Portra 160 in Canon AT-1 (Summer 2025)
Old camera, new film stock.
My black and white test roll was a success so it was time to feed the AT-1 some color film. I popped in another one of my Portra 160s and explored the 800 sq ft radius around my home in search of subjects.
A roll of Portra 160 didn’t last long in my Canon AT-1.
Camera: Canon AT-1
Film: Kodak Portra 160 - amazon.com
How’d it go?
Sample photos: Canon AT-1 with Portra 160
All sample pics are unedited. Shortcomings in composition are my own ;)
The word “delicate” came to mind when I saw this first scan. The greys and pinks of her dress are soft and her skin tones are warm. The bright spots are white without being blown out.
This one was shot in more direct daylight, and I was having fun with the focus.
This was my first (and only) time shooting fireworks on film. The Canon AT-1 was on a tripod, but I couldn’t find my shutter release cable in time for the show so I winged it by holding really still while pressing the shutter button for a good 3-4 seconds. (I have since found my shutter release cable! I enjoyed the challenge of shooting in the dark and will revisit it soon.)
Next up: an airplane. Next time I come across a wishing well, I will wish for a telephoto lens compatible with my Canon AT-1. What I love about this shot is the warmth of it, despite it being just sky and metal. I like how the underbelly of the plane is shadowed in a sorta-tan, sorta-pink hue. I would love to revisit airplane photography with this film stock; the sky is gorgeous in it.
The sunlight peeking through the trees is captured in golden bursts between the leaves, and the motion blur is evident but gives an energy to the scene. I was surprised this one turned out as clear as it did; it was definitely dusk when I shot it.
Another dusk shot with some overly soft focus. I’d like to revisit these lighting conditions in 2026 and see if I can’t improve a bit on the overall sharpness (and perhaps I will pick a slower-moving target).
Thoughts on the experience
Portra 160 + my Canon AT-1 was a satisfying experiment, especially any time human subjects were involved.
My “duds” out of this roll tended to be mildly under- or overexposed, and that was usually the result of not taking enough time to compose the shot and adjust the camera’s settings for the scene. Even the worst shots were ok, so I’ll count that as a win in my “baby film photographer” book.
This is a great film + camera combo.
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