Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm Film – 3 Pack (C-41)

Kodak Ultramax 400 is the workhorse of the Kodak colour negative lineup. Fast, flexible, and forgiving, it's the film you reach for when the light is uncertain, the moment is moving fast, or you just want to shoot without thinking too hard about exposure. This 3-pack gives you three rolls of 36 exposures, sourced directly from Kodak Eastman in Rochester, New York.

Buying from Kodak Eastman puts revenue directly back into the facility that manufactures the film — a meaningful thing at a time when the future of film production depends on people continuing to buy it. Factory-fresh stock, straight from the source.

Price is per 3 pack — three rolls of 36 exposures each.

Why photographers love Kodak Ultramax 400

Ultramax has the classic warm Kodak colour signature — rich, saturated, with that slightly golden lift that makes everything look a little more alive. At ISO 400 it gives you real flexibility: bright sun, open shade, overcast skies, indoor window light — it handles all of it without fuss. The wide exposure latitude means it holds onto highlight detail well and forgives a stop or two of under or overexposure.

It's a natural fit for point-and-shoot cameras, where the extra speed gives the autofocus and auto-exposure systems more to work with. Canon Sure Shot, Nikon L35AF, Olympus Stylus, Contax T2 — Ultramax rewards you in all of them. It also pairs well with SLRs like the Canon AE-1, Nikon FM2, and Olympus OM-1 for photographers who want a more vibrant, punchy look than Portra without the price tag.

The 3-pack format is ideal for a holiday, a project, or just having a solid stock of reliable film on hand.

A bit of film history

Kodak Ultramax 400 has gone through several name changes over the years — it's been sold as Gold Ultra, Max, and Ultra 400 at various points — but the current Ultramax emulsion is a refined and capable film in its own right. It sits above the budget ColorPlus and Gold lines in Kodak's consumer range, offering better grain control and more consistent colour rendering while retaining the approachable, crowd-pleasing character that makes Kodak consumer films so popular.

Processing

Kodak Ultramax 400 requires standard C-41 colour negative processing. We process C-41 in-house at Ikigai Film Lab in Melbourne, with scanning available on our Fujifilm Frontier and Noritsu HS-1800 scanners.

Common questions

Does buying this 3-pack support Kodak's film manufacturing?

Yes. These 3-packs are sourced directly from Kodak Eastman — the Rochester facility that manufactures the film. Buying directly from the source means revenue goes back to the factory, which helps support continued film production for the whole analogue community.

How does Kodak Ultramax 400 compare to Kodak Gold 200?

Both share the warm Kodak colour palette, but Ultramax 400 gives you two extra stops of speed and a slightly more saturated, punchy rendering. Gold 200 has finer grain and a slightly more refined look for good-light shooting. If you're shooting outdoors in consistent light and want the cleanest results, Gold 200 is the better pick. If you need flexibility across different lighting conditions, Ultramax 400 is the smarter choice.

How does Ultramax 400 compare to Kodak Portra 400?

They're both ISO 400 C-41 films but aimed at different photographers. Ultramax is vivid, punchy, and affordable — great for casual and everyday shooting. Portra 400 is more refined, with neutral, accurate colour rendering, finer grain, and much better skin tone reproduction. Portra is the professional choice for portraits and weddings. Ultramax is the better pick when you want bold colour and value for money.

Is Ultramax 400 good for point-and-shoot cameras?

Yes — it's one of the best films for point-and-shoots. The ISO 400 speed gives auto-exposure systems more headroom in variable light, the wide latitude forgives imperfect metering, and the vivid colour output rewards the spontaneous, grab-and-go style that point-and-shoots are made for.

Is the 3-pack better value than buying rolls individually?

Yes — the 3-pack works out cheaper per roll than buying individual rolls separately, making it the smarter buy if you know you'll shoot all three.