
Written by Drew Evans
I’m ready to come clean and admit it: Fuji Pro 400H is my favorite color negative film stock.
These days, it’s much harder to come by after Fuji discontinued it in early 2021. If you were lucky, you grabbed some before production stopped and prices jumped. If not, you’re like me — you’ve been keeping an eye on online retailers in case old stock pops up.

Some Background on Fuji Pro 400H
As a color negative film stock, Fuji Pro 400H sits in a strange position. It’s professional Fuji film, so it’s higher quality than something like Fuji C200 or Superia 400. But it’s direct competitor is Kodak Portra 400, which just so happens to be the most popular color film out there.
Introduced in 2004 alongside 160 and 800 speed siblings (that have since died out too), Fuji Pro 400H was a professional film targeted heavily towards lifestyle and wedding photographers.
It’s got the same characteristics that other professional films have — wide exposure latitude, fine grain, and true-to-life color. Fuji talks about its proprietary “fourth color layer” that added cyan into the mix.
It’s a very sharp film that works in pretty much every lighting scenario, too. While its contrast might be a little lower at box speed, it adds a bit of punch when pushed.



It’s Unique Color Palette
But I don’t think it’s possible to talk more about Fuji Pro 400H without talking about color.
It’s usually the first question I get when I pull out a new roll. More and more photographers have started to prefer that golden look. Fuji films are anything but. They’ve almost become under-appreciated over the years, and it seems to be because of their color reproduction. Unlike Kodak Portra, Pro 400H tints cool — its greens shift towards magenta.
So why do I love it so much?
Well, partly because of those colors. I like warmth, but cool tones are just as important, especially when shooting colder, “moody” scenes (as my mom would call them). Because despite what Instagram might make you believe, not every day has a beautiful sunset.
Even when color-corrected for more neutral tones, Pro 400H isn’t overwhelmingly saturated and contrasty, but it provides tons of depth and character.
When pushed a stop or two, that’s when I find it performs best. It’s light and airy, and not too punchy. That’s why it was marketed to wedding, fashion, and lifestyle photographers.



Related: How to Shoot Fuji Pro 400H
Fuji Pro 400H in the Wild
The first time I took Fuji Pro 400H out in the wild, I didn’t really have a clue what to expect. I was gifted a roll of 120 while out on a shoot. I was out with a group, and someone needed Portra 400 (surprise, surprise). They had a roll of Pro 400H that they weren’t planning on using, so I figured I’d try it out.
Little did I know how coveted this film is now by its fans.
I loaded it up in my Leica M6 on a slightly overcast day and started shooting. I saw professional 400 speed film, so I figured it would probably shoot similarly to Portra 400.
What I got back was a mixed bag. But the roll produced some of the nicest neutral tones I’ve ever made.
This first shot of the basketball hoop above a garage is a good example. At first glance, you’ll notice the slight magenta tones in the shadows and the blueshift in the green tones. I fell in love with the colors.

The next shot was at the end of this first roll, and it might just be one of my favorite shots I’ve ever taken.
It was shot after sunset, so you’ll notice a bit more grain than normal. But it’s sharp and contrasty, and the colors are beautiful.

You still see rich greens and yellows, lush reds, and an almost pastel lavender color in the ocean. While it tints magenta, it’s a more unique and interesting look at a sunset scene. Other shots from this same location on Portra 800 produced some amazing golden tones. But this roll of Pro 400H was different.
And maybe that’s why I love it so much.



Why I’ll Keep Buying Pro 400H (When I Can)
When Fuji Pro 400H is brought up in conversation, I think a lot of people in the community expect you to take sides. Either choose Pro 400H or Portra. Fuji or Kodak. They’re similar yet different.
If they both were still in peak production and widely available everywhere, I’d probably pick Pro 400H (then add Portra 800 to my bag). I love its subtle contrast, green, and magenta hues, and nice balance of grain and sharpness.
It’s a super versatile film that shines in most shooting scenarios I find myself in. And in the lineup of color negative film stocks that are so widely used these days, something like Pro 400H offers something just different enough.
But like pretty much every film stock Fuji ever made, it’s been retired for good. This review is almost four years late on that front. But I still celebrate what was 400H, and hope that I’ll be able to keep finding stock saved up in people’s long-forgotten film freezers and on eBay before it goes extinct forever.
Until then, I’ll hold onto my love of Fuji Pro 400H.




Thank you so much, Drew! Drew is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out his other articles here, such as Should You Edit Your Film Scans? 3 Thoughts on Getting the Best Out of Your Images and How to Get Better Images with Point and Shoot Film Cameras.
You can also check out more of Drew’s work on his Instagram.
Leave your questions about Fuji Pro 400H below in the comments, and you can pick some up for yourself on eBay!

Blog Comments
Curtis Heikkinen
June 7, 2024 at 10:42 am
Fantastic article! Your images are simply superb, some of the best film images I have seen. They really make a powerful argument for this film stock. Great work, Drew!
Nathan
June 7, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Lovely photos! I’d thank you, but now I’m itching to hunt some down myself haha