Kodak Ektachrome Panther 400X

The Kodak Ektachrome Panther 400X is a slide film. It belongs to the Kodak Ektachrome series and was aimed at professional users. It was offered in the 1990s. The manufacturing information is labelled “Made in EC”. Today you can no longer buy the film.

The Kodak Professional Ektachrome Panther 400X is for creating colour slides. The sensitivity setting on the camera must be set to ISO 400 for this film. It was characterised by good sharpness and good pushability. In terms of colour saturation, it was in the middle segment. In terms of colour reproduction, it was in the neutral range. The highlights tend towards a yellowish colour tone. There is a bluish colouration in the shadows.

Applications

The Kodak Ektachrome Panther 400X is particularly suitable for situations that require high film speed, such as in low light conditions or when shooting fast movements. Its colour saturation and sharpness make it ideal for landscape, portrait and street photography.

Use of expired films

Films found today are often past their expiry date. Nevertheless, it is still possible to use expired film. Over time and depending on storage, the sensitivity of such films can decrease. It is advisable to use a lower ISO value than specified to avoid underexposure. The quality of the photos taken depends heavily on the correct storage of the unexposed film. Ideal conditions are cool and dry to avoid moisture and sunlight. Once the film has been exposed, it should be developed quickly to preserve the quality.

Film development

Exposed films must be developed using the E6 process. This standardised process is specially designed for slide films. The developed film strips can then be inserted into small slide mounts if required.

Availability and compatibility

This film was available for both 35mm and medium format cameras. One roll of film could hold up to 36 exposures for 35mm format or 12 6×6 exposures for medium format. The films (35mm) had a DX code, which enabled modern cameras to set the film speed automatically. Various manufacturers such as Minolta, Agfa and Lomography offered suitable cameras for 35mm film. Medium format cameras, required for this film, were available in various models from brands such as Pentacon, Hasselblad or Agfa.