Kodak UltraMax 400 (35mm) Review & Photos

Kodak UltraMax 400 is a flexible colour negative film; its faster speed (ISO 400) makes it perfect for action snapshots and low-light scenes. This film is perfect for use with zoom lenses, making it a good fit for street photography.

This film produces high-contrast images with saturated colours, creating punchy images with plenty of pop! With a higher ISO rating than its cousins (Kodak Gold and Kodak Colorplus) expect a little more grain in your frames. Take care to not underexpose the shadows with Ultramax; they will easily lose detail, shift to blue/teal and become a grainy mess.

“ULTRA MAX 400 Film gives you the flexibility you need to take consistently better pictures in more picture taking situations—better low-light picture quality with fewer underexposures, better results with zoom lenses, greater flash range, better “stop-action” photos, and reduced impact of camera shake.” – kodakmoments.com

Key Features Of UltraMax 400

Pros

• Affordable 400-speed colour film
• ISO 400 gives flexibility to shoot: later into the evening, indoor scenes, with zoom lenses
• High contrast and strong saturation make images pop
• Great for colourful holiday photos where you want a classic, retro aesthetic

Cons

• Shadows lose detail rapidly & become grainy when underexposed
• Colour shifts when underexposured (blue/teal) and overexposed highlights (yellow/orange)
• Less suitable for professional work, colour accuracy and flatter images are often preferred

A history of Kodak UltraMax 400

Kodak’s first consumer 400-speed film was introduced in 1977 as Kodacolor 400. This was a significant step forward for everyday photographers who needed more speed than the standard ISO 100 or 200 offerings of the time. The emulsion evolved in 1982 with the introduction of Kodak’s T-Grain technology, leading to the release of Kodacolor VR 400. This advancement allowed for finer grain even at higher speeds, making 400-speed film far more practical for darkroom prints and enlargements.

Over the years, Kodak restructured its product lines. The Kodacolor name was eventually phased out, and the “Gold” branding was applied to all consumer films. The Kodak Gold family, including Gold 400, became a massive revenue source for the company during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2007 the film was rebranded as UltraMax 400, coinciding with emulsion updates designed to improve performance during digital scanning in commercial labs. Today UltraMax is part of Kodak’s consumer-grade colour negative trio, alongside Gold 200 and ColorPlus.

My Impressions of Kodak UltraMax 400

My first impression is that I like the saturation of UltraMax 400. Reds, yellows, greens, and blues are relatively even across the spectrum. No single colour dominates the frame. Maybe reds are a little boosted but not by much.

When shooting colour films, I usually overexpose my photos by half a stop to a full stop (metering for mid-tones). In this case, the decision was definitely a good call! Ultramax does not handle underexposure well, and shadows quickly lose detail and become very grainy. When shadows fall too far into underexposure, they take on a distinct blue or teal colour cast and become increasingly grainy.

Compared to Kodak Gold, UltraMax is noticeably higher in contrast. I shot some photos on overcast, gloomy days and this additional contrast definitely stops images from looking flat. On the other hand, this high contrast can feel a bit too intense when shooting under bright, direct sunlight. But that’s just my personal taste, anyway.

Would I shoot Ultramax again? Sure. For outdoor shots on an overcast day, or when I am out shooting on a zoom lens, I would definitely try Ultramax again. However, Kodak Gold remains one of my favourite go-to films, and it has the added benefit of being slightly cheaper. Since I do a lot of my shooting indoors with a tripod, the extra speed of an ISO 400 film does not offer me much of a practical advantage. Especially considering the heavier grain, which I prefer to avoid in my colour film photography.

Cameras and lenses Featured In These Photos

This roll had quite the journey! I shot around Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster, Norfolk and Cheshire. It took me a while to finish the roll, so the shots span late winter and early spring! I mixed in some of my usual abandoned places, along with some local landmarks and random stuff.

All photos taken on my Zenit-E, using the following lenses;

• Mir-1b 37mm
• Mir-20 20mm
• Prinzflex 135mm

Fun fact: this was the very first colour negative film I developed at home! I remember it well: my kitchen transformed into a photo lab and my excitement as I hung that first strip of 35mm film up to dry!

Example Photos I Have Taken on Kodak UltraMax 400

And now, to the photos! Here are some of the shots I took on Kodak UltraMax 400. Enjoy!