The great C-41 stand development experiment, Part 3: Kodak Gold/Ultramax 400
OnJust a quickie this time.
Last time we compared several films shot around ISO 1600. But those were all fairly expensive film stocks. What can we get out of Kodak Ultramax 400, one of the cheapest films you can buy? I bought several rolls in my last order from B&H but I’ve hesitated shooting them, figuring I wouldn’t get very good results past box speed. Finally I put that to the test. I shot a roll at various speeds between 400 and 1600, and stand developed it like I did with the previous rolls. (See the last two posts for details.)
The results were surprisingly good! At 1600 you’re definitely not going to get much in the way of shadow detail, but the midtones look great! Not only that but the grain remains very fine, non-distracting and pleasant looking even at this speed.
Kodak Ultramax 400 shot at ISO 1600
Kodak Ultramax 400 shot at ISO 1600
But ISO 800 is where it really shines. I argued last time why ISO 1600 is my sweet spot for indoor photos even in dim light, but during the day, as long as you have some window light shining through, 800 is perfectly serviceable. And at that speed, my initial impressions are that this film looks fantastic.
Kodak Ultramax 400 shot at ISO 800
I also took a few shots at box speed for good measure, and there were no surprises there: fine grain and lots of detail.
Kodak Ultramax 400 shot at ISO 400
That’s it for now!