Pin Mill on Kodak Gold 200
Situated on the south bank of the River Orwell, just on the outskirts of a village called Chelmondiston, is a place called Pin Mill. Like many of the spots I visit, this place lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
This spot was once a busy landing point for shop-borne cargo and a centre for repairing Thames sailing barges. It also housed many small industries such as sail making, maltings (now a workshop), and a brickyard. There is a long history of smuggling on the east coast, to which Pin Mill and its public house, the Butt and Oyster, reputedly played vital parts.
Whilst home to several houseboats, there are also several wrecked, traditional vessels which, as you can imagine, are popular with artists and photographers alike.
Earlier this year, Kodak announced they were bringing back Kodak Gold 200 in 120 format. With the cost of film increasing rapidly over the last couple of years, I was excited by a new “budget” film stock and decided to give their Gold 200 offering a go as soon as I could get my hands on a box.
After receiving the scans back from FilmDev, I had mixed feelings. As I usually shoot with Portra 160/400 and Pro400H, this film felt somewhat different. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Although some people have compared it to Portra 160, I didn't get the same impression.
Years ago, I used Gold 200 in 35mm format and found it to be prone to underexposure. With Portra, I tend to err on the side of overexposure, shooting at half box speed and metering for the shadows to achieve the desired look and feel. However, some of the shots I took with this film felt a bit off and reminded me of my experiences with 35mm format.
As anticipated with a 200 ISO medium format film, the grain pattern is wonderful. Considering the cost, it's a great option, although the price has increased to around £9 per roll. Even 35mm ColorPlus 200 has become more expensive than before, but it's still more affordable than Portra and has a distinctive appearance. I have a few rolls remaining, so I'll continue to experiment and provide an update.
All images shot with a Hasselblad 500cm & Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2.8 Lens on Kodak Gold 200.
Develop and Scan by FilmDev (Noritsu)
