Lomography 400 vs Kodak Portra 400
For this head-to-head battle, I put Lomography 400 up against Portra 400. Kodak Portra 400 has been at the top of almost every film photographer’s favorite things list. More often than not, if it’s #shotonfilm, it was shot with Porta 400. However, I’ve been using Lomography 400 for a couple of years now, and I like it.
I’ve gone back and forth with friends about how comparable I think Lomo 400 is to Portra 400. I know, a risky debate to indulge in, but my passion for the topic grows the more I shoot Lomo 400.
Once again, I did a portrait shoot and used my Hasselblad 500c paired with an 80mm f2.8 lens. To see the behind-the-scenes video of my shoot, check out the video below.
Shooting experience:
For this shoot, I rated both film stocks at ASA 100; +2 overexposed. I chose to do so because it was bright outside, and I’ve had good results rating both film stocks this way on past shoots.
Kodak Portra 400 Images:
Lomography 400 Images:
Post-processing:
Unfortunately, I didn’t have 12 images to share from each roll as I had a couple of photos that didn’t turn out well. You know they can’t all be winners if you shoot film. Nonetheless, I shared enough images to demonstrate how these two film stocks performed in similar conditions.
All photos were developed in the same lab and later scanned using my Epson V700 flatbed scanner, then imported into Lightroom. I used Negative Lab Pro (NLP) on all images and applied the same settings in each head-to-head image comparison.
I performed minimal retouches to the images shared. I removed scratches and dust particles. I didn’t make color modifications or further edits from this point on.
Personal observations:
Because this head-to-head happened at the beach on a bright and sunny day, both film stocks performed well and showcased their strengths. While studying the results of this shoot, I noticed this battle revolved around the blues. I see two different renderings of the hue, and I find both film stock’s interpretations of blue pleasing to the eye. I notice more greens in the Lomo 400, but this doesn’t bother me.
The Portra 400 has more saturation in the oranges in the skin tones. In this shoot, it’s evident to my eye that the Lomo 400 is a bit more subdued.
Final thoughts:
Lomography 400 and Portra 400 are both great film stocks. I’ve enjoyed using them both for a long time. The comparison showcases two film stocks at their best on this portrait shoot.
Overall, Lomo 400 has more contrast, and Portra 400 is better with skin tones. That’s not to say I think Lomo’s skin tones are trash; they aren’t. As with most things in life, deciding which film stock to reach for in this instance comes down to personal preference and what results you want for your shoot.
