The Best Affordable 35mm Film || Fujifilm Superia 400 vs. Kodak Ultramax 400

Which cheap film stock is better? In this video I do a direct comparison of Fujifilm Superia Xtra 400 and Kodak Ultramax 400. Both film stocks are cheap and can be found at either CVS or Walgreens...but are they any good?
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TIMESTAMPS
►0:00 Intro
►1:04 How Much Does The Film Cost?
►1:47 Comparing Fujfilm vs. Kodak
►2:17 Where Did I Take The Photos?
►2:46 Minolta x570 & Fujfilm Superia Xtra 400
►3:19 Minolta x570 & Kodak Ultramax 400
►4:17 I Messed Up...
►5:15 Kodak In Salt Lake City
►6:18 Which Film Stock Is Better?
►7:10 What Film Will I Be Using In 2022?
►7:20 Outro
MUSIC
♪Biscuit - Lukrembro
♪Bored - Lukrembro
♪Rose - Lukrembro

[@WRCzATL]

I just bought both stocks at CVS and Walgreens. Both stores rung it up at $27.98 for a 3-pack, but both stores had the price marked on the shelf hook at $20.99... and I insisted on the marked price. Walgreens had two Kodak 3-packs on the hook so I bought both. Moral of the story is, if they can't bother to mark up the shelf price, you don't have to pay that higher price.

[@PHlophe]

the fact that the kodak ultramax cost a mere $7.00 in the US and here in the UK £12.00 , which is over double the price. This makes me want to cry . It looks so pretty but so pricey ugh !.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

daaaaaang that's so expensive! Hopefully you can find other film stocks for cheaper!

[@mikethomas1073]

Not anymore. B&H has it listed @ $10.99/roll but it hasn't been in stock for months.

[@francktitanic8271]

In France it is 15.99€ this is crazy

[@gamexsimmonds3581]

You wouldn't believe how much Walmart in Canada sells it for $59.99 Canadian thats not for a 3 roll, that one roll, 36 shots. Where as I got the Fuji film from the photography store Henrys for $14.99. But that just part of being Canadian, your pals below the border get all the cool stuff and it doesn't cost a fortune, and we get half the stuff for triple the price

[@blankspace0000]

Your film photography as a hobbyist is better than a lot of people on here who are professionals. Absolutely beautiful!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I appreciate the kind words!

[@PerformancePlaybook]

Loving these videos 💰💰

[@ManyDoors777]

I have a soft spot for the overall look of Superia 400. Totally underrated film!

[@minsco4812]

Love the channel!! I use to work in a photo lab back in the day and would color correct a lot of photos. In general I noticed that Fuji was a little cyan and Kodak turned out more yellow.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

That means a lot! Thanks so much! It's cool hearing behind the scenes how the different film stocks appear before they are color corrected. Thanks for watching!

[@theundefinedphotographer]

I've usually had mixed results with Ultramax, but these images came out amazing! Really makes me want to pick up some Ultramax and give it another go. Gorgeous photos from gorgeous trips!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I noticed that the Ultramax had a significant amount of extra grain in comparison, but overall it worked well for these shots! Thanks for watching!

[@shianYT]

Just found your channel and I love seeing the comparison, if you could - please do more! I'm new to film and videos like these are incredibly helpful! :D

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I've got more coming soon! Thanks for subscribing!

[@alexis-gk4us]

im from hawaii & recently started shooting film. seeing your photos makes me excited to shoot different parts of the island & the pics of utah were gorgeous!!😍

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

That's amazing!! Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world! I hope you have the best time capturing beautiful moments on the island!

[@malbin5035]

Fantastic shots; you should upload them to see it in full res!

[@spammusubi1607]

Wow I didn’t realize how crazy the price of film has gotten, I bought some last year and the price has basically more than doubled

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

It just keeps going up!

[@JHPine]

Very informative video, thanks. Your photos are great! Sorry to see your X-570 broke and you lost some shots. I have an X-570 too and love it so hopefully it keeps working.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

The x570 is an awesome camera! I'm looking into getting another one or even moving to the x700. Only time will tell!

[@AufKohleGeboren]

Great comparison, I definitely prefer the warmer tones of the ultramax 400. It’s also a look that you can pretty good recreate on a modern Fujifilm camera with all the jpeg adjustment capabilities.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thanks for watching! I've been tempted to test out one of the Fuji x100 series of cameras to see how it compares to my film photos.

[@yurivv69]

Your photos are really great!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thanks so much! 🙌🏻

[@Matthew_Finn]

I love the channel!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thanks so much!

[@melodyluvsyou]

how are u so underrated?? keep up the good work!!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thanks so much! Just having fun making these videos! 😁

[@dabistudio_japan]

Thanks! I just bought a new contax camera and I haven't shoot film for 22 years! Since I was in college. So I'm pretty excited to shoot film again! Your video was pretty interesting! I live in Japan so Fuji is much cheaper here and you can find it everywhere.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Enjoy shooting with the Contax! Japan is such an amazing place for photography. I regret not bringing a film camera with me when I visited Hamamatsu back in 2019!

[@RYANPARKPHOTOGRAPHY]

beautiful images! love to shoot fujifilm especially in the nature!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thanks! Fuji does a great job with nature colors!

[@acecreates]

another great video Steele. Im trying superia at thr moment. Im a big fan of ultramax 400!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thank you! For me, the Superia would be great for specific circumstances, but I'm definitely a fan of the colors that the Ultramax provides!

[@acecreates]

@@steelejohnsonphoto i agree!

[@henryrichardson3508]

Interesting video. I shot film until 2001/2002 and then switched to digital. In the late 1990s/early 2000s a 3-pack for Fuji Superia 400 would usually cost me about $4.50 (sometimes as low as $3.50, sometimes as high as $5.50). Same for Kodak Gold 400. Superia 100, Gold 100, Superia 200, and Gold 200 were a bit lower in price. I did not realize how expensive film had become these days.

[@MilledSteel]

So film has gone up around 600% since then 💀

[@steveverhoef5667]

Never write off the film when the back door opens. One of my favourite shots of all time happened in Montreal of my daughter. A one in thousand travel photo when the back film door opened mysteriously in the perfect spot for just several seconds.

[@TheKai1412]

Right off the bat the price points are interesting to me! In my city the same fujifilm is $20 in store for three rolls, but the same Kodak is $11/roll

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

It's so weird how these companies aren't keeping prices consistent!

[@emelyandtheuke]

kodak ultramax was actually once called kodak gold 400 :) that's why it's just as warm. Also, next time shoot it rated at 200! from my experiments over time, especially with an auto point and shoots, these film stocks loooove light and do better with contrast and saturation a bit over exposed.

[@emelyandtheuke]

alsssssso with price, its better to compare per shot haha superia is 36 x 3 versus ultramax being 24 x 3, so really it's only like $0.50-1.00 price difference per photo

[@alexanderpopov4691]

It seems that superia is discontinued by now. At least no new stock that I have seen since a year already. Personally I highly prefer Superia 400 over Ultramax, grain is finer, images look sharper and "cleaner". If exposed for ISO 200, then skin tones are beautiful.

[@malcolmkev]

I know this video has been up for a bit now! But I do own a couple Minolta film cameras, if it stops working in the lever stops advancing, don't forget to change out the batteries because some of the x-series doesn't work unless the batteries are good! So that camera may not be a goner!😊

[@TheRealJoyboy94]

Really great video! I've been watching more film content and I love that this video is on my search. I'm currently shooting on Super Xtra 400 and my next roll is Kodak Ultramax 400. I have a Minolta SRT 201. What do you recommend setting the camera ISO to? Just wanna know some creative tips as I'm familiar with photography but not all the quirks of film. Any help would be appreciated 🙏🏼

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thank you! I'll have to look up the Minolta SRT 201! In terms of ISO, I typically always set it to the box speed of the film (Ultramax 400 would be set to ISO 400, Portra 800 would be set to ISO 800, etc...). I've never experimented with pushing or pulling my film, but would love to try it in the future!

[@MichaelBrooksmsb400]

The newer films I am not familiar with, but my go-to Color Film was Kodak made 1980's into mid 1990's.

[@MrEsaleniuc]

IF you can find it, Kodak Pro Image 100 comes in a pack of 5 at most US photo stores for $35-$40. This is in line with Ultramax prices but much nicer tones in my opinion. A little grainy however for a 100iso film.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I'll have to try and find this! Could be a fun film stock to try on the channel, especially since I don't think I've ever shot a 100iso film before.

[@marcp.1752]

I always preferred the Fujifilm colors vs Kodak, in terms of 400 ISO speed standard films, means Fujifilm Superia 400 vs Kodak UltraMax 400. And into germany, UltraMax 400 is being more expensive at many locations. Remember: not too long ago, UltraMax 400 is a non-professional 35mm Film, there's always Ektar 100, and Portra 400 avialable, the latter one, if you like the pastel look. I shoot Pro Image 100, mostly...when it does come to Color 35mm Film.

[@markhopkinsphoto7257]

I can't believe where the film prices are these days in March of 2022. Last time I purchased film was over 3 years ago. TriX was going for about $5-6 a roll and color Fuji Superia could be found at Walmart for $3 a roll for 24 exp. BTW- what happened to your camera? It has an auto rewinder?

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

The prices are so crazy right now! And the camera has a major issue with light leaks and the shutter count dial doesn't work so I don't know how many frames I've got left! It is a manual rewind.

[@j3rmyp4rkr]

Where I'm at in Oklahoma, I can get 3 rolls x 36 exposures of Fuji Superia Xtra 400 at my Walmart for $19, so to me the choice is obvious lol

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Haha wow that's definitely an easy choice! $19 isn't too bad for 3 rolls these days!!

[@mikes978]

Can you do an updated video for film today? The latest I've seen is Fuji 400 (which I hear is a rebrand Kodak) at $25 for a 3 pack a few months ago in Walmart but I don't see them anymore. I almost want to quit film and just stick with digital since the cost of shooting film is so expensive now 😪😪

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I'm thinking of doing this video again for the year 2024! Prices have definitely changed in my area, so it'd be great to update this video!

[@g_pressley]

Just got a film camera testing it out with Kodak ultra max 400

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Amazing! I hope the test rolls look great!

[@kauanakarolina2032]

Hey there! So, recently I found out that my dad's old Canon sure shot 38-105mm camera is still working, and I'm totally noob at this stuff but also super into this film camera world. And I'm very excited about getting to know which type of film is better to shoot with the camera, and I got to your video that was a big help. To start taking pics, I bought the FujiFilm Xtra 400 and I'm not sure if it's the best option, but after your video I'm probably gonna try the Kodak one. What film would you recommend to use on a Canon Sure Shot 38-105mm?

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Hey Kauana, I’m glad my video was helpful! Fujifilm and Kodak are both great film options when starting out! They both provide subtly different looks, but both should work without problem in the camera!

[@tomjanowski8584]

Labor Day weekend 2022 I was looking for film....nothing available at Target, Walmart, BestBuy or Walgreens. RiteAid had one roll of Fuji 400 and it cost me $21.95.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

That's crazy! I hope you've been able to find cheaper film since then!

[@bschiavon]

The ruined shots are beautiful.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Thank you!

[@vitorb.macarthy348]

I wish these film stocks were so cheap in Brazil, here im stucked using cinema kodak vision 3 film stocks. Ultramax here costs R$140,00 (per roll) and fuji costs the same. Kodak vision 3 is around R$50,00 Just so you can have an ideia of how expansive these film stocks are, minimal wage here is around R$1300,00

[@riswanc]

Very interesting comparison and i actually found the same results with kodak towards the warmer side. I actually prefer kodak for all the reasons you mentioned but sometimes that natural looking fuji is appealing too But i got plenty stock of Kodak im oke with, in the end the price point would decide in according to my bank acc Fuji used to be cheaper though

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Yeah I always thought Fuji was cheaper, but I'm happy that the Kodak is cheaper at the moment! I love the tones from the Kodak!

[@abhishekjenralstore]

Brother, where do you get this rail?

[@PerformancePlaybook]

I’m also a big fuji film fan… Something about it just hits different for me

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Maybe I need to try out a more expensive Fujifilm roll and compare it with this cheaper one!

[@sandra.montecinos5075]

GRACIAS..🌻🙆‍♀️📸📷

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

No problem!

[@Tommy-mh3jd]

i love 35mm Film i never use digital

[@radshoesbro]

In March of 2022 there's almost no reason to shoot color film as a hobby until these prices drop considerably. Paying $30-50 for three rolls of Superia or $12 for a single roll of Ultramax 400 is, frankly, ludicrous. Unless you're doing your own color processing you also have to factor in the money for development so you're looking at somewhere around $30-35 per roll in total (if you're not scanning yourself). I've got one roll of Portra 800 and two of 400 that I plan on putting in my freezer and busting out for special occasions, but at this point if I'm gonna shoot color film I'm either going to have to get paid for it or I'll just do it very rarely.

[@mikethomas1073]

It's horrible. My local RiteAid pharmacy just recently got film back in stock. I know it's for the convenience of being able to just pick some up anytime but it's ridiculous. The Fuji 400 is $20 per roll! The 3-pack is $40! The 3-pack of 200 is $28, I just got one that had a $2 coupon attached because it expires next month. I've never liked Fuji (save Reala) and Kodak is even more expensive. It appears as though the film resurgence has pissed Kodak off, and they are trying to kill it again. I develop/scan at home and I'm still thinking about selling my film cameras before they tank in value again.

[@radshoesbro]

@@mikethomas1073 it’s like that on Amazon and even B&H. Luckily HP5 35mm is still kind of reasonable, but who knows for how long. I need to seriously buy about $150 of it next paycheck, cause I can see it doubling in price very soon.

[@robertp2934]

Kentmere 100 & 400 are very good for a B&W film stock. B&H has both for about $5.20 USD

[@mikethomas1073]

@@robertp2934 I've recently researched the B&W prices from B&H/Adorama. Easy developing with the monobath, probably cheaper with true B&W chemicals. Just a bigger fan of color but B&W is growing on me.

[@radshoesbro]

@@robertp2934 I can still justify the cost of B&W 35mm for sure. HP5 is still "affordable" at this point too. My original post was aimed at color negatives.

[@danielbarrios.]

film prices are so high right now!! fujifilm superia x-tra 400 at walmart is the cheapest i have found. it’s a 3-pack of 36 exposures each for $18.95. the cheapest kodak ultramax 400 i have found is $28 at walgreens for a 3-pack of 24 exposures each.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

A 3 pack of Fuji for that price is better than anything around me! It's crazy that only the 24 exposure version of Ultramax is almost $30. Hopefully the prices will drop a bit in the future!

[@danielbarrios.]

@@steelejohnsonphoto I ordered the ultramax from Moment and it's currently backordered and they get some new film each week on a first come first serve basis so I'm hoping I'll get it within the next 2 weeks. I'm thinking about buying Fujifilm from Walmart just in case. Hoping for the best

[@pavel915]

My Walmart’s around me ran out of fujifilm today. I had to buy the ultra max at Walgreens for 27.99. Idk when Walmart will have fujifilm back in for where I’m at ( Houston, Texas ) I checked a few Walmart’s are nothing :/ online it says it’s in high demand

[@Boswd]

There is really just something comforting about kodak film, you can't explain it, it's just a distinct look and feel that you fall in love with.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Yeah I just love the feel Kodak brings more than the Fuji film. It’s a very inviting film stock for the price!

[@chronicfish]

In my country, I can find Kodak Portra for 11 dollars per roll as opposed to 9 dollars for Kodak ultramax

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I'm very jealous of this!

[@ethangibbs5251]

Minolta gang 🙌

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

It's been a great camera for many years!

[@vasuca1tutoriales]

What I've usually seen in Puerto Rico is that the Kodak Ultramax sold in Walgreens is 24 exp per roll and the Fuji Superia is 36 exp per roll and since the price hike the 3 pack of Ultramax went up from 19.99 to 26.99 and the Fuji 3 pack is retailing for 28.99, so you might already know wich film stock I go for 😬

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

That's true I guess I forgot about the difference in shot count per roll!

[@crystalanokam]

Yoo! where in Puerto Rico do you buy film? Actually gonna be out there by tomorrow till January, waited last min to stock up so i don't have much film. hoping I can buy some film. out there. gonna be in Casa Sagrado and Carolina mostly.

[@vasuca1tutoriales]

@@crystalanokam Sup I'm sorry I got to you this late, I barely seed my notifications, I usually buy from Walmart if I'm no looking for anything special, they sell Superia 400, but if you're looking for variety the main 3 places to go are Boca de Lobo, Foto Pedal and Playero, I was in playero today and they are short on 35mm film. Do you happen to still be in Puerto Rico?

[@crystalanokam]

@@vasuca1tutoriales thanks for hitting be back, i was able to find both kodak and fuji at walgreens and CVS which was cool. sadly, no, i left on the 8th... but I will be back again.. stay tuned!

[@BuzzLiteBeer]

Not sure where you're getting these prices, but UltraMax is going for around 12 bucks a roll on a lot of platforms. Were you talking about 24 exposure rolls? Even those are at least 10.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Yeah I was using the 24 exposure rolls of Ultramax and I was basing the price off of the prices at my local Walgreens in Tennessee! It is probably different per store/location, but the price in this video was the price I bought it for.

[@baltimoremodeltrains]

for some reason walgreens sells kodak ultramax but does not sell fuji 35mm. My cvs sells lots of fuji but no kodak film

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Mine does the same. They probably have some deal with each company!

[@abhishekjenralstore]

भाई यह रील कहा पर मिलता है

[@vicktoriousng7948]

Fujifilm as a Japanese band definitely interact with Asian environments and skin tone better. Try to shoot a roll of Fuji again when you travel to Japan or China. You'll be surprised by how good it can look.

[@johnmehalick]

Kodak, What lab do you use?

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I use The Darkroom out in California!

[@qibcentricsplayground2043]

hold up hasn't Superia XTRA 400 shot up in prices recently?

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

It seems to have shot up in some stores, but people are saying they are still finding it at its original price in Walmart!

[@RobertNuttmann]

I always thought of Ultramax as similar to Ektar but a bit less color saturation and more grain. In general Kodak will tend more towards the warmer colors. Fuji likes the greens. But then the box for Fuji film is green and kodak orange, red, yellow. As a general comment I would go towards 100-200 speed film for daytime landscape and not 400. The slower films are finer grain and put out finer details. Way back when the best landscape films were Kodachrome and that was sold in 25 or 64 speed. These days Fuji Velvia 50 is the slowest speed color film generally available and has very fine details.

[@anthonymiller8979]

I agree. Been shooting film for 45 years and if we wanted warm tones or shooting red subjects it was always Kodak film. if doing landscapes of any shots on those great deep blue sky days we used Fuji.

[@incrustwetrust69]

The Fuji is 18.00 for 3 rolls at my Walmart

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Jealous of that price! It is now listed at over $30 for 3 rolls at my local store!

[@incrustwetrust69]

@@steelejohnsonphoto well it’s 38 dollars for the same 3 rolls at my local pharmacy, try Walmart

[@v_stands_for_value124]

Fujifilm UltraMax 400 Recipe💁🏻‍♂️

[@tboyd175]

Fuji Superia 400 is great, I've always preferred Fuji over Kodak

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Fair! Every eye has its own preferences. That's the beauty of seeing so many people's photography!

[@johannesmaierhofer6862]

Hi, how did you scan your pictures, anything budget or high end? I really like the style of your pictures.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I get them scanned by the lab that develops the images!

[@vedranr.glavina7667]

Kodak Ultramax

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

The Ultramax is a great film stock!

[@CoroaEntertainment]

2:22 Just say no to vertical videos. 😉

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Haha normally I agree, but I filmed this clip for my IG Story and didn't get a horizontal version of the same clip!

[@Jcpineda26]

I like fuji, walmart has 3 rolls for 19 usd

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

I need to find some of these rolls and stock up!

[@robertp2934]

Same price here just outside NYC

[@jmackultra]

Is your name actually Steele!?

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Yep!

[@jmackultra]

@@steelejohnsonphoto that's bad ass

[@eduardogarcia9793]

I wish they still cost this.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Same. Looks like I'll need to update this video for 2023 :(

[@justmejojo2717]

kodak ultramax is almost 60$ on amazon rn :(. love the vid tho, very helpful

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

that's so expensive! If you live near a Walgreens go and check their photo section because I'm still able to find it for $21-$22!

[@MiracleMadkins]

Try and find a local photo lab near you, they most likely have everything you need at a reasonable prices.

[@justmejojo2717]

@@MiracleMadkins yeah I recently found a super awesome film shop that sells super cheap film and develops and scans in only an hour!

[@MiracleMadkins]

@@justmejojo2717 that’s great!

[@SuperZombiekiller77]

Boy in 2020 film was dirt cheap compared to now

And now is expensive. :( Just like the Gold.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

It’s so crazy just how fast the prices are rising 😔

[@abcdefc1645]

Paid £30 for two rolls of 120 portra 400 the other day, nearly had a heart attack 🤣 paid £24 for 2 rolls of Kodak Tmax 🤣 getting ridiculous nowerdays!

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

that's crazy! haha I can't imagine paying more than $10 for a roll of B&W film!

[@jackmurphy9527]

Plot twist: they’re both Kodak.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

😂

[@Ferntheyhuman]

My bro in the wrong kind of film industry with a name like that

[@MaxFromSydney1]

Juvenile comment, but funny anyway. :D

[@benmacias2728]

If anyone sees this comment, Walmart has the Fuji film from this video for $18.99 (3 rolls)

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Okay I'm going to Walmart today to try and find this! Thanks for the tip!

[@finnalandem]

They're both the same film, just different chemical makeups. Kodak makes Fujifilms film.

[@steelejohnsonphoto]

Good to know!