Kodak Pro Image 100 was introduced to North America a few years ago, but this film has been around for a long time globally. It was introduced to the U.S. market at a good time too, as the price of one roll of Kodak Ektar is now up to $10. While I like Ektar for my landscape photography, those shot are typically made on 120 or 4x5 film. I find that 35mm shooting is mostly limited to images of family, around town, and traveling light. With this intended use in mind, I decided to give PI 100 a chance.
SPECS:
In regards to print grain index, which specifies the grain performance of a 4x6 print viewed at 14”, Pro Image comes in at a 43. For a sense of perspective, Kodak Portra 400 measures 37 and Ektar less than 25 (which is the visual threshold for perceived grain). While not quite as grainy as some low level consumer films, it does show a bit more grain than Portra 400. However, I actually like grain in a lot of situations. If i require super clean images to blow up for large prints, I’ll capture on medium or large film formats.
KODAK PRO-IMAGE 100
KODAK PORTRA 400
PROS:
There is a lot to like about a C-41 film that’s affordable. Unfortunately the price has crept up in the last year. It was running about half the cost of a roll of Ektar, but is now up to $6. But seeing that Ektar can run $3-4 more, Pro Image is a good alternative when shooting quantity.
In addition to price, this emulsion has another “consumer” level trait, in that it’s stable for room temperature storage. This makes it a viable option as a travel film, as it does not require cold storage for best results. This is huge on long trips where your camera may experience long hikes or short stints in a car during the summer months. Having a stable film provides more consistent performance and colors.
While providing good color saturation, Pro Image 100 also has good color accuracy. This is great news for portrait shooters that want an affordable option that also reproduces flesh tones correctly. After scanning in film where I used both Portra and PI100, I had to double check which scan went with each negative because performance was so close.
BOTTOM LINE:
I’m planning to switch to Pro Image as my go-to 100iso 35mm film. I will still utilize Ektar for my medium and large format needs, but I can’t justify the higher price for a 35mm roll. I don’t shoot with Kodak Gold or UltraMax, so I don’t know how large of a step up this is from those budget options. However, I have been more than happy with the results I’ve got thus far, and look forward to testing more on future trips.
