More Flexibility, But With More Noticeable Grain
Written: Aug 27 '03 (Updated Sep 23 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Faster Speed, permits flexibility in more shooting conditions.
Cons: More noticeable grain. Time it takes to get slides back from Kodak.
The Bottom Line: The Low Light version of KODACHROME 64, it is not really suited to everyday use.
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KODACHROME 200 is the faster (perhaps more flexible) slide film from a family that once included KODACHROME 25, 64 and 200. With the discontinuance by KODAK of KODACHROME 25 in 2001, the only two versions of this film remaining are the K64 and K200. I had already posted a review of K64 here at epinions.com and after recently using several rolls of KODACHROME 200, decided to post a review for this product as well.
There are some significant differences between K64 and K200 and I will attempt to document my observations based on my usage and recent experience.
First, let me say that I personally believe that KODACHROME 64 is THE SLIDE FILM BY WHICH ALL OTHERS SHOULD BE JUDGED. I say that because it offers the truest, most lifelike colors and images offered anywhere in photography. Clarity, contrast, sharpness and minimal grain all contribute to the creation of wonderful colors without the "over the top" and unnatural colorations found in certain competitive product offerings. That having been said, let me also say that the differences between these two KODAK offerings is very palpable. For some, the faster speed K200 may be a disappointment.
KODACHROME 200 CHARACTERISTICS:
Because of its increased speed, this film offers the user more flexibility with lighting than its slower sibling. Short of very high speed subjects, K200 can be used for some action photos, but especially those where the impression of speed needs to be conveyed. The additional speed also all but eliminates the need for a tripod in most hand-held situations; the exception being the use of very long lenses which would prove too heavy or unstable for a photographer to hand hold. This slide film is also well-suited to flash photography.
COLOR SATURATION:
Like its slower family members, KODACHROME 200 provides well saturated (but not overly so) colors throughout the entire color spectrum. The additional speed prevents the loss of detail in under and over exposed images. This capability is as useful as it is valuable, because there is less likelihood of completely losing a shot due to minor exposure error.
Also, with today's autofocus SLRs, should the user be unsure of exposure setting, the Program mode on most AF cameras develops, through the use of a data base or highly developed algorithms, a metered value that will permit the user to achieve the desired result in most shooting conditions. However, remember that this is still a medium speed film and does NOT lend itself to capturing very fast motion.
GRANULARITY:
Here is where users of K25 and K64 may wind up with some heartburn. In bright sunlight or moderately overcast sunlight, this film shows a marked increase in grain size when compared to its slower family members. Unlike ISO 100 and 200 print films, where the degree of difference in grain size is almost unnoticeable, the grain in KODACHROME 200 is very pronounced. This increased granularity also contributes to a certain level of loss of sharpness. I found this to be the case in both handheld and tripod mounted shots. For that reason, this film should be used in lower light levels.
SHARPNESS:
As I mentioned above, I observed a loss of sharpness and equate that to the more prominent grain pattern within the developed slide. In lower light levels, where detail may be filled in by areas of darker colors, this is not an issue. But there is some degradation of quality and image softness as a result of using this slide emulsion in other than optimal conditions.
ARCHIVAL QUALITY and STORAGE:
As epinions lead camera/film reviewer Howard Creech has noted in several film reviews here, only KODACHROME offers the user true archival storage capability up to and beyond the 100 year mark. As he noted in his commentaries, some of his Fujichrome slide images, many less than 20 years old have already exhibited color shifts during storage. That problem has never been an issue with KODACHROME products and the fastest of these films maintains the family reputation for faithful colors over long periods of time.
SOME LIMITATIONS:
Because of the preponderance of noticeable grain, I would not recommend this slide film for close-ups, portrait work or other shooting situations where the photographer is seeking the least amount of "clutter" within the final image. Additionally, if image sharpness is paramount, then the user would be better suited to using KODACHROME 64, EKTACHROME 64 or even Fuji's VELVIA 100 - which, by the way, offers almost no grain for its speed.
This is also not an everyday type of slide film. Its limitations with enhanced grain remove it from that category. Photographers are best served by this film in lower light and it renders night time exposures and fireworks well and faithfully.
This is also not a film for the casual slide shooter. There are too many areas where it can cause confusion and consternation for the person not accustomed to the lack of forgiveness found in exposure errors in most slide film. Think of this as a truly specialized lower light version of K64. For that purpose, it excels magnificently!
Recommended:
Yes
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