Kodak Portra 160NC 120 format - Expired 08/2007

Load your medium format camera with one of the most revered professional portrait films ever engineered. This is Kodak Professional Portra 160NC (Natural Colour) in 120 format, expired in August 2007.

Before Kodak consolidated the lineup into the modern unified Portra formula, the "NC" variant was the undisputed gold standard for high-end wedding, fashion, and commercial portrait photographers who demanded ultra-flat contrast and mathematically precise skin tones. Having matured in the dark for nearly two decades, this low-speed studio treasure offers a beautifully delicate, nostalgic aesthetic for fine-art film shooters.

The Highlights

• The Legendary "NC" Colour Science: Unlike the punchy, saturated consumer films of the era, 160NC was chemically tuned for Natural Colour. It intentionally delivers low contrast, soft colour saturation, and exceptionally smooth tonal transitions. This restrained palette allows the film to age with immense grace, avoiding the harsh or muddy colour blocks common in expired consumer stocks.

• Flawless Studio Skin Tones: The primary reason photographers fell in love with 160NC was its uncanny ability to render skin tones with a soft, glowing, and incredibly forgiving creaminess. After nearly 20 years of aging, that smooth characteristic translates into a gorgeously subtle, pastel-washed portrait profile.

• Resilient Low-Speed Base: Because this film started with a slow, ultra-refined ISO 160 baseline and professional-grade T-Grain technology, it has resisted age-related background radiation far better than high-speed 400 or 800 stocks. It retains impressive structural sharpness and a controlled, elegant grain pattern.

• Sweeping Medium Format Latitude: Spread across a large 120 negative, the compressed dynamic contrast from two decades of aging pairs perfectly with medium format’s shallow depth of field. Expect soft, airy highlights and incredibly clean, descriptive shadow details that digital presets simply cannot replicate.

Quick Specs

• Format: 120 Medium Format

• Type: Professional Colour Negative (Standard C-41 Process)

• Original Speed: ISO 160

• Expiration Date: August 2007 (08/2007)

• Best For: Fine-art portraiture, soft fashion editorials, nostalgic lifestyle shoots, and minimalist daylight landscapes.