Kodak’s Portra range of film has enjoyed a serious fan following, especially over the last few years since analog photography became more popular. The mainstay of fashion and portrait photographers (portra literally is a condensed word derived from ‘portrait’), this film emulsion is known for its pastel hues, near-perfect skin tones and remarkable latitude when overexposed.

Film rolls take up a whole fridge shelf

Among other film, I have a dozen rolls of Portra in 35mm and 120mm formats stocked in my fridge since 4-5 years. So when I was planning a trip to Thailand in December 2023, I took 2 rolls or just-expired Portra and 1 roll of Ilford HP5 along with my DSLR and other lenses. This was a personal holiday so shooting the perfect frame was not a priority. I wanted to see how Portra performs when used in the Zeiss Ikonta 6x9 camera, one of the best vintage analog cameras I own.

Zeiss Ikonta 524/2 with bellows extended in portrait mode

Another large reason why I took the film (and other film lying unprocessed since years) is because Bangkok has a robust analog photography community, darkrooms and labs. So, it felt great to experience quick film developing and delivery within 24 hours - just like early 2000s when as a young photographer I used to turn up at Mazda Studio in Byculla, Bombay with a bunch of Kodak E100VS and Fuji Velvia films for mainly the E-6 process which Mazda was renowned for.

THE ZEISS IKONTA 524/2 CAMERA

Zeiss Ikonta 524/2 model at home

Zeiss made different models of the Ikon and Ikonta series cameras, starting from the 1930s. My camera model is the Zeiss Ikonta 524/2, a mechanical wonder built in the 1950s and bought from a flea market in Camden, London for 100 quid.

Few things I like about this vintage camera:

Uncoupled rangefinder but still effective to nail exact focussing distance, combined with set aperture
Relatively small size when folded - can be kept in my denim pocket with no issues
Large 6x9 negatives at 8 frames per 120mm film roll
Great mechanical Prontor shutter and 105mm Novar lens
Perfect to slow down and shoot wide landscapes or even posed environmental portraits
Robust build quality and vintage mechanical precision

I mostly shot B&W film on the Ikonta all these years, as I live in the Himalayas and can hand-process B&W film at home. Colour (C-41) and slide films (E6) have to be sent 2600km away to my preferred film lab in Bombay, so results can take a rather long time.

The Ikonta folds into a flat case for easy carrying

RESULTS ON PORTRA 160 ISO

On a balmy afternoon in Krabi, I loaded Portra 160 on the Zeiss Ikonta and took off to shoot the town, its sights and its people. Here are the results with bits of commentary in the captions.

Pool at hotel

Infinity pool - missed a great candid travel shot because I accidentally exposed over the previous frame. Purely user error!

Aonang Beach, Krabi - previous frame extends to this frame too!

Chilling at Aonang Beach

Evening at Aonang Beach

Sunset and ferries, Aonang

Selfie under a tree, Aonang Beach

The process of shooting on a Zeiss Ikonta is methodical. First, I meter the light using my DSLR. Then I transfer the same settings on to the Ikonta. Next, you have to use the uncoupled rangefinder to gauge focussing distance. The lens is then set to approximately the same distance. The frame is finalised in the viewfinder and the photo is taken. You keep winding the film till the next frame number shows up on the red window at the camera’s back.

Although the Zeiss Ikonta prevents double-exposures, the film needs to wind till the next frame number appears. Otherwise, there will be overlap (and accidental multi-exposures) in each frame. After having used various vintage cameras where you twist the film advancing mechanism once and it always pushes the next blank frame forward, shooting on a Zeiss Ikonta slows you down. Immensely.

You must ensure the next frame number is properly displayed at the back, and it requires many turns of the film advance knob. See the second photo on the top here. I missed a great shot (in my eyes) of a tourist couple at the edge of the infinity pool and the landscape. Damn! This is a camera that often cannot be used in tight, journalistic situations.

RESULTS ON PORTRA 400 ISO

I was saving the 400 ISO Portra for some evening/night shots but Bangkok is so vibrant at night, I barely managed to get the Ikonta out. Instead, the 5d Mark IV was my trusted (and way faster) ally for shooting street and daily life scenes.

These Portra images were shot at the Royal Palace and Lumphini Park in Bangkok. I have over-exposed this roll by one stop ISO to observe latitude. So far the results are great and the frames have a lovely texture and “feel” to them. I most likely used a high aperture for high depth of field, but even then the sharpness of subjects in focus has a nice fall-off. Portra 400 worked really well in this bright- daylight situation and I think I may stock up more 400 ISO rolls in the future.

RESULTS ON ILFORD HP5 PLUS

The HP5 was a fresh, unexpired roll. I had loaded it up in Krabi earlier, where I shot 4 frames. The remaining 4 frames were shot in Bangkok.

Railay Beach, Krabi

Cliffs at Railay Beach, Krabi

Cliffs at Railay Beach, Krabi

Portrait, Krabi

Bangkok skyline and Chao Phaya, Bangrak

Bangkok skyline and Chao Phaya, Bangrak

Shrines at Royal Palace, Bangkok

Visitors sweating at the Royal Palace, Bangkok

The photo of visitors sweating in the Royal Palace courtyard is one of my personal favourites as it reminds me of how humid (and hot) the rest of the world is when compared to my home in the Himalayas, where wearing a jacket is mandatory 350 days of the year. 😁 It was also the last frame on the roll that was timed to capture the subject’s action at its peak. Achieving this sort of random moments on the Zeiss Ikonta is a big thrill.

TAKEAWAY AND THOUGHTS

Shooting on film, on a vintage camera introduces so many parameters - both in the act of shooting and final processing - that need to be taken into account for a realistic breakdown of how things turned out. Apart from user error, the Zeiss Ikonta performs slowly but flawlessly. Portra is a wonderful film, capable of reproducing realistic depictions in tone and hue. I am liking the 400 ISO variant more than the 160. Since both Portra rolls were expired (by 1-2 years), it may have affected the final pictures but there is nothing unusable here. Films were processed at box speed with no push/pull. While metering, I overexposed by one stop to test results.

Zeiss Ikonta 524/2 has two viewfinders

The lab where you get your film processed plays a far bigger role in how your pictures will end up appearing. Among Bangkok’s many prolific labs, I chose Sweet Film Bar to develop and scan these rolls as they were reviewed favourably and also offered delightful service and super-efficient quick delivery. The lab was also within walking distance from my hotel so much time, energy and money was saved getting there. After dropping the film, I received the negatives and scans within 12-14 hours!

What made the trip to Thailand even more special for me was the popularity of analog photography and related resources. In India, nobody processes E6 anymore. In Bangkok, I found multiple labs offering this process with fast turnaround times.

Bangkok (and Thailand in general) is such a fantastic place for photography. The people, landscape, vibe and style of the country is conducive to creative ideas. Met so many wonderfully polite young people who were designers (graphic/web/apparel etc) with a unique visual language and style that I can’t wait to return to the country.

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Portra film on Zeiss Ikonta rangefinder camera - with samples