Kodak ColorPlus 200 .
ColorPlus 200 has been Kodak's affordable colour negative for years; a quiet, unpretentious film that does the job without drawing attention to itself. It started life in price-sensitive markets across Asia and Europe, and it's built a following among photographers who want a reliable everyday film without paying professional prices.
At ISO 200, the grain is fine and contrast sits in the medium range, which gives images a bit of definition without pushing into punchy territory. Saturation is balanced and natural. This is a film that records the scene rather than interpreting it, and that restraint is what makes it useful across a range of subjects.
The extra speed over ISO 100 stocks matters in practice. Overcast afternoons, open shade, the tail end of golden hour; situations where a 100-speed film would start to struggle. Its latitude favours overexposure: a stop or two over and you're fine. Underexposure is less forgiving, so when in doubt, give it more light rather than less.
It's not the film for low light or indoor work, and if you want the warm, saturated look Kodak is known for, Gold 200 is the one. But if you want a dependable colour film at a good price that stays out of the way, ColorPlus 200 does the job well.
Kodacolor 200 is the same emulsion under the Eastman Kodak name.
- + Everyday daylight photography at an affordable price
- + Balanced, natural colour rendering — travel, street, landscapes
- + An affordable all-rounder that doesn't impose a look
- − Low-light or indoor scenes — choose Portra 400 or UltraMax 400
- − Warm, saturated colour — choose Gold 200
- − Plenty of good light and want the finest grain — choose Kodacolor 100
more from their film.
ColorPlus 200 is a 35mm-only consumer colour negative film with a distinctly asymmetric latitude: the overexposure side is its friend. Rated at box speed of 200, the film handles two to three stops of overexposure comfortably — metering at EI 160 and giving it slightly more light than you think it needs is a practical starting point that most photographers familiar with this stock recommend. Underexposure is less forgiving: even one stop under can produce muddy shadows that don't recover cleanly on the scan. The film rewards daylight and bright conditions; in overcast or low light, its rendering becomes noticeably flatter.
ColorPlus 200 has a warm, slightly yellow bias to its palette that is noticeable but not aggressive — cooler than Kodak Gold 200, warmer than a neutral film. Colours are moderate in saturation: better described as natural or slightly muted than vivid, with reds and pinks coming through more strongly than blues and greens. Contrast is medium, producing images with nuance between shadows and highlights rather than drama. In bright sun the saturation and contrast lift noticeably, making it well suited to outdoor daylight shooting. The grain is present and visible in 35mm enlargements — expect a fine-to-medium grain character with a slightly vintage quality. This film is not designed for push processing; even a one-stop push (EI 400) produces noticeably muddier results, and a two-stop push to EI 800 yields heavy grain and contrast that requires substantial correction.
Store unprocessed rolls at 21°C or below in the original sealed packaging. For long-term storage, keep at 13°C or lower. Bring refrigerated film to room temperature before loading — approximately 30 minutes for a 35mm roll is sufficient. Process promptly after exposure. Processed negatives should be stored at 2–13°C at 30–35% relative humidity.