Film Format: 120/220 Film Colour & Type: Black & White ISO: 400 Grain: Normal Contrast: Normal and High Colour Balance: Not Applicable Exposure Latitude: Wide / Very Wide Latitude DX Coding: No Film Development Process: Black and White Perfect for: 👪 Portraits, 🏔️ Landscapes, and 🏛️ Architecture
Description
Kodak Tri-X 120 film is a truly legendary film. Kodak Tri-X emulsion was first introduced in 1940 in sheet film, making it over 80 years old!
Key to its longevity has been its flexibility - photographers can take TriX 120 into a variety of lighting situations and recover highlights and shadows or generate different grain feel through processing choices.
It has been the first choice for many top photographers over its lifespan - in fact when Kodak went through bankruptcy and restructuring in 2012 Don McCullin panic-bought 150 rolls of Kodak Tri-X in case it didn't survive the turmoil! Fortunately for Mr McCullin and every other photographer, Tri-X did survive and is still available fresh in both 35mm and 120 formats.
Kodak - properly known as Kodak Eastman - was founded in America in 1888 and dominated the "Western" world of photography for the next 100 years, constantly in fierce rivalry with the Japanese Fuji. Similarly to Fuji the advent of digital photography at the turn of the century caused significant financial problems. A late attempt to win in the compact market was hit by the rise of mobile photography and bankruptcy followed in 2012. Fortunately the photography business has survived under the Kodak Alaris name - based in Hertfordshire, England - and they have delighted the analogue industry by pledging continued support for film production and the promise of bringing back old favourite emulsions.
For more information about the brand check out our bio of Kodak
Got a bulk load of this a few years back and am still working my way through. Tri-X gives good contrast and strong grain profile. You can push it quite hard if you don’t mind the contrast and I love it for street and similar photos. What surprised me however is that it did a relatively good job of some landscapes with an orange filter. These were all shot on a 1955 Mamiya 6 so I feel it fits the camera well.
J
James B. (Chesterfield, GB)
5
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Portraits, Street Photography, Architecture, Travel
Accreditation Handles:IG: james_billings_analog
Always great results
I shoot all sorts of black and white films and have quite a few favourites I repeat-buy. HP5+ is reliable and good value, I love the look of Rollei Retro 400S.
Tri-X is another that goes in that category. In 120 you get sharp images with a grain that never overpowers the image, but is still present, adding a lovely classic tone to the images. A recent woodland shoot showed it handling some tricky lighting conditions brilliantly (at least within the bounds of my ability to expos correctly!)
M
Matthew D. (Hackney, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Beginners, Portraits, Landscapes, Street Photography, Architecture, Creative/Abstract, Travel, Studio Work, Low Light/Night
Accreditation Handles:Instagram
A pity I didn't try it sooner!
I hadn't had the best initial experience with Tri-X, but with some practice I've found it to be a very worthy film, and certainly one I'll be using more often! The example here is perhaps a bit overexposed or even overdeveloped, but it should print easily.
First time using TriX and what a lovely film. Lovely grain, very fine for a medium speed like this. Contrasty but still with nice shadow detail, slightly less detail in the shadows than TMax so good if you prefer a more contrasty look. This was shot at box speed on a very overcast day. No editing after scan. I bet this would push well. Would recommend.
Got a bulk load of this a few years back and am still working my way through. Tri-X gives good contrast and strong grain profile. You can push it quite hard if you don’t mind the contrast and I love it for street and similar photos. What surprised me however is that it did a relatively good job of some landscapes with an orange filter. These were all shot on a 1955 Mamiya 6 so I feel it fits the camera well.
J
James B. (Chesterfield, GB)
5
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Portraits, Street Photography, Architecture, Travel
Accreditation Handles:IG: james_billings_analog
Always great results
I shoot all sorts of black and white films and have quite a few favourites I repeat-buy. HP5+ is reliable and good value, I love the look of Rollei Retro 400S.
Tri-X is another that goes in that category. In 120 you get sharp images with a grain that never overpowers the image, but is still present, adding a lovely classic tone to the images. A recent woodland shoot showed it handling some tricky lighting conditions brilliantly (at least within the bounds of my ability to expos correctly!)
M
Matthew D. (Hackney, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Beginners, Portraits, Landscapes, Street Photography, Architecture, Creative/Abstract, Travel, Studio Work, Low Light/Night
Accreditation Handles:Instagram
A pity I didn't try it sooner!
I hadn't had the best initial experience with Tri-X, but with some practice I've found it to be a very worthy film, and certainly one I'll be using more often! The example here is perhaps a bit overexposed or even overdeveloped, but it should print easily.
First time using TriX and what a lovely film. Lovely grain, very fine for a medium speed like this. Contrasty but still with nice shadow detail, slightly less detail in the shadows than TMax so good if you prefer a more contrasty look. This was shot at box speed on a very overcast day. No editing after scan. I bet this would push well. Would recommend.
There's a reason Tri-X 400 has been in production for eight decades and counting. It does the job time and time again. If it can cope with a grey day in Wigan, it can cope with anything.
R
Roger H. (Stafford, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Portraits, Studio work
Accreditation Handles:@roghughe
One of the best black and white films ever.
A spectacular film that just has that timeless look that can encompass both nostalgia and modernity in one breath.
The tones are fabulous, making it suitable for just about everything and my favourite 400 ISO rated film.
H
Hobby (Gateshead, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder
Accreditation Handles:Hobby
Contrast !
Just love the way this renders tone and delivers fantastic contrast
Taken as a test roll on a Mamiya 645 as I get to grips with it. Lots of texture and fine grain.
Probably need more practice to get great shots but so far I'm happy with the results
fine grain, high contrast - what more do you want? a great film
T
Tom E. (City of London, GB)
5
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Portraits, Landscapes, Street Photography, Architecture, Travel
Accreditation Handles:tomevans.photography
Feels like coming home
Returning to Tri-X 120 after forty years feels like coming home. It still has the same flexibility, tonal range and sympathetic grain - and that extra speed that increases the scope for hand-held work. It's not cheap, but it is now my default film.
T
Ted S. (Derby, GB)
Perfect for:Portraits, Street Photography, Creative/Abstract
I've used Tri-X almost exclusively in the studio for the last 18 months (with a bit of TMAX too) and it delivers every time! It creates wonderful looks under studio lighting and works perfectly for that more haunting portrait aestehtic. Samples attached. See more at https://www.tedsmithphotography.co.uk/
S
Santino S. (Windlesham, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder
Accreditation Handles:Joogble_analogue
Loved how these photos came out
I really like the diversity of this film as I used it for landscape and for portrait and it had great results for both. The film has a nice look that creates nice images with good contrast and tonality.
L
Leigh R. (Aberdeen, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder
Accreditation Handles:www.leighreke.com
Great in ANY weather!
Just came back from a long trip to Shetland - been shooting this amazing film in the most extreme rainy weather imaginable. Results? Always the best, as expected!
Kodak Tri-X, a film I once used almost exclusively back in the 1970s but these days is more of an occasional treat as the price differential between Ilford and Kodak continues to widen. However, a too-good-to-miss offer from AW had me reaching for my wallet and it did not disappoint. Great blacks, lovely contrast and a very pleasing grain - all the attributes that led me to shoot this so avidly all those years ago. In all honesty, if I could afford to this would be the only 400 speed film I bought, indeed it would probably be my everyday carry in both 120 and 35mm. Sample images Rolleicord
S
Steve H.
Can I ask expiry date on these tri x 400 120 films please ?
Analogue Wonderland
Hi Steve, all of our Tri-X 120 films (singular and 5 pack) expire in 2025.
- Amy