Portra 400 is perhaps the most widely used film in Kodak’s catalog, and for good reason – it’s nearly flawless. Its color palette is one of the most balanced among color emulsions, its exposure latitude is the widest in photography (about six stops of over-exposure and three to four stops of under-exposure when processed at box speed), and its grain is some of the finest found in a 400 speed film ( see the details in our film profile here). Related Article: How to Shoot Kodak Portra 400 Where Kodak Gold Performs Best And Where It Struggles Kodak Gold will make the sharpest images with the most dynamic range at ISO 200, but can easily be pushed or pulled in changing light. But Kodak Gold can be shot between ISO 50 and ISO 400 on the same roll without push or pull processing, making it a fantastic film shooting at any time of day. According to Kodak themselves, you get saturated colours, fine grain, and high sharpness. Gold 200 is also good for bright, colourful prints, great for enlargements, and gives high-quality results when scanned for digital output and great prints from digital zoom and crop images.

I don’t know if you’ve shot Kodak Gold 200, or plan to now having read this review. I will say this, though. If you were alive in Hulk Hogan’s heyday, you’ve likely been shot on it. Its 400 ISO makes it more flexible with changing lighting conditions, from indoor to outdoor, from sunrise to golden hour. First of all, it’s important to highlight that this is a daylight-balanced film. That means that Kodak Gold 200 is designed to be used in natural daylight. You can also use it with the aid of an electronic, daylight-balanced flash for shooting inside or in low lighting. According to Kodak, the definition of daylight is any time from 2 hours after sunrise until 2 hours before the sunsets. If you grew up between the 1980s and early 2000s, chances are you’ve either shot or had your picture taken with Kodak Gold 200. This mid-speed film has been a favorite of consumers and adventurous professionals alike, mostly for its tendency to punch above its weight when it comes to image quality. If you want to shoot in low light, inside, or during the evenings, this low-speed film isn’t for you. Our recommendation for a higher ISO film is the Kodak Ultramax 400 (but be prepared for the jump in cost, too!). Bright Saturated Colours

Specification

Ultimately the decision of whether you shoot Ultramax or Gold will come down to personal preference. The headline difference in light sensitivity and price - Ultramax is both more light sensitive and more expensive - is often enough to drive the decision. And the good news is that both films have legions of fans around the world! So we honestly don’t feel like there can be a bad decision.

Kodak Gold has a surprising tonal range for a consumer film, and creates incredible images that are perfect for capturing fun memories with friends and family, or even professionally in good light. Gold 200 will easily push 2 stops to ISO 800, and pull 3 stops down to ISO 25 and still produce beautifully saturated prints and scans. 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.If you shoot in the daytime and are after a more sombre look, that warmness we talked about earlier might also mean this isn’t the film for you. Something cooler like Fujicolor C200 could be more suited. It’s all down to personal taste. Images made on Eastman Double X tend to have a gritty, stark overall tone. Under controlled lighting and with precise exposure and filter usage this film can exhibit the smooth, beautiful midtones it was formulated for, but in high contrast situations this film easily takes shadows and highlights right to the edge, crushing shadows and blowing highlights left and right. It’s not a film for every situation, but rewards discretion and meticulous shooting with contrasty, beautiful images. Kodak has a long history of making incredible slide film, and recent history has seen the brand reintroduce their well-loved Ektachrome ( to much deserved fanfare). Let’s talk about that. Ektachrome E100

All of the above is still true. It’s still inexpensive, still found anywhere that sells film – in some cases where this is one of few options they have – and still gives those warm results you expect from a consumer level Kodak film.In this part of the film review, we’ll explore exactly what the Kodak Gold 200 color negative film has to offer you. 200 ISO: Slow Film Speed