Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Kodak Gold

After completing my master’s degree following the COVID-19 outbreak, I transitioned into full-time work. Life became busy, and I gradually set aside my film camera. Recently, I purchased Kodak Gold 200 in 120 format—Kodak’s latest film—during a visit to Guangzhou (新丽照相器材商店). I had planned to capture a few moments before leaving China. I took the film along on a three-day trip to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Eventually, I had the film developed at GZNow Lab in Guangzhou.

Some Thoughts on Kodak Gold 200

Nowadays, professional film has become incredibly expensive. I used to shoot with films like Portra 400 and RDP 100. For this “comeback,” I couldn’t resist the affordability (relative) of Kodak Gold 200, so I bought a box. I also purchased a roll of Cinestill 800T, but I didn’t have enough time to use it, so now it’s sitting in my fridge.

Kodak Gold 200 is a consumer-grade film, and its color leans towards a warm, sunny yellow tone. I’m not sure if it’s due to my slight overexposure or just the nature of the film, but in daylight, all the photos have a yellowish cast. However, the night shots of Zhujiang New Town came out surprisingly well. Even after digitizing, I still tend to adjust the images towards a cooler tone, this gives it a protra vibe. I think this film might work better on cloudy days or when capturing objects with rich colors. In terms of grain and sharpness, it’s rather average—the images feel a bit soft. That said, the dynamic range is quite impressive; even in high-contrast scenes, the sky retains good detail.