Tesco Colour 400

The Tesco Colour 400 is a color negative film for photographs. The British supermarket chain Tesco sold the film under its own brand name “Tesco” in the 1990s. However, the film stock itself was manufactured by another company.

The Tesco Colour 400 allows for the capture of color images. The photographs achieved with this film are traditional color shots that realistically reproduce the captured moment. The film is perfect for vacation pictures, wedding and party photos, and family shots.

The specified light sensitivity of the film is ISO 400, and the ISO value provides information about the light sensitivity of the film stock. An ISO 400 value provides good flexibility for everyday shooting.

Exposure of Expired Film Stock

Older film stock, especially that which has been stored in adverse conditions, may produce underexposed images as light sensitivity decreases. It is possible that the photos will be underexposed if the specified ISO value is used. Therefore, it is advisable to select a lower ISO value on the camera.

Other aspects that may affect image quality include increased graininess of the film, reduced contrast, or color changes. Appropriate storage of unexposed film material can ensure the subsequent quality of the images.

Film Processing

To convert the exposed films into images, the C-41 development process is required. This process is offered by most photo labs. The development process follows a standardized procedure at all photo labs. Large drugstore chains in Germany provide a film development service. The results of the development are film strips with the captured images.

Subsequently, photo prints can be produced or the images can be scanned for digital purposes. During image development, many labs offer additional options for creating prints in a variety of sizes.

Digitization

An alternative route is digitization using a scanner. Digitization of negatives can be done by many photo labs. It is also possible to buy a scanner for private use. After digitizing the images, they can either be digitally processed or used in printed form.

Availability and alternatives

The Tesco Colour 400 was designed for 35mm cameras. There are several manufacturers like Lomography, Canon, Olympus or Agfa that produce cameras for 35mm format.

Nowadays, the film is no longer available at Tesco. However, there are still 35mm films that can be used for color photography. One such film is the Kodak Ultramax 400*.