Over the Dunes – Hasselblad 503CX – 120mm f/4 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
The first step is admitting it.
I shoot a lot of Kodak Portra 400. Recently I’ve started to feel less like an evangelist for something I love, and more like someone who is scared to branch out.
There are all sorts of reasons to shoot Portra, it’s beautiful, flexible, forgiving, reliable, and it scans well, (it even converts to black and white nicely). There’s a reason it’s so popular, but I’ve begun to feel apologetic about my Portra addiction.
The View from Late July – Hasselblad 503CX – 50mm f/4 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
A Little History
I feel like I’ve marooned myself on an island and spelled out ‘no help’ in stones on the sand. Ensconced in a hut made of exposure latitude, on a beach of the finest grain (at iso 400), and under a pastel blue sky (that’s three stops over exposed), I face away from the sea and every chance of rescue.
I started shooting Portra 400 when Fujifilm binned medium format Superia 400. This was my go-to colour film on medium format and it lived in my Bronica. When Superia was discontinued I needed a another 400 speed colour film and I found and fell in love with Portra.
I like 400speed film. In 35mm you can shoot it in a well lit room without opening your lens all the way. It helps combat camera shake and mirror-slap at bay when you’re shooting medium format, and it keeps the reciprocity-curve sane when you want to shoot with filters.
It does however make shallow depth of field a challenge when it’s sunny and your fastest shutter speed is 1/500th of a second.
Coast – Hasselblad 503CX – 120mm f4 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
A Forbidden Love
A couple of months ago, when my stash was starting to look a little empty, I bought a five pack of Pro 400H and joked that I normally fall in love with Fuji film stocks before they’re discontinued. (Fujifilm announced that they were pulling the plug on 400H in January of this year).
The danger of falling in love with an obsolete film is real, and the idea of negotiating for increasingly expensive freezer-kept packs filled me with dread.
I decided not to like 400H too much.
The Artist at Work – Hasselblad 503CX – 80mm f/2.8 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
Guilt Powered Cycle.
I’ve mentioned in the past that often it’s guilt that drives my camera choice. Not using my cameras makes me sad, and I have too many to be true to them all. There is always one that hasn’t seen enough action.
This time the cycle brought me back around to my Hasselblad. It didn’t get to go to France or Spain last year, and aside from bleach-bypassing some Portra 400 during lockdown, hasn’t been out for a while.
The Hassy made its triumphant return to the scene at a garden party at home, loaded with 400H. It garnered a couple of really nice shots, and it reminded me how much I love that bloody camera.
Slide – Hasselblad 503CX – 80mm f/2.8 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
The ever-present threat of sale
The Hasselblad has been on the shelf for so long that I’d started to consider parting with my wide and telephoto lenses. While I could never part with the camera, I can not shoot it with one lens as easily as I can not shoot it with three.
When the time came to head for Wales for the family escape, I lugged the full Hassy load-out, 50mm, 80mm, and 120mm.
Bottlenose Dolphins – Hasselblad 503CX – 120mm f/4 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
Conclusions
I like Fujifilm Pro 400H, I’ve shot the occasional roll in the past, and will shoot the rolls I have left, but I won’t miss 400H the way many photographers will. That makes me one of the lucky ones. I’m always sad when the community loses an option.
Re-engaging with the Hasselblad has been ace, I love that camera (and have resolved to shoot it more). My keep-rate has been low overall but the keepers are worth the effort.
If it spent more time in my hands and less on the shelf…
Roofline – Hasselblad 503CX – 80mm f/2.8 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
Newquay Harbour – Hasselblad 503CX – 80mm f/2.8 – Fujifilm Pro 400H
Film Forays
I’ve added a Film Forays link to the menu, to showcase my ongoing film adventures. No doubt I shall fall in love at least twice, and consume a few poisonous mushrooms along the way.
I’ve already written up my first go around with Lomochrome Metropolis here, and probably won’t write about my experiences with Kodak Gold 200.
I have a few rolls of 400H left, which I’m not romanticising, and will shoot in due course. The trick now is not to think of them as my last rolls.
If this exercise has made me think about anything, it’s that I should spend more time with my Hasselblad, and start stashing my Portra 400 in the freezer.
Dune Path – Hasselblad 503CX – 120mm f/4 – Fujifilm Pro 400H