Kodak Tri-X 400 120 Black and White Film

Kodak Tri-X 400 is one of the most celebrated film emulsions in the history of photography. In 120 format, it brings that iconic character — gritty grain, high contrast, punchy blacks, and a tonal quality that feels inherently cinematic — to medium format, where the larger negative gives it even more presence and depth.

It's a panchromatic black and white film rated at ISO 400, processed in standard black and white chemistry, and it has defined the visual language of documentary and street photography for over seven decades.

Price is per roll.

Why photographers love Tri-X in 120

Tri-X has a look that no other film can replicate. The grain is visible, intentional, and beautiful — not fine and clinical like TMAX, but chunky and organic in a way that adds texture and life to every image. The contrast is high, the blacks are deep, and the highlights hold detail in a way that rewards printing and scanning equally.

In 120 format that character is amplified by the larger negative. The grain structure that reads as bold and decisive in 35mm becomes more nuanced and complex in medium format — you get all the character with more tonal information behind it. It's particularly striking in portraiture, where the combination of medium format depth of field and Tri-X's tonal quality produces results that look like they belong in a museum.

It pushes extremely well. At 800 the contrast increases and the grain becomes more pronounced. At 1600 and beyond it takes on a near-mythical quality — the kind of look that photojournalists and documentary photographers have chased for decades.

A bit of film history

Kodak introduced Tri-X in 1954, making it one of the longest-running and most photographically significant films ever produced. It was the film of choice for some of the greatest photographers in history — Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Diane Arbus, Gordon Parks, and countless others built their entire bodies of work on it. Its combination of speed, latitude, and character made it the default film for documentary and street photography for decades, and that legacy is baked into every roll you shoot today.

Processing

Tri-X 400 120 is developed in standard black and white chemistry. We process black and white film in-house at Ikigai Film Lab in Melbourne, with scanning available on our Fujifilm Frontier and Noritsu HS-1800 scanners.

Common questions

How does Tri-X 400 compare to Ilford HP5 in 120?

Both are ISO 400 black and white films with a classic, organic character — but they have a distinctly different look. Tri-X has more contrast, deeper blacks, and a grain structure that's chunkier and more pronounced. HP5 is softer, more neutral, and more forgiving of exposure variations. Many photographers describe Tri-X as the more dramatic, characterful option and HP5 as the more versatile, workmanlike choice. Neither is better — they suit different tastes and subjects.

How does Tri-X compare to Kodak TMAX 400 in 120?

Very different films. TMAX 400 is a modern T-GRAIN emulsion built for technical excellence — finer grain, smoother tones, and better scanning performance. Tri-X is a classic conventional emulsion with a distinctive gritty, high-contrast look that TMAX doesn't replicate. If you want the cleanest, sharpest ISO 400 black and white film, shoot TMAX. If you want the look that defined 20th century photography, shoot Tri-X.

Can I push Tri-X 400 in 120?

Yes — Tri-X is famous for its push processing performance. Pushing to 800 gives more contrast and a punchier look. At 1600 it takes on a dramatic, high-grain character that many photographers seek out deliberately. We offer push processing as an add-on when you send your film in.