Kodak Gold 200
If I were its teacher, I would give it a gold star.
If you are used to shooting digital, expect some extra grain.
If you are used to shooting digital, expect some extra grain.
There is no way around it: this film has grain. But that being said it leads to a soft and glowing look. This is a consumer film, not a professional one. I would describe this grain as noticeable, but not distracting. If you want a similar look with a smaller grain then ProImage 100 by Kodak may be a better bet. It’s emulsion is similar to Golds. If you are looking for a grainy look then Ultra Max 400 is the faster version of this emulsion.
Click on the images below to see them larger.
Overview
If you are looking for the classic film look in color, Kodak Gold makes for a great choice. It’s a Medium-low speed consumer grade film that is a little more muted and warmer in it’s tones compared to it’s competitor Fujifilm Fujicolor 200.
Grain
Sharpness
This film is soft and colors are both muted and saturated at the same time, making for dreamy portraits.
It’s sharp enough, but lacks some of the fine detail of Portra 160, and even Portra 400. It’s not bad though, providing more than enough detail for its original intended purpose of 4x6 images you got at the drug store. At 4x6 it looks sharp, detailed, and low in grain. In some instances it surprised me with its sharpness providing ample detail at high resolutions of scanning, but retains the softness to hide skin imperfections. I have printed this film larger, and on matte papers this film looks fantastic. With glossy papers… It really just looks choppy and rough.
Color
Gold is a daylight balanced film. It shines in outdoor lighting, and does well under studio strobes that are daylight balanced. It’s tones are muted and warm. Reds, yellows, greens, and magentas pop on this film, but blue doesn't get washed out at the same time. It evokes a feeling of looking though a family photo album from the 80s or 90s. Giving it a nostalgic feel. I find that blues can get a warmer magenta tone as noticeable in the image at the bottom of this review. I think that’s what adds to this films look and feel.
Shadows show a lot of noise, but highlights are surprisingly easy to recover.
Film Sizes
Kodak Gold is only sold in 35mm sizes. This is a pity because I would love to shoot it in medium format. Seeing as it is a consumer grade film, I’m not surprised though. It does make for a good practice color film though, and that counts for something.
Cost
Kodak Gold is inexpensive enough. I can find 3 packs for between 10-15 dollars usually for 24 exposures. I rarely see 36 exposure roll 3 packs being higher than 18. So as far as color film costs go it’s fairly affordable. The thing is it isn’t easy to find in stores outside of the camera shops. At least where I live, Fuji is the consumer film of choice at the local drug and big box stores. It really pays to buy the 3 packs though, as it’s pricing is close to that of a two pack.
With it’s low price, this is a great learner film, or for street photography where you will be taking many shots. Images come out looking warm, with emphasis on the warmer tones.
Look
The look of Kodak Gold is not quite vintage, but it doesn’t look modern. I absolute loves its more muted color palate, warmer tones, and softness. I feel like most of the photos taken of me growing up were on Gold 200 and Ultramax 400 (formally known as Gold 400). It’s a great choice to pair with point and shoots to get that classic 80s or 90s look.
Conclusion
Kodak Gold is a beautiful film, but it’s consumer roots are apparent upon first look. It’s a great learning film. I wouldn’t use this for family photo shoots or other professional work. I do recommend this film for beginners. Unless you need a high grain and vintage looking 35mm film then I would pass for professional use. Even though it’s not a solid professional film, it still is my favorite color film to shoot.
When it comes to skin tones, this film does wonders despite being a less expensive stock.
Arbitrary scores that really don’t mean anything.
Grain: 5 out of 10! It gives a classic look, but I wouldn’t call it special. Remember, this score is about quality of grain not quantity.
Detail: 5 out of 10. Like grain, it looks classic and all, but doesn’t feel special or unique.
Shadow and Highlight Recovery: 7 out of 10. For a consumer film, it does fine. I was surprised with what I was able to pull out of it.
Price: 9 out of 10. It’s inexpensive, and priced at a good value. It only received a 9 as I find FujiColor 200 to be a bit better on price with similar results.
Personal Score: 8 out of 10. What is lost in professional quality is gained in classic personality. It’s not special, but it is an easy to shoot film with wonderful tones at a great value.
Final Verdict: 34 out of 50. This score is entirely arbitrary, and the only one who can decide if it’s the right film or not is you.
Yep, scores are still personal preference in my opinion. If you like what you’ve seen and read then I would pick up a roll or two.
It’s a consumer film, and as a consumer film it’s not going to throw any ugly surprises. It’s pleasant and fun to shoot.