With film prices ever increasing, budget-conscious photographers are always on the hunt for the best results at the lowest price. Of the cheapest mainstream offerings, which one delivers the best performance?
In a series of tests that border on scientific, photographer Caleb Nueven heads out with three almost-identical cameras and a Leica to compare four of Kodak’s consumer offerings: UltraMax 400, Gold 200, ColorPlus 200, and Pro Image. As a casual film photographer who struggles to justify spending money on more expensive stocks, this is a particularly useful test, if only to start getting an idea of how each of these films differs. My last outing with Gold 200 was to push it to 400, and given that pushing it nudges it further toward brownish-reddish tones, I wonder how much difference there is between Gold and UltraMax 400 beyond what’s written on the box. Maybe I should run this test myself and find out.
What’s for sure is that the results are all incredibly similar, and if you’re scanning your own negatives, it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to nudge Negative Lab Pro into making each look identical. I think the best conclusion is to buy whichever is cheapest and suits your ISO needs.
If you have any further suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments below!
