THE REAL ISO200 Colour-Negative Film Options of 2025

In celebration of this year’s World Photography Day, I’m publishing three long-form reads that examine the lucrative and versatile colour-negative film category:

“Fujifilm 200 Color Negative vs. Kodak Gold.” 📖

“KONO Color 200/OptiColour 200/ORWO NC200 Film Review.” 📖

“Comparing Two Newest Colour Films: Phoenix vs. NC200.” 💛

Why these films?

Just a stop faster than needed in full sun for a 1/100s fixed shutter (which can look great on negatives), ISO 200 film will work with all cameras, including plastic toy ones. It’s neither too grainy in 35mm nor too slow without a flash. The colour-negative processing standard, C-41, is most commonly found at labs and the easiest to get started with at home.

Kodak has shown us that they could make this type of film very cheaply: in 2019, Kodak ColorPlus 200 sold for less than Fomapan Classic 100 — the cheapest film on the chart.

As such, an ISO 200 colour-negative can be the first and the most-used type of film in many photographers’ cameras.

It’s a Kodak world.

Though this list of today’s options for colour-negative film shows dozens of names in ISO 200, most are just respooled or modified Kodak film.

Even Fujifilm-branded ISO 200 films are almost certainly made by Kodak. “Fujifilm 200 Color Negative vs. Kodak Gold” examines and compares the former rival brand names to see if they offer any distinct features.

It’s possible that they would, as I found some dissimilarities between Kodak Gold and Kodak ColorPlus, and obvious distinctions between the available ISO 800 Kodak-based films.

New film: ORWO NC200.

Colour film takes enormous resources to manufacture. Just have a look at this three-part video series, which explores the endless hallways of Kodak facilities as the crew traces the path of film across a billion-dollar building (one of many).

Only a few factories in the world can make this material, Kodak being one of them. Fujifilm stopped making colour-negative film when they discontinued Superia X-Tra in 2023. But a German factory (best-known as ORWO in the rest of the world) began making colour film about six years ago.

ORWO’s latest product (which is still in pre-release stages) shows great promise as a viable alternative to Kodak. See my review: “KONO Color 200/OptiColour 200/ORWO NC200 Film Review.”

Beyond Kodak: the new independent options, compared.

Last year, one more factory joined the exclusive club of colour-negative film manufacturers from the UK.

Harman Technology, better known as Ilford, began selling Phoenix 200, a colour-negative film based on a black-and-white emulsion that can be developed in colour film chemicals.

Though it’s sad to see Fujifilm retreat from making colour-negative film, seeing two new independent manufacturers form in the decade of film renaissance is highly encouraging.

“Comparing Two Newest Colour Films: Phoenix vs. NC200” concludes today’s celebratory series by pegging German-made ORWO NC200 against the UK-made Phoenix II and answers the question whether either is ready to take on Kodak as the best affordable ISO 200 colour-negative film.

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Thank you for your support, and happy WPD! 🎉