Kodak Portra 800 is often the go-to choice for photographers who want flexibility, vibrant colour, and excellent performance in low-light conditions.
Whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, or night scenes, this versatile film delivers exceptional results.
In this review, I’ll take you through my experience with Kodak Portra 800 which I shot in Miami, along with some film photo examples from day and night scenes.
Kodak Portra 800 Film Review & Examples
What is Kodak Portra 800?
Kodak Portra 800 is a professional-grade colour negative film that’s part of Kodak’s renowned Portra lineup, which includes Portra 160 and Portra 400.
As the name suggests, it’s rated at ISO 800, making it ideal for low-light situations without sacrificing image quality.
While Portra 800 was designed with portrait photographers in mind—offering soft, natural skin tones—it’s also highly versatile, working beautifully for street photography, landscapes, and even nighttime scenes.
Shooting Kodak Portra 800 During the Day + Examples
You might assume that ISO 800 film is best reserved for low-light scenarios, but Portra 800 also shines during daytime shoots. Its high dynamic range ensures well-balanced highlights and shadows, while the fine grain and natural colour palette make it perfect for vibrant, punchy images without over saturation.
I was shooting in Miami, so light conditions in the day were super anyway. Prior to this i had only shot on ISO 200 and 400 films, the results from this film roll have easily become my favourite so far.
It's also worth mentioning that I was shooting on a very old Fujifilm Clear Shot 10 Auto (standard point and shoot), so I was not adjusting for each shot. This film roll also made it through and back the airport x-ray scanners!
The images are bright and well-lit without looking harsh and the grain and natural colour rendering just wins it for me.
There were a couple of overcast days on the trip (see further down) and the images just have a lovely softness to them. Here are some examples shot during the day from the trip to give you a good idea of how the shots look on this film roll.
Daytime Shooting Advantages
Dynamic Range: Retains detail in bright skies and deep shadows.
Natural Tones: Skin tones look soft and true-to-life.
Flexibility: Perfect for shooting in overcast conditions or shadowy areas where ISO 400 might not be enough.
Shooting Kodak Portra 800 at Night
Where Portra 800 really stands out is its ability to handle low-light and nighttime scenes.
Unlike other high-speed films that tend to become overly grainy or lose colour accuracy, Portra 800 maintains its signature look even when the light is minimal.
This was another first for me, shooting at night and actually getting some usable shots back! Ocean Drive in Miami is iconic for nighttime shooting as it's lined with plenty of neon lights, cool cars, and is generally just a buzzy time of the day.
Three of the images below were actually taken from a driving car! We ended up being caught up in Hurricane Ian whilst we were there, so we didn't have much time to get any shots of this area, and it was the only last opportunity to snap some from a car, so to say I was impressed with the first one was an understatement.
The first image is my favourite, and just a great example of how well Portra 800 can perform in nighttime conditions with available light and using the flash on the camera. I will stress that this is really important, you can't expect to shoot at night and get great results if little to no light is available.
This film performs best with available light such as, street lights, neon signage and ambient glow. The images below this first one were shot without a flash and you can see how they just don't fare as well (they were also from a driving car/inside a bar, so I didn't expect quality to be great).
Light sources can also produce slight glowing effects (known as halation), which some photographers love for its cinematic and unique look.
Night Shooting Advantages (Indoor shots)
Low Grain: Surprisingly smooth results for ISO 800.
Colour Accuracy: Streetlights, neon signs, and cityscapes retain true, vibrant colours.
Shadow Detail: Even dark areas preserve a lot of detail.
Is Kodak Portra 800 Worth It?
If you’re looking for a film that can handle both bright and dim lighting with minimal fuss, Portra 800 is absolutely worth the investment. The colours are beautiful, the grain is minimal, and its flexibility makes it ideal for travel, portraits, and street photography.
I fell in love with this film and would not hesitate reaching for this film again. However, Portra 800 is quite a bit more expensive than other films, so I would probably select this one for shoots or trips where the light is changeable, and stick to an ISO 200 or 400 where I know the weather is consistently good.
Have you tried Portra 800 before? Let us know your thoughts on this 35mm film stock in the comments below!
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