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Colour negative · Vivid & saturated

Kodak Ektar 100

Ultra-fine grain, colour turned all the way up.

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Planned media

Vivid colour and very fine grain. Original vs Ashigrain.

Kodak Ektar 100

stock
Kodak Ektar 100
mode
Scan
film_format
35mm still (135)
Exposure index
100
Daylight
Introduced
2008
In production
Process
C-41
Prints on
Scan

About the film

Kodak launched Ektar 100 in September 2008, reviving a film name from the late 1980s, and called it the world’s finest-grain colour negative film.

Kodak credited that grain to technology from its Vision motion-picture films, made by its Entertainment Imaging division, alongside T-Grain emulsions and development accelerators. It was aimed at commercial photographers and advanced amateurs, for nature, travel and outdoor work as well as fashion and product photography. It arrived in 35 mm only; Kodak added 120 after requests for a medium-format version, and later 4x5 and 8x10 sheets. In April 2009 the Technical Image Press Association named it Best Film in its annual awards, and when Kodak retired Kodachrome that year, it suggested Ektar 100 as one of the alternatives. Kodak gives it a print grain index under 25 for a 4x6-inch print from 35 mm. Reviewing it in 2025, Digital Camera World’s Jon Stapley praised its vivid colour and enlargements but found it unforgiving: a one-stop exposure error can spoil a frame, and pale skin tends to turn pink. Kodak Alaris still sells it in 135, 120 and sheet sizes.

Sources for this history
  1. Kodak Professional Ektar 100 Film, Eastman Kodak Company
  2. KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film Technical Data (September 2008), Eastman Kodak Company
  3. KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film Technical Data, Kodak Alaris
  4. Popular Photography, December 2008, Popular Photography
  5. Shooting Film: Everything you need to know about analogue photography, Ben Hawkins and Liza Kanaeva-Hunsicker
  6. Kodak Ektar 100 for Medium Format, Eastman Kodak Company
  7. Kodak Ektar 100 Sheet Film, Eastman Kodak Company
  8. 2009 TIPA Awards announced, Photo Review
  9. Kodak Ektar 100 film review: demands precision, rewards excellence, Digital Camera World
  10. KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film, Kodak Alaris Inc.
  11. KODAK KODACHROME 25, 64, and 200 Professional Films Technical Data, Eastman Kodak Company

The look

Kodak Ektar 100 is a daylight colour negative that Kodak calls the world's finest-grain. Expect vivid, saturated colour and near-invisible grain, little room for exposure error, and pale skin that can lean pink. It starts as a scan; it prints on Kodak 2383 by default or on any other print film.

Planned media

Fine grain and saturated colour on a still negative.

Kodak Ektar 100

stock
Kodak Ektar 100
mode
Scan
film_format
35mm still (135)

Planned media

Vivid, clean colour.

Kodak Ektar 100

stock
Kodak Ektar 100
mode
Scan
film_format
35mm still (135)

Best for

  1. Landscapes and seascapes in clear light
  2. Travel, architecture and city colour
  3. Product and still-life shots for big enlargements

Among the films

FilmSpeedGrain, RMS σD · lower is finerYears made
Technicolor Process IITechnicolor Process II−2⅔ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 16−2⅔ stops.0201922
DS-5MDS-5M−1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain the sameEI 40−1⅓ stops.0051979
Kodak Aerochrome III 1443Kodak Aerochrome III 1443−1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 40−1⅓ stops.0242001
Kodak Vision3 50DKodak Vision3 50DMade since 2011, in production · −1 stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain the sameEI 50−1 stop.0052011–
Fujifilm Velvia 50Fujifilm Velvia 50Made since 2007, in production · −1 stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 50−1 stop.0092007–
Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50−1 stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain the sameEI 50−1 stop.0051995
Kodak Kodachrome 64Kodak Kodachrome 64Made 1974–2009 · −⅔ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 64−⅔ stop.0121974–2009
Fujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type IIFujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type II−⅔ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 64−⅔ stop.0102002
Ilford Ortho PlusIlford Ortho PlusMade since 1997, in production · −⅓ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 80−⅓ stop.0151997–
Polaroid Type 669Polaroid Type 669−⅓ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 80−⅓ stop.0241981
Svema LN-9Svema LN-9same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 95same speed.0071988
Fujifilm Astia 100FFujifilm Astia 100FMade 2003–2012 · same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0082003–12
Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0121998
Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain the sameEI 100same speed.0051998
Kodak Ektar 100Kodak Ektar 100Made since 2008, in production · this filmEI 100this film.0052008–
Kodak Ektachrome 100DKodak Ektachrome 100DMade since 2018, in production · same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0142018–
Fomapan R 100Fomapan R 100Made since 1980, in production · same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0221980–
NK-2NK-2same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0131980
Fujifilm FP-100CFujifilm FP-100CMade 1992–2016 · same speed vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0231992–2016
Eastman Color Negative 5247Eastman Color Negative 5247+⅓ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain the sameEI 125+⅓ stop.0051983
Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160+⅔ stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 160+⅔ stop.0071995
Kodak Vision3 200TKodak Vision3 200TMade since 2010, in production · +1 stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 200+1 stop.0072010–
Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Made since 2003, in production · +1 stop vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 200+1 stop.0252003–
Kodak Vision3 250DKodak Vision3 250DMade since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 250+1⅓ stops.0072009–
Fujifilm Eterna 250DFujifilm Eterna 250DMade 2005–2013 · +1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0042005–13
Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Made since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 250+1⅓ stops.0132009–
Eastman Double-X 5222Eastman Double-X 5222Made since 1960, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 250+1⅓ stops.0151960–
Fujifilm Pro 400HFujifilm Pro 400HMade 2004–2021 · +2 stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain finerEI 400+2 stops.0042004–21
Kodak Vision3 500TKodak Vision3 500TMade since 2007, in production · +2⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 500+2⅓ stops.0072007–
Kodak Vision2 Expression 500TKodak Vision2 Expression 500T+2⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 500+2⅓ stops.0092003
Fujifilm Eterna 500Fujifilm Eterna 500Made 2004–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042004–13
Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Made 2009–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042009–13
Kodak Portra 800Kodak Portra 800Made since 2000, in production · +3 stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 800+3 stops.0082000–
Kodak T-Max P3200Kodak T-Max P3200Made since 1988, in production · +3 stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 800+3 stops.0191988–
Kodak Ektachrome P1600Kodak Ektachrome P1600+4 stops vs Kodak Ektar 100 · grain coarserEI 1600+4 stops.0381999

Science & sources

Kodak Ektar 100 calibration chart: OriginalKodak Ektar 100 calibration chart: Processed
Synthetic test chart (grey ramp, ColorChecker, hue sweep, point highlights) before and after the full Ashigrain pipeline: scan branch, Super 35 4-perf, default controls, exposure +0.00 stops to match the original's mid-grey, frame 0.

A daylight still-photo colour negative rated at EI 100. It defaults to a scan, following the datasheet's scanning guidance. Its grain and individual dye shapes are borrowed from Kodak Vision3 films, because the datasheet does not publish them.

Response curves and the evidence behind the model

Compare manufacturer data with the Ashigrain model on the same axes. This shows the calibration to source curves; comparison with photographed film is a separate question.

Characteristic response

Density against log H (lux-seconds) for channels R, G, B. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are digitised, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: digitised and simulated.−3.0−2.0−1.00.01.02.0log H (lux-seconds)0.01.02.03.04.0Density

RMS granularity

RMS granularity (σD) against Density for channels R, G, B. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are datasheet-based, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: datasheet-based and simulated.0.00.51.01.52.0Density0.00.00250.0050.00750.010.0125RMS granularity (σD)

Density variation (σD). Where the datasheet gives a single grain value, the response away from that point is an approximation.

ChannelDensityDatasheet-based σDModel σD
R0.30.0054230.005642
G0.30.005320.005546
B0.30.0100160.010385
R0.60.0047210.004911
G0.60.0046920.004891
B0.60.0103650.010747
R10.0045920.004777
G10.0046660.004863
B10.0087870.009111
R1.50.0034030.00354
G1.50.0044520.00464
B1.50.0083450.008653
B20.0063540.006589

Model limits

These images show the film model in use. Spectral response, lighting and viewing conditions include approximations, while halation, bloom, grain size, weave and flicker are not fully measured for each film. A real film capture also depends on development and print timing.

  • Custom lighting spectra, camera metering and the spectral reflectance inferred from fixed-white-balance footage are modeled assumptions, not measurements of this film.
  • Colour-print timing and scan balance under arbitrary lighting are modeled. Scanner colour balance has no standard physical unit.
  • The spectral transmission of the conversion filter the source prescribes (80A for daylight films under tungsten, 85 for tungsten films in daylight) is modeled, not supplied by the source.
  • The sheet prints only a Print Grain Index, which Kodak says cannot be compared with RMS granularity. Grain is proxied from Kodak Vision3 50D (5203), so the granularity values shown are that film's, not measurements of Ektar 100.
  • Only a midscale neutral and a minimum-density spectrum are printed, not separate cyan, magenta and yellow dye spectra. The individual dye shapes are borrowed from Kodak Vision3 250D (5207), a proxy rather than this film's dyes.
  • No push or pull data are published. Push amounts, interlayer effects and grain size are approximations.
  • Characteristic response outside the published exposure range is an extrapolation, not measured film data.
  • No antihalation layer is named; an undercoat is assumed. Halation strength, radius, layer weights and bloom are not measured.
  • The default output is a scan, following the sheet's scanning guidance. Scan balance has no standard unit and is modeled.
  • Printer-light timing on this film can differ from the full spectral calculation by up to 0.24 printer points.
  • The printer lamp and filter spectra and the Status A grey aim used in this preview are approximated; the source does not publish the required spectral or laboratory aim data.

Film guide: assumptions and practical choices

Sources

  1. Exposure index: KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film Technical Data, E-4046, Revised 2/16, p. 1
  2. Process: KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film Technical Data, E-4046, Revised 2/16, p. 2
  3. Characteristic curves: KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film Technical Data, E-4046, Revised 2/16, p. 4

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