This table gives a chronology of the film family, from 1972 to 1990. It states the 100, 200, and 400 35mm Kodacolor VR films were replaced by Kodacolor Gold in 1987. Last in the Portra line is Portra 800, Kodak’s higher speed color negative offering. In some ways, Portra 800 is a bit redundant considering Portra 400’s exposure latitude covers nearly all of Portra 800’s effective range. But Portra 800 is another spectacular option when light gets really low, and I find Portra 800 shines particularly when used for this intended application.

Budget: local variations will apply - and the Kodak film shortage has made comparisons difficult around the world - but you would expect Ultramax to cost between 10-25% more per roll than Gold. Colorplus 200 is arguably the oldest color film offered by Kodak, descending from a line of films called “Kodacolor” that was released in the 1970s. Kodacolor was offered in a variety of sizes and film speeds. 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). You may also find that some images have a magenta colorcast. This can be off-putting and annoying, especially if you don’t notice it until after you’ve had your images developed. Post Processing What I mean there is, new offerings like JCH Street Pan 400 are great – they really are – but they’re new. And while Ilford films have a grand history, I don’t imagine many 1980s holidaying housewives were loading HP5 into their Canon Sure Shots.Kodak makes quite a few impressive pro-level color-negative films. Let’s talk about those. Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak’s T-max films are downright modern compared with the historically powerful Tri-X. They have rich mid-tones and super fine grain, coupled with excellent exposure latitude.NEW in 120 format, this is genius move from Kodak as we think the emulsion is perfectly suited as a significantly different alternative to the more refined Portra 160 and 400. You may think of this as a “regular” color film, whereas options with a different color balance might be considered “specialty” or “special effect” film. Having said that, there is a certain vintage look to the photographs, which makes sense if we’re shooting with an older emulsion. This look is helped by that yellow hue but also brought on by the contrast you get and the grain, which is noticeable but never overbearing, in my opinion. Kodak ColorPlus 35mm film performs best in sunny weather (don’t we all!) It’s sometimes known as Kodak ColourPlus, Kodak Color Plus or even Kodak Colour Plus. You can choose between 36 exposures and 24 exposures. Kodak Gold 35mm film is a colour negative film perfect for all types of photography. With its vibrant colours, fine grain and wide exposure latitude, it can handle any light you throw at it. A firm favourite for analogue photographers around the world!

For many, photography was reserved for holidays and other special occasions where real memories are made. For a number of reasons, a good percentage of these memories were captured on Gold 200. Choosing between Kodak Gold and Ultramax depends on the type of photography you will be doing and the lighting conditions you will be working in. We have a full article on ' How to shoot Kodak Ultramax' but when comparing with Gold here are a few factors to consider: Kodak Gold 200 is a 120 consumer-grade film, like 35mm films ColorPlus 200 and UltraMax 400. In comparison, you can expect more saturation than Kodak ColorPlus, and warmer tones than Kodak UltraMax. You won’t get as fine a grain as Kodak Portra 400 120. Highlights from that include recommended exposure times for different weather and light conditions, a guide to which filter and exposure adjustments to use when shooting under different types of fluorescent light, and a table of features and benefits of the film.Another cheap colour negative film is the aforementioned Fujicolor Industrial 100, which I reviewed here. The price is comparable to the ColorPlus and it’s another fine product for what you pay. The ColorPlus does give you more shutter speed to play with though with that higher ISO rating, which will always come in handy on the street. 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.