Kodak ColorPlus 200 movie assessment: it is fantastic

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Kodak ColorPlus 200 is Kodak’s finances coloration movie… type of. Even setting apart the truth that across-the-board worth rises imply that no coloration movies can actually be known as ‘finances’, ColorPlus additionally isn’t even notably low-cost amongst Kodak’s vary. It may be discovered for just about the identical worth as Kodak Gold 200, the famously warm-toned sunset-loving movie with which it shares quite a lot of DNA, and it’s solely a greenback or so cheaper than the high-speed Ultramax 400.

Nonetheless, a greenback is a greenback, and ColorPlus’s relative affordability means it’s constantly one of the vital in style coloration shares round, and infrequently sells out rapidly. However does it have a lot to suggest it in its personal proper, or are individuals simply sorting by worth, low to excessive, and clicking ‘purchase’?

I’ve shot ColorPlus 200 earlier than, nevertheless it’s been some time, so I believed I’d refresh my reminiscence, load up a recent roll, and discover out whether or not this quasi-budget inventory has attraction past its low asking worth.

Photograph of Kodak ColorPlus 200 35mm film — (Picture credit score: Jon Stapley)

Kodak ColorPlus 200: Specs

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Model	Kodak
Launched	2001
Kind	Colour detrimental
Pace	200
Course of	C41
Codecs	35mm

Kodak ColorPlus 200: Worth & Availability

Kodak ColorPlus 200 is obtainable in 35mm format solely. Typically, for a single roll you’re paying round $8-9 or £9-10, and also you would possibly be capable to shave slightly off that by shopping for rolls in bulk (although truthfully not a lot).

ColorPlus 200 is developed utilizing the usual C41 course of, so it’s good and low-cost to get your pictures processed for those who don’t have a house setup.

Kodak ColorPlus 200: Efficiency

Once you first have a look at your ColorPlus 200 scans, you could really feel slightly disillusioned. It’s a reasonably muted movie, with smooth colours and low saturation. There’s some heat to it, however in uninteresting gentle it is rather straightforward to return away with drab photos. Nonetheless, when you get used to it, this lo-fi look can change into a part of ColorPlus’s attraction. It has an actual classic really feel, with out the showy saturation of Ultramax. It likes loads of gentle, however you may get pleasing outcomes even on overcast days by embracing its softness.

It’s price noting that in contrast to a lot of its different movies, Kodak has not revealed a technical datasheet for ColorPlus 200, which lends it a little bit of an air of secrecy. Although there may be one for Gold 200, which is clearly a really related emulsion, so we are able to use that to make some inferences. Kodak makes use of a Print Grain Index scale from 0 to 100 to evaluate the graininess of its movies, based mostly on producing a 4×6” print from a 35mm body. Gold 200 scores 44, which is barely decrease than Ultramax’s 46, and lots increased than Ektar’s >25 (they don’t hassle specifying under 25 as that’s judged to be the minimal stage perceptible to the human eye). You’d count on ColorPlus to be about the identical as Gold, and visible inspection of photos bears this out. It affords nowhere close to the element stage {of professional} movies like Ektar, however is slightly cleaner than 400 ISO movies like Ultramax.

The ISO of 200 makes it rather less versatile in low gentle than Kodak’s Ultramax inventory, and it’s additionally not significantly tolerant to publicity errors. Underexpose even slightly and particulars will change into muddy in a short time – particulars that weren’t significantly sturdy to start with. Nonetheless, like all Kodak movies, it’s DX-coded, so in case you have an digital SLR with the power to learn DX coding, you may set the publicity to auto.

The solar got here out in drive after I shot my newest roll of ColorPlus, and this did assist wash away a few of that muted drabness to supply photos with a bit extra pop.

Photograph of Kodak ColorPlus 200 35mm film

(Picture credit score: Jon Stapley)

Kodak ColorPlus 200: Pattern Photographs

I shot my most up-to-date roll of Kodak ColorPlus 200 on a Pentax ME Tremendous SLR with a 50mm f/1.2 lens, and you’ll see the outcomes under. I’ve additionally included just a few photos from a earlier roll shot on a Canon EOS 500, utilizing a 50mm f/1.8 lens.