The 7 Best Kodak 35mm and 120 Film Stocks: Hands On Review

Kodak is the poster child of the analog community, and for good reason. Their timeless looks and effortless tones breed some of the world's best film images to date, spanning various 35mm and large formats for the last several decades. Below are the top 7 stocks to shoot with a ton of sample images; sit back with a cup of coffee and let's nerd out.

1. Kodak Professional Portra 160

Best For: Photographers needing an even tone and colorful alternative to brighter lighting conditions.

This color-negative film is a treat. It’s pretty adaptable, handling different lighting conditions like a champ. You'll see tons of detail in bright highlights and deeper shadows, which isn't always true with higher-contrast films. Plus, it’s fantastic for skin tones—greens look neutral, and reds appear more natural, making everyone look their best.

With lower ISO film stocks like Portra 160, these images typically appear brighter and airier, making every frame look more dreamy than moody. This is definitely one of my all-time favorites to shoot with, especially during travels around my desert-filled home in Arizona.

Colorful Shadows

There’s something special about Kodak Portra 160’s shadow colorization: red hues and gorgeous undertones.

Great In Harsh Light

The lower ISO count makes it perfect for harsh, versatile light.

Clean Skin Tones

“Portra” is short for portraits; making clean, proper skin tones always take priority with Kodak.

2. Kodak Professional Portra 400

Best For: Photographers looking for a natural, warm film stock to capture any scene without a plan.

Everyone's favorite; this is THE film stock to buy if you're new to analog (or a professional that wants a faithful and true option). It's the kind of film you can count on for top-notch quality in pretty much any light. It gives your shots a warm, sunny vibe with colors and contrasts that pop just enough to make everything look fabulous without going over the top. Plus, it’s a champ at capturing skin tones — everyone looks flawless and vibrant. The 400 ISO is naturally forgiving in low-light situations, especially when pushed or pulled.

True To Color Tones

Skin tones are real-to-life and blend lovely within the picture.

Most Popular

It’s everyone’s favorite go-to for a reason. It’s easy to handle just about any scene.

Dynamic Range

Crisp detail can be seen in every image.

3. Kodak Professional Portra 800

Best For: Photographers looking to create with Portra 400’s color profile but with a higher ISO for low light compatibility.

Kodak’s Professional Portra 800 film stock is reminiscent of Portra 400, only more grainy with added contrast. It has extraordinarily warm tones and a very good exposure balance. While its grain is more noticeable, it’s still very pleasant looking and adds an extra taste of texture. The high ISO makes photography ideal for lower-light shooting, perfect for reception dinners, moody portraits, and blue-hour mountain view.

Beautiful Grain

The added grain is aesthetically pleasing and gives a natural texture.

Low Light Compatible

This is one of the fewer film stocks on the market that can actually handle low light conditions.

True To Color Tones

Skin tones are real-to-life and blend lovely within the picture.

4. Kodak Professional Tri-X 400

Best For: Photographers wanting a detailed yet textured film stock to boast moody imagery for any fine art project.

An uber sharp and super contrasty black-and-white film stock proudly boasted by Kodak. Great for high-speed panchromatic films that are a good choice for photographing dimly lighted subjects or fast action. Tri-X does the heavy lifting with its punched blacks and detailed depth. Perfect to use against solitary backdrops, portraits, or abandoned scenes.

Black and White

Simply put, we love an excellent, high-concentrated black-and-white film.

Slight Grain

A textured picture makes a moody image even more intense and real.

High Contrast

Contrasted monochrome images serve their purpose; this film stock captivates every detail well and alive.

5. Kodak Professional Ektar 100

Best For: Photographers looking for a way to set their images apart with a more unique, vibrant colorway.

This one is a fantastically vibrant film stock that overdramatizes colors and hues yet still maintains the photo's integrity. With colorful blues in the skies and crisp detail due to the stock’s low ISO, Ektar provides a colorway and contrast line that distinguishes itself from the other stocks.

Some photographers love to crap on Ektar 100, but I truly believe it's how you use it and what subject matter you're shooting. Like with most photo-related arguments, it's the photographer, not the gear (oops!).

Made For Landscapes

Hones in on significant detail and colorizes natural tones in an exciting and memorable way.

Love Harsh Light and Shadows

This film catches my attention with bright highlights and contrasty shadows.

Easy To Shoot

It’s almost too easy to achieve super vibrant tones images without crazy manual metering.

6. Kodak Gold 200

Best For: Photographers wanting an affordable option to capture warmer-toned images of any scene or subject.

Kodak Gold 200 is one of the most accessible film stocks on the market. You can find this bad boy in almost any nearby gas station or Walgreens equivalent. Gold 200 is the Bladerunner of all film stocks, curating a warm contrast and haze around subjects of any valor. The long exposure latitude can make it hard to catastrophically under or overexpose a shot, and the signature warm Kodak tones are ideal for nostalgic holiday snaps or family snags.

Affordable

Affordable and accessible to anyone looking to start their film career.

Really Warm

It’s like a Bladerunner or another Mad Max movie equivalent, in a good way.

Great In Harsh Light

The lower ISO count makes it perfect for harsh, versatile light.

7. Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100

Best For: Photographers needing a stock to cater to their experimental colors, and wanting a more vivid expression.

This super vintage-like stock features a signature color saturation and contrast that is often not reflected in other film stocks. The blues and greens are rich, deep, and vivid. Austin Beeman's blog images from his Croatia trip show off otherworldly cobalt tones in the ocean water. Ektachrome has a lower contrast formula to provide balance and a wide dynamic range, and it offers a neutral tonal scale for interiors and studio portraiture for more radical color accuracy.

Unique History

Truly a remarkable and under-used film stock, your images will stand out against the rest.

Saturation

Vivid colors make an even more fun, vibrant picture.

Lower Contrast

It holds a lower contrast formula to provide balance and a wide dynamic range.

How We Tested:

The Moment team is full of film photography buffs; we geek over which cameras to use, the difference in film stocks for specific environments, and which vintage strap from Grandpa’s closet will look best with our medium formats. Our supply coordinator sent the film photographers some stocks to test out throughout the weekend for launch assets. I gathered some thoughts and opinions from the team for this article and my testament to each film roll (I’ve used all of these myself for my portfolio work and frankly can't use any other brand at this point). Kodak is the darn best.