Aurora 800 Film Review & Comparison with Lomography 800 by Katya Rowny

Written by Katya Rowny

Being a film shooter living in the Pacific Northwest, I usually don’t shoot much film during the winter months. Unfortunately, that could mean most of the months of the year, since sunlight seems so rare here.

Hence why I jumped on the chance to try a new high speed 800 film by Flic Film. Based in Alberta, Flic Film wears many different hats as a multifaceted entity, specializing in the production of 35mm film, crafting photo chemicals, and distributing accessories for film photography. Dave from Flic Film sent me a roll of Aurora 800 to try out.

Find Aurora 800 film at B&H Photo.

Different 800 Speed Film Options

Let’s delve into the current options available for 800-speed film, bearing in mind that prices may vary.

Firstly, there’s Kodak Portra 800, a professional-grade film known for its fine grain and wide latitude. Portra 800 stands out as a high-speed color negative film specifically engineered for challenging lighting situations.

With an ISO of 800/30°, it excels in difficult conditions, offering remarkable light sensitivity latitude that allows for pushing to ISO 1600 while preserving quality and intricate details in both highlights and shadows.

This film boasts vivid color saturation and a balanced contrast, resulting in flattering skin tones and precise color accuracy. It typically averages around $19-21 per roll.

Next up is Lomography 800, a high-speed daylight-balanced option that delivers vivid and saturated colors across diverse lighting situations. It excels in low-light environments and captures moving subjects with ease.

From overcast days to nighttime scenes, this film is versatile, providing greater flexibility in exposure settings for photographers. Despite its consumer status, it often comes with a higher price tag compared to Portra 800 at around $20/roll.

Moving onto CineStill 800T. This film is a tungsten (3200K) balanced film crafted from modified Kodak Vision 3 5219 motion picture film. Thanks to the RemJet removal process it undergoes before spooling, it can be easily developed using standard C-41 processing.

Overall, Cinestill 800T is prized by photographers for its ability to capture cinematic moments with a nostalgic and atmospheric quality, making it a popular choice for both amateur and professional photographers alike. A roll of this film will cost around $17.

Another option is Kodak Max 800, primarily found in disposable cameras, believed to be the 800-speed version of Kodak Ultramax.

Lastly, we have Film Flic’s Aurora 800, joining the ranks of these distinguished film stocks. While there are rumors of who and what the manufacturer of this film is, there is no conclusive answer. Speculations range from the Kodak 800 film used exclusively in the single use cameras to bulk loaded Portra 800 that Flic Film is respooling and labeling as their own Aurora 800 film. Regardless, on the lower end of the price range at $16 for a 36 exposure roll, I am not complaining!

An Overview of Aurora 800

Guided by a dual commitment to meeting customer desires and environmental stewardship, Film Flic’s products are consciously crafted and packaged to minimize their ecological footprint.

The Aurora 800 is a remarkable new addition to the film photography world. This high-speed, daylight balanced film has fine grain and fantastic results.

I was impressed with its ability to handle low-light shooting. It excels at preserving precise color accuracy while offering the flexibility to be pushed to ASA 1600 without compromising on the exquisite details in both shadows and highlights.

This film is described as a true C-41 film, not a repurposed cinema film. It comes in reusable plastic, non-dx coded cartridges. This means you will need to manually select your ISO on your camera.

The photos below were shot on my Olympus XA2 at 800 ISO in the ever changing weather conditions of the PNW. I was impressed by the way it captured the details in the images without blowing out the highlights and and beyond pleased with the results!

Specifications:

• 35mm
• 36 exposures
• Color Negative
• 800 ISO
• Daylight balanced
• C-41 processing

Comparing Lomography 800 and Aurora 800

I ended up shooting Lomography 800 and Aurora 800 in both of the Olympus XA2’s for a comparison. Both of these films were developed and scanned by The Find Lab on a Frontier Scanner.

For someone who has not shot a lot of 800 speed film in their time, I’ve fallen in love with Aurora 800. I love the warmer hues and how the white balance renders true to life indoors and in the outdoor environments.

Lomo seems to render the images a bit on the cooler side with sharper contrast in the darker environments.

While I don’t find this review to be conclusive, hopefully it will give you an idea of what Aurora 800 is all about. With a different scanning set up, I believe that Aurora can be tweaked and edited in whatever manner you find pleasing.

I would like to thank Dave from Flic Film for sending me a roll of this film to try. I am so appreciative of what he and his team are doing for the film community and helping to revive this “dying” art.

I can’t wait to shoot another roll of Aurora 800 and highly recommend that you do too!

Thank you so much, Katya! Katya is a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, such as the Yashica-D TLR Film Camera Review and Learn to Shoot Film: 5 Tips to Get You Started.

You can also find more of Katya’s work on her website and Instagram.

Leave your questions about Aurora 800 35mm film below in the comments, and you can pick up some for yourself at B&H Photo.

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Katya Rowny

Katya Rowny is a travel photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here, such as Olympus XA2 Point & Shoot Film Camera Review and Elektra 100 Film Review.

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