Kodak Portra 400 Film Review | Is it Worth the Price?

Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 800

2. Kodak Gold 200 Film

Kodak Gold 200 is probably the film stock I use the most. It’s super affordable and has that sharp crispness that Kodak film is known for. It has a beautiful golden glow to it that is perfect for days at the beach or on vacation. I take it with me every time I travel because I love that vintage golden glow. It creates sort of a nostalgia and old timey-ness (is that a word??) that reminds me of photographs from my childhood. I try to convince myself to try out other films when I’m placing an order, but it’s really hard to beat the price and the quality on this one. I use it with my Holga pretty often too, but I try to make sure I have a lot of sunlight when using it, just because at 200 ISO, it won’t be able to capture as much detail in the shadows as a 400 ISO film. I do love it so much though and recommend it for beginner 120 film shooters because of the awesome price.

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3. Lomography Color Negative 100 or 400 Film

I love Lomography’s Color Negative film so much. It’s affordable, has bright, vibrant colors, and is consistent. When I’m doing a fashion shoot or trying to capture the vivid colors of a landscape, this is a great film to use. If Kodak Portra mimics the colors in reality, Lomography Color Negative takes it up a notch. Sometimes, I have to bring down the colors in this film when scanning my images. But I’d rather have to bring it down that add saturation to my images. This is a film I always have on hand too. The Color Negative 400 is the one I’ll grab as I run out the door if I’m not sure of what environment I’m going to be shooting in. It can be difficult to get your hands on sometimes, as they sell out often, but they always restock eventually so just keep checking back. Lomography is a somewhat small company so I think it’s hard for them to keep up with the demand sometimes. That’s why I always buy in bulk when I find it for a good price on Amazon or eBay. Every once in a while I order direct from their website too, but oftentimes, I can find a better deal elsewhere. They also have an 800 ISO version too, but again, 800 film can be pricey. Sometimes, I can’t justify spending that much money on film I’m going to use in my Holga because at most, I’ll only get 12-16 shots out of it. Again, use the 100 ISO film in bright, direct sunlight, and the 400 ISO film for cloudier days or for use in the shade. :)

WHERE TO BUY

Lomography Color Negative 100

Lomography Color Negative 400

Lomography Color Negative 800

4. Neopan Acros 100 II Black and White Film

Neopan Acros is super special to me because it’s one of the first film stocks I ever used. It reminds me of when I first became obsessed with film photography and was shooting exclusively in black and white. The original version of the film has been discontinued unfortunately, but the new version is (almost) just as good. It’s one of the sharpest film stocks out there, in my opinion. And for a 100 ISO film, the shadows carry quite a bit of detail. Still, I’d recommend shooting this film in bright lighting conditions. Even on a cloudy day, you might get some unwanted graininess in the shadows. Personally, I love the moodiness that this film has. It’s great for printing in the darkroom because of it’s tonal range. These days. I always gravitate towards color film first because I like to have the option of color or black and white in post-processing. A part of me wants to get back into black and white though, because there is something so special about a true black and white photograph.

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5. Kodak T-MAX 400 Black and White Film

Kodak T-Max 400 probably one of the most affordable black and white 120 films out there. But, once again, Kodak’s quality and pricepoint is hard to beat. I don’t shoot black and white as often as I used to, but if you're a new film photography, black and white is typically cheaper in general versus color film. But I like to shoot in color and then convert to black and white in post-production if I feel the need. I just like to have the option. But if you’re new to 120 film, especially if you’re trying out a Holga or Diana F+ for the first time, cheaper is better, because I promise you, your first few rolls are going to be rough. It just doesn’t make sense to spend a bunch of money on images that will likely not turn out the way you want them to. As I always say though, don’t give up! You can also read more about the Holga here and Diana F+ here if you are interested in toy cameras. They are super affordable and great for beginners wanting to try out 120 film. They also create insanely unique images and will get you excited about film photography. Just have patience, and most importantly, have FUN!

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Bonus Recommendations:

Cinestill 400D if willing to spend the cash. It’s cinematic, great in low light, and perfect for cameras like the Nikon FE2 or Canon AE-1 and you want to enhance the magic of incredible 35 mm cameras like those.

Ektar 100 if shooting only in bright daylight for vibrant colors. One of my favorite photographers, Wendy Laurel, uses Ektar 100 pretty exclusively. But she lives in Hawaii and is always in bright, colorful daylight. It works perfectly for her work, but doesn’t always work for photographers like me who live in places like Virginia with inconsistent weather.

Neopan Acros 100 (the original version), if you can find it. You can read my blog post all about this film, or check out my YouTube video comparing version one of this film to version two.

Kodak Tri-X and Ilford HP5 are also great black and white options if you’re having trouble finding T-Max, they’re just a little more expensive.

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing.

Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

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Review of Lomography's Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing Camera & Flash Using LomoChrome Color ’92 Film and B&W Orca 110 Film | My First Two Rolls of Film

March 5, 2025

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

I’m so excited to team up with Lomography for this blog post featuring the Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing Camera. I’ve been wanting to try out a 110 camera for years and it was honestly as fun as I’d hoped. There are a lot of things I love about this camera, but there are also a few snags I ran into that I’m hoping to sort out while shooting my next roll of film. As with any film camera, it takes some time and patience to learn a new camera, and especially a new film format. 110 film has been around since the 1970s and is known for it’s retro vibes and easy-to-load film cartridges. You can find vintage 110 film cameras on Etsy and eBay, but Lomography went above and beyond and created their own version of the 110 camera. They have tons of different styles and colors, but I wanted to share the pros and cons I discovered through my first two rolls of film with the Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing, so that your experience using 110 film goes smoothly and you end up with beautiful photos!

PROS OF THE LOMOMATIC 110

Perfect for Travel
I think my favorite thing about this camera is the portability. It’s so small and convenient. It was super easy to take with me wherever I went. I used the wrist strap most of the time, which made it simple to use quickly when I stumbled across something I wanted to photograph. It’s definitely one of the smallest cameras I own, and it’s nice that I don’t have to worry about a detachable lens or anything like that that might get damaged easily. You guys know I like to travel with at least 5-8 cameras and the fact that I can squeeze this camera in any camera bag is a huge pro for me, and means I can take it with me on more adventures!
The Photos are Grainy & Vibe-y
I wasn’t expecting super sharp photos going into this process, but the photos are even more old school that I thought they’d be. I absolutely love vintage-looking photographs with lots of grain that look like they’re from hundreds of years ago. There is something so addicting about creating photographs that are strange and unusual (because I, myself, am strange and unusual). I know that not everyone feels the same way, but I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone! This camera will definitely make you do that. :) I did learn that this camera requires a lot of light to function properly, so I’d recommend only shooting in very bright conditions, or using the flash if you’re inside or in the shade. You’ll notice some of my images have motion blur or aren’t fully in focus, and that’s because the images were taken close to sunset and the shutter was too slow. Next time, I’ll be sure to shoot in full daylight with this camera. It’s also important to make sure you have the correct distance setting for each image before you take it.
Lots of Creative Features for Such a Small, Affordable Camera
I was surprised by how many different options and features this camera is capable of. If you follow my work, you know I’m obsessed with multiple exposures. The fact that this camera has a dedicated multiple exposure button is a huge plus for me. I’m actually going to be ordering more 110 film today because now that I’m sitting here writing this blog post, I feel antsy to test out another roll! I’ve learned so much with my first two rolls and can’t wait to learn from my mistakes and go into it with a little more user knowledge. It also has various distance settings, a flash, flash filters, a bulb setting, and two aperture settings - day (f/5.6) & night (f/2.8). For such a tiny camera, the creative control is really nice.

CONS OF THE LOMOMATIC 110

The Film Doesn’t Advance Occasionally
The main issue I have with this camera is that sometimes the film doesn’t advance when you close it and pull it back open. The film counter will sometimes stay on the same number. I’ve watched a few videos from other photographers and they seem to run into the same issue. However, on my second roll of film, I think I figured out what was happening. You have to make sure you push the shutter button down all the way when taking your photo. I believe what happens is that you think you’ve captured your image, but really, the shutter wasn’t decompressed and you actually didn’t even take your photo! If you just make sure to fully push the button all the way, you should be totally fine.
The Frames Become Misaligned
By the end of both of my first two rolls of film, I noticed the frames became misaligned. This is probably because I began to close the camera and then changed my mind and opened it back up. So, essentially, the film began to advance a little but then was stopped. So, whatever you do, make sure to fully open and close the camera in between shots and you shouldn’t run into this problem. I’ll be testing this theory out again with my next roll of film, but it makes sense that halfway closing the camera would cause the frames to get out of line.
Film Development is Expensive
It’s difficult to find labs that will process 110 film. Personally, I used Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon. I also had to buy a 110 film holder for my Epson Perfection V750 Pro Scanner so that I could save some money by scanning the film myself. It was a bit of an investment just to experiment with this camera. However, I do think that I’ll feel a bit better about the whole thing if I follow the tips mentioned above for my next roll of film. It’s definitely more of a hobby camera and not something I would use at a client photo shoot, mostly because I don’t have the functionality fully down yet. I’m hoping in the future I will feel differently.

(example of the frames being misaligned)

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m so glad that Lomography has created their own 110 camera. It’s incredibly important as photographers and hobbyists to support these dying film formats. I love that 110 film hasn’t disappeared from the world yet and that Lomography is working to keep it alive. While I do think that the camera has a few glitches and requires a bit of a learning curve, it was still an absolute blast to use. It might even be the most fun I’ve had in years trying out a new camera. I plan to test out more of the fun features with my next roll of film.

The Lomomatic 110 is something special though. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another company that values film photography as much as Lomography. The fact that they’ve put time into developing a 110 camera, along with a handful of different film options to choose from, is truly a miracle in today’s world. I always love checking out what Lomography is up to and the new cameras that they release.

I’m honestly so excited to try this camera out again and see what I end up with. I recommend shooting only one roll for your first time so that you can learn from any mistakes you might have made. Make sure to check the aperture, ISO, and distance settings before taking each shot too. I had the wrong distance setting for a few of my images and it definitely makes a difference if you want your images as sharp as possible with a camera like this.

While it is a pricey venture to get into shooting 110 film, it’s always fun for me to try out new cameras and learn something about photography along the way. As my first 110 film experience, it was exciting and different for me. I get bored easily and this camera kept me on my toes. I’ll be sure to share my next roll of film with you!

WHERE TO BUY

Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash

Lomography.com

eBay.com (used)

Etsy (vintage 110 cameras)

110 Film Cartridges

Lomography.com