Ektacolor Pro vs Portra: Kodak's new film names explained

Ektacolor Pro vs Portra is the film question of 2026, and the short answer is: same film, new name. On 24 March 2026, Eastman Kodak put six professional films on shelves under revived names. Portra became Ektacolor Pro, and T-Max became Ektapan.

If you've seen both boxes in a shop and wondered which one to buy, here's what changed, what didn't, and why Kodak did it.

Kodak's new film names at a glance

Six films changed names. The speeds line up exactly:

Old name	New name	Type	Formats (new name)
Portra 160	Ektacolor Pro 160	Colour negative	35mm, 120
Portra 400	Ektacolor Pro 400	Colour negative	35mm, 120, 4x5 and 8x10 sheets
Portra 800	Ektacolor Pro 800	Colour negative	35mm, 120
T-Max 100	Ektapan 100	Black and white	35mm, 120
T-Max 400	Ektapan 400	Black and white	35mm, 120
T-Max P3200	Ektapan P3200	Black and white	35mm only

The other big names are unchanged. Kodak's own product list still shows Ektar 100, Gold 200, Ultramax 400, Tri-X 320 and 400, and Ektachrome E100 under their familiar names, alongside Kodacolor 100 and 200.

Is Ektacolor Pro the same as Portra?

Every source we checked says yes. Digital Camera World, PhotoWorkout and Fuji X Weekly all report that the emulsions are unchanged, and that what's new is the box and who ships it.

The paperwork backs that up, with one caveat. Kodak's page calls Ektacolor Pro 400 the world's sharpest and finest-grain 400-speed colour negative film, with exceptional skin tones and colour saturation from bright daylight to low light. That closely matches how Kodak Alaris's January 2025 datasheet describes Portra 400: the world's finest-grain high-speed colour negative film, with spectacular skin tones and exceptional saturation across a wide range of lighting. The speeds match, and so do the formats.

The caveat: the Kodak product pages we read don't mention Portra or T-Max by name. The "same emulsion" claim comes from coverage of the launch, not from a Kodak statement on those pages, and none of that coverage reported any difference in results.

So if you have a favourite way to expose and develop Portra 400, it should carry straight over. Same C-41 development, same box speed, same habits. The same goes for Ektapan and your usual T-Max developer.

Why Kodak renamed Portra and T-Max

It comes down to two Kodaks. After Eastman Kodak's 2012 bankruptcy, a separate company, Kodak Alaris, took over much of the film business from 2013: distribution, sales and branding. Eastman Kodak kept manufacturing, in Rochester. For over a decade, one Kodak made the film and another Kodak sold it.

According to PhotoWorkout, Eastman Kodak started bringing film distribution back in-house in September 2025, and the March 2026 launch completed that move for its professional films. The catch, as Fuji X Weekly explains it, is that making a film doesn't guarantee you can print its famous name on the box. Some Kodak trademarks are tied up in past agreements, so Eastman Kodak chose new names over buying the old ones back.

The new names aren't new at all:

• Ektacolor has been used by Kodak before, on professional colour material and colour paper. A lab quoted by Digital Camera World notes it was the name of Kodak's pro colour line before Portra existed.
• Ektapan was a Kodak black-and-white film, discontinued years ago, and now revived for the T-Max emulsions.
• Renaming is a Kodak habit. Fuji X Weekly points out that Kodacolor VR-G later became Gold, and Ultramax was once sold as Max Versatility.

Can you still buy Portra and T-Max?

Yes, for now. Kodak Alaris's site still features Portra, and Digital Camera World reported that Portra and T-Max boxes looked set to stay on sale alongside the new ones. Expect to see both names on shelves for a while.

At launch, PhotoWorkout reported prices starting at $10.99 a roll for Ektapan and $16.99 a roll for Ektacolor Pro, and suggested the direct-from-Kodak boxes could undercut Portra. Prices move, so check before you buy. For context on how film prices have shifted this year, our guide to film camera apps on Android cites Analog.Cafe's Q3 2026 price report.

A simple buying checklist:

1. Pick by speed, not by name. Ektacolor Pro 400 and Portra 400 are the same stock by every account.
2. Check the expiry date. Fresher film beats the right logo.
3. Compare the per-roll price. If one box is cheaper, that's your answer.
4. Write the box name in your notes. Labs, scanning presets and your future self will thank you.

What it means for your photos

Nothing, and that's the point. A film's look comes from its emulsion and how you expose and develop it, not from the name on the canister. If you love how Portra renders skin, Ektacolor Pro should render it the same way. We unpack what that rendering actually is, from highlight roll-off to stock colour, in what makes a photo look like film.

The one place names matter is search. Recipes, presets and scanning profiles that say "Portra" now describe a film sold as Ektacolor Pro. If you're hunting for examples or settings, search both names.

Where trycheese fits

We think about this a lot, because a film look on a phone is also a look, not a label. trycheese's film looks are our own, hand-tuned around how film actually behaves: grain, filmic tone and halation around bright lights. They aren't stand-ins for a box of Portra, and real film photography is still its own joy.

trycheese is coming to iPhone and Android, free at launch. It isn't out yet. In the meantime, if you've got a roll of either name in the fridge, go shoot it.