Last month, a friend of mine was headed to Japan for some vacation time and upon learning this, asked her if she would be willing to bring back some film for me if I provided her the funds to purchase a film stock that I had always wanted to shoot.

I heard a lot of great things about Fuji's Japan exclusive Natura 1600 film and when she came back, I was eager to run through a test roll to see if the film stood up to the positive reviews. Fuji doesn't sell this film in pro packs like their 400H stock. Sold mainly in packs of 3 and single rolls, I gave my friend enough money to buy 7 packs of 3 which essentially gave me 2 bricks worth with an extra roll that I would use as a tester so that worked out quite well.

The Natura 1600 was especially made to work in conjunction with Fuji's Natura camera, a fast, higher end point and shoot developed by Fuji that is supposed to excel in available low light conditions, not too dissimilar to other higher end point and shoot cameras like the venerable Contax T2/3 models, the Ricoh GR cameras and the Leica Minilux to name a few. The difference being that those other cameras didn't have a specially made film to work along side it.

Because the Natura 1600 is a Japan only stock, it makes the film super rare and sought after. As such, to buy the film through various means such as online, makes the film much more expensive that other comparable stocks (which aren't many but more on that later) that you can readily find domestically.

The first shot I took was a self portrait, as it is routine with every roll I put into any camera. The film looks like it saturates the red more so than other film stocks but not too bothersome in my opinion.

Because the film stock is a high ISO film and made for low light conditions, I wanted to put it through its intended use. So I went out during specific times of days, mainly first light and golden hour with some sprinkling of mid-day conditions, as well as any time I found myself in low light conditions.

After getting my scans back from the lab, I found that the film saturates red a good deal, which isn't uncommon for Fuji films in similar low light conditions. It isn't problematic in my opinion but I would be mindful in the future knowing that aspect of the film. In the above self portrait photo, I've shot in that same bathroom using other films and the red wasn't as saturated as it was with Natura 1600.

Young couple at Sarita's Pupuseria in Grand Central Market

The film really performs well in low light conditions, as it should, and I'm very pleased with not only its performance, but that now I have a native high ISO film that I don't really have to push to be able to shoot in such conditions. In the past, I relied upon other stocks such as Fuji Pro 400H or Kodak Portra 400/800 and then pushing the films to my desired ISO ratings. This makes the Natura 1600 super convenient to just grab and go without having to worry about making any substantial compensations. The film's high ISO rating gives me the confidence that I have the right film for just about any type of condition, although I have yet to put it through high noon conditions. I probably won't because, why? Now I'm wondering how this film performs when you pair it with its intended camera, the Fuji Natura.

For a high ISO color film, the grain structure isn't too bad at all. Of all my years shooting film, I'd say the Natura 1600 is one of the better performing high ISO films I've shot.

I was initially worried about heavy grain with this film. In the past, high ISO color film have been heavy in grain but I was quite surprised with the grain structure of Natura 1600. I would compare it to the grain of Kodak Portra 800 at speed, which is awesome. It's not often you get to shoot a native high ISO color film having roughly the same amount of grain as another color film that's 1 stop lower. Knowing this, I would expect Natura 1600 to have a good level of grain when it's pushed 1 stop to 3200. I have yet to do this, but I feel comfortable pushing this 1 stop, maybe 2. I'll probably do so in future rolls to see how they turn out. Skin tone tends to render fairly well which can be problematic in low light conditions.

Here she is. The one that went to Japan and brought me back one of the better films I've shot. Thanks Rie! When are you going back to Japan?

I would highly recommend getting your hands on Natura 1600. Because it is so rare, it can be pricey. Natura 1600 can vary online from $10-$13 per roll and a pack of 3 can set you back around $30-$40. Is it worth it? I think so. Having a native high ISO film in your stock is really convenient. No longer do you need to purchase other high ISO color film and pushing it "x" number of stops which would incur more cost should you send your film out to a professional lab to develop it. No other manufacturer makes a color film with an ISO of 1600. The highest color ISO film is Kodak Portra 800, which is a great stock and in most instances would suit your needs, but when you need that extra oomph, or having more options as far as capabilities, having Natura 1600 in your stock is rather nice. However having said this, should you have a friend traveling to Japan, I suggest giving him/her money so you can get Natura 1600 at actual cost. A 3 pack of Natura 1600 set me back $25 and some change. That's a no brainer considering your other option is buying online and having to go through the internet market which could set you back $40 or more. AND, if you're a tourist in Japan, you pay no sales tax. How great is that? Just don't forget to tell your friend upon returning to have airport security hand check the film instead of running it through x-ray. X-ray and high ISO film is no bueno.