My First Roll of Kodak Gold 200 in 120
Now we can start this conversation off by quintessentially mentioning that this is my “favorite” stock in 135 & I’m so happy Kodak brought it back in 120 (because I shot so much of it prior ha ha ha). Honest labor bears a lovely face is the motto of the prep school I attended and if I were to say that was the truth, I’d grow a nose like Pinocchio.
Kodak gold was never a film stock I shot in 135, in fact I ended up buying an expired roll once at a thrift shop, have since shot it & it remains undeveloped in the pile of about 25 shot rolls I have sitting in my drawer. As a consumer film, it didn’t interest me much because I preferred the versatility of Kodak Ultramax 400 in 135. On the day Kodak introduced this film stock back to market was a day of much delight for all film shooters, because just as well Cinestill announced there “new” 400D stock as well. In a time where expectations in the film community is that we would continue to lose film stocks here we are with a wave of new film & new film expectations as another company had announced that they’ll be working on a new slide film in 135 as well woot woot.
What I like about it
As the name suggests there are a lot of Gold Hues in the stock and adds a lot of warmth which is something like in my color photos, personally. The grain is present for a low iso film stock, but not obtrusively so. I am of the thought – why am I shooting film for a “digital” smoothness to my images?
The blues aren’t overdone and renders the sky blue quite well. It doesn’t feel fake or over done in the cyan channels.
What I dislike
The magenta in the shadows, and darker skin tones. While the below isn’t a bad portrait, taking this in the golden light of the setting sun should make for a softer image. This however looks like I have painted the subject red and placed her in front of my lens. Its not to say it cannot be done right as I have seen individuals who have taken portraits with this stock and gotten better results with a higher sun. I will try again and pull the stock to around ISO 125/160 and see what I am able to get.
Conclusion
This film stock is a major win for all of us who tend to shoot. While it was intended to be a “consumer” 120 stock, prices are lower than the professional grade film stocks. As a predominantly portrait photographer, I can appreciate that once done correctly... this film stock excels. It is more than worth your trying out and if you don’t believe me, please use my images as example for your research.
