Kodak Ektapan PRO 400 — 10.2×12.7 cm (4×5") black and white sheet film, 50 sheets, ISO 400

Kodak Ektapan PRO 400 is a black and white sheet film in 10.2×12.7 cm (4×5 inch), 50 sheets to the box, ISO 400. Ektapan PRO is the new name under which Kodak sells its professional T-Max line; the emulsion is unchanged, only the box has been reprinted.

How the picture looks

Underneath is Kodak's patented T-grain: flat silver crystals that give maximum sharpness and resolution for minimum graininess. In the ISO 400 class this film sets the benchmark on all three counts at once. The maker separately highlights its outstanding exposure latitude — it holds both under- and overexposure confidently, which in large format, where a frame is expensive, is worth more than any resolution figure.

What to shoot on it

Large-format portraiture, reportage and product work, interiors, low light — any subject that needs speed and maximum detail together. Add anything headed for a scanner: excellent scanning is a property Kodak calls out by name.

How to shoot it

Meter at the nominal ISO 400. The latitude means you need not agonise over precision, and it can be rated higher with matching development when required. Sheet film is loaded into holders (double-sided, two sheets each) in complete darkness — you need a darkroom or a roomy changing bag. One sheet is one frame, and that changes how you shoot: exposure is worked out in advance, composition is built on the ground glass, and every frame costs time. The box holds 50 sheets — roughly €8.98 a frame.

Processing and scanning

Standard black and white developers; the classic partners for T-grain are Kodak Xtol and D-76. Take times from Kodak's datasheet for T-Max 400 or Ektapan PRO 400 — the same film, so the old tables still apply. A rotary processor gives the most even results with sheets.

How it compares

Ilford HP5+ in the same format costs less and is softer and more "filmic", but gives up noticeable sharpness and fineness of grain. Kodak Tri-X 320 is the classic with a different character. People buy Ektapan PRO 400 when they want the technical maximum at ISO 400 and are willing to pay for it.