Fujifilm Superia 400 Review
What is Fujifilm Superia 400?
Fujifilm Superia 400 is a 400 ISO speed color negative film. It has been around ever since I started shooting the film in the early 2000s and was my favorite color negative film. Sadly, rumors say that whatever is currently available of the film is the last of the remaining stock. I really hope this isn't so because it's been such a great ride. My recommendations below come from shooting nearly 800 images with Superia 400.
What are Superia 400's strengths?
I love the way Superia 400 renders reds and greens. The film treats both green and red in an ideal way for me. Reds come out a bit oversaturated and deep. Greens can range between bright and fantastic to more subdued and dark. Scenes with both of these color pop off the page as well.
Secondly, the film is very versatile. A 400-speed color film gives me a lot of flexibility. I've used Superia 400 to shoot indoors with limited light, on the brightest of days and many other scenarios. It never seems to lose its character and profile even in these varied conditions. It can also be pushed fairly high without any loss of contrast. I couldn't find many overblown images when reviewing years' worth of rolls.
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| Taken in Miami. Reds are amazing with Superia 400. |
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| The range of values of greens is another strength for Superia 400. |
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| Images are relatively accurate never leaning too hard in any direction. |
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| Not much post-correction here, I love this punch. |
What are Superia 400's weaknesses?
Not many. I don't really care for the way that it handles cooler scenes. Scenes dominated by blues or greys lack the vitality you get from warmer images with Superia 400. Another main weakness is the upcoming availability of the film. Currently, it's my go-to drug store film and can easily be found at CVS and Walmart. I'm not sure how much longer that lasts and am wary of purchasing the film in smaller 24 exposure rolls.
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| A lot of blues here, a little blah. |
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| Subtle blue shifts get lost with Superia 400. |
Final Recommendations
You should shoot a roll of Superia 400. Up till now, it has been such a ubiquitous film around the world. It's the perfect film for a summer outing where you may not know where you'll end up. The rendering for Superia 400 is my baseline for what a color film should look like and my preference for color and saturation. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.
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