same base development: darktable’s default exposure and sigmoid. Each side then has one The Grain Archive preset applied. They show our interpretation of each film, not scans of real negatives. Real film also depends on exposure, processing and scanning.

Look and color

Saturation and contrast. Last Good Film Lab found UltraMax “a bit more saturated than Portra” and “a lot punchier both in color and contrast”, while the Portra roll “has much more subtle tones throughout its image” E1. “The contrast difference is pretty drastic as well.” E1
Which one is warm. Reviews call UltraMax’s palette warm: a “warm, pleasing color palette” B7, “that trademark Kodak warmness” B14. Next to it, though, “the Portra seems to naturally have a bit warmer white balance” E1.
Shadows. In two frames of the same test, Portra’s shadows looked “very blue/green” next to UltraMax’s, and UltraMax’s had “a yellow/reddish hue” E1. Analog.cafe also warns that Portra’s shadows “may appear slightly blue” A9.
Skin. Kodak markets “spectacular skin tones” for Portra 400 A1. For Tahusa, UltraMax skin tones are “not as accurate as Portra 400” B12.

Tonality and latitude

Curves. On Kodak’s datasheets, UltraMax’s green and red curves bend about 5 stops above middle gray, while Portra 400 shows no shoulder up to about 6 stops (read from the graphs) B1 A1.
Latitude. The lab says UltraMax has less latitude, “but the latitude difference isn’t massive” E1. From Kodak’s datasheet, Analog.cafe works out about 8 stops of dynamic range for UltraMax, “noticeably less than the Kodak Portra 400’s 12 stops” B8.
Overexposure. Portra 400 takes it well: Dehancer found acceptable color from −1 to +3 EV A11. On UltraMax the reviews split: The Darkroom finds that it “handles overexposure beautifully” B7, while Analog.cafe warns: “You won’t get away with over-exposing it by three stops.” B8
Grain in scans. The lab saw “a lot more grain” on UltraMax E1. Analog.cafe finds UltraMax’s grain “chunkier than Portra 400’s”, but smoother-looking because “the individual granules aren’t as sharp” B8.

Which one for what

Kodak designs UltraMax for snapshots in difficult light, with fast action, zoom lenses and flash B1, and recommends Portra 400 for portrait, fashion, travel and outdoor photography A1.
Only Portra 400 is sold in 120 and in sheet sizes; UltraMax comes in 35 mm only A2 B2 B3.
The lab’s own advice: Portra for “airy & dreamy” wedding photos, UltraMax for portraits at golden hour, where “the exaggerated gold hues from the Ultramax may fit the bill better” E1.

Real film, side by side

Last Good Film Lab “shot these rolls on the same camera with the same lens at the same settings”, then developed and scanned them on its Frontier SP-3000 and “did NOT try to match them”, with only “minimal adjustments” E1. The page names neither the camera nor the format. Its first impression: the two films “are very similar to one another at first glance, the differences are surprisingly minimal” E1.