Film specifications#
- Manufacturer
- Kodak
- Film
- Portra 160NC
- Speed
- 160
- Process
- C-41
- Formats
- 135, 120, 220, Sheet film
- Base
- T/P
- Made in
- US
- Status
- Discontinued — replaced by Portra 160
Character & history#
Professional color film, 'Natural Color' for subtle color and natural skin tones in controlled lighting situations. (160NC)
Description adapted from Wikipedia’s “List of discontinued photographic films” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Exposure guide at ISO 160#
Sunny 16 for this film: f/16 at 1/160 s in bright sun. Negative film tolerates 2–3 stops of overexposure; slide film needs accuracy within about ⅓–½ stop.
| Light | f/2 | f/4 | f/8 | f/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV 16 · Snow / beach, bright sun | — | — | 1/1600 s | 1/400 s |
| EV 15 · Bright sun | — | 1/3200 s | 1/800 s | 1/200 s |
| EV 14 · Hazy sun | — | 1/1600 s | 1/400 s | 1/100 s |
| EV 13 · Cloudy-bright | 1/3200 s | 1/800 s | 1/200 s | 1/50 s |
| EV 12 · Overcast / open shade | 1/1600 s | 1/400 s | 1/100 s | 1/25 s |
| EV 10 · Sunset | 1/400 s | 1/100 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
| EV 8 · Bright interior | 1/100 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| EV 5 · Home interior at night | 1/13 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s | 5 s |
| EV 3 · City street at night | 0.3 s | 1.3 s | 5 s | 20 s |
Push & pull options#
Tell your lab how many stops you pushed or pulled so development is adjusted for the whole roll.
| Adjustment | Rate the film at | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Pull 1 stop | EI 80 | Lower contrast, finer grain |
| Push 1 stop | EI 320 | More contrast and grain |
| Push 2 stops | EI 640 | Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows |
| Push 3 stops | EI 1,280 | Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows |
Long exposures#
Most films suffer reciprocity failure beyond about 1 second: they need more exposure than the meter says. As a rule of thumb add ⅓–1 stop for 1–10 s and 1–2 stops beyond 10 s for older emulsions; modern T-grain films (and Fuji Acros) need much less. Check the manufacturer's datasheet.
Similar films#
Other color negative film around ISO 160.
- Kodak Portra 160 (Ektacolor Pro 160) ISO 160
- Silberra Color 160 ISO 160
- ADOX Color Mission 200 ISO 200
- CineStill Red Rum ISO 200
- Fujifilm 200 ISO 200
- Harman Phoenix 200 ISO 200
- Harman Phoenix II 200 ISO 200
- Kodak ColorPlus 200 ISO 200
- Kodak Gold 200 ISO 200
- Kodak Kodacolor 200 ISO 200
- Kono! Alien 200 ISO 200
- Kono! Katz 200 ISO 200
- Kono! Liebe 200 ISO 200
- Kono! Luft 200 ISO 200
- Kono! UFO 200 ISO 200
- Kono! Wintermärchen 200 ISO 200
- Lomography Color Tiger 200 ISO 200
- Lomography Lobster Redscale ISO 200
More Kodak films#
Frequently asked questions#
What ISO is Kodak Portra 160NC?
160 — set your meter to ISO 160 for box speed.
Is Kodak Portra 160NC still made?
No, it has been discontinued (1998–2011).
How do I develop Kodak Portra 160NC?
C-41 process. Standard colour-negative chemistry available at almost every lab and in home kits (Tetenal/Cinestill Cs41).
Is Kodak Portra 160NC available in 35mm?
Yes — formats: 135, 120, 220, Sheet film.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: List of discontinued photographic films — CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources