Kodak VR200 and VR400

[Richard Harris]

I have just developed two rolls of Kodak VR film bought at the supermarket for less than £1 a roll. One was VR200, the other VR400. When I put the developer in the tank I pressed the wrong button on my darkroom clock; disaster! Well, I guessed the time and I think, got it just about spot on. The results were very interesting. The grain on both films was very controlled I would say thet the VR200 was about the same grain as Superia 400 and while the VR400 was grainier, it was very controlled and better than fuji 800Z. These films are very impressive. The saturation seems medium, less than superia but that is not always a bad thing and you do get the Kodak look at a very reasonable price. These films are much better than the cheap own brand films that I have tried at times. Some years ago I read a report in Chasseur D'image a french monthly that tested Gold 100, Royal gold and Kodacolor against superia and Agfa. They rated Gold 100 as the best punchy film and Royal Gold as the best smoother toned film. They did however opine that there was prcious little difference between the then current Gold lines and the older Kodacolor offerings. I would have to concur and say the grain of these VRs is as good as the current consumer films from Kodak. I will be interested to find out what the colour saturation and grain is like when I give it the standard 3:15 C41 souping but I think I must have been about spot on.

 

[pentaxuser]

Richard. If you are interested there was a substantial thread about VR200 and 400 some months ago and the conclusions were pretty much as yours. There's a few shots in the galleries as well. Have a look at AndyK's and I think Copake Ham's.

Was it Aldi? I noticed recently that the 400 had disappeared from my nearest Aldi. I wonder if Aldi purchased a one off stock of VR and the 400 has now been all sold? Hope not but these thing happen with supermarkets which act as "price tarts" and not as photographic stockists.

I once over developed by about 20-30 secs with Fuji and it was obvious so I suspect that your guess was probably within a few seconds of 3:15 unless of course an other advantage of VR is a bettter tolerance to over/under development. Anyway well done with the guess.

pentaxuser
pentaxuser

 

[ath]

Hi pentaxuser,

here in Germany, the origin of Aldi, they sell the VR series since many years. At the beginning VR100, superseeded by VR200 and VR400. Every Aldi has plenty of both in stock here. They are quite popular at 1,79€ for two. There are other chains (e.g. drugstorechains) selling similar, albeit under their brand name:
DM sells Kodak under the "Paradies" label, Rossmann sells Fuji as "Rossmann". The Rossmann 200 is better than Superia 200 imo.
Lidl sells Fuji as Fuji (similar as Aldi), same film as Rossmann.
All films are in this price range.

All four suppliers I mentioned sell films since many years and are an easy way to get quality colour negative films all over Germany.

 

[pentaxuser]

Hi pentaxuser,

They are quite popular at 1,79€ for two.

Hi. Thanks for info. Looks as if the VR400 will continue here in the U.K. and that my branch of Aldi has probably just run out of VR400 temporarily. They are £1.79 for two here in the U.K. Is it a coincidence that Aldi UK decide to sell it at the euro equivalent converted to pounds sterling. So our equivalent is at least euro 2.32 for the same two films. Postage probably eliminates almost all profit for a person based in Germany selling via e-bay to the UK although Braxus here on APUG and based, I think, in Canada buys from a Brit based in Spain who has spotted a selling opportunity.

pentaxuser

 

[Richard Harris]

Pentax User and ath,
yes it was ALDI. I had never been in before and when I saw the film I had to buy two rolls of each. After developing them I have today re-visited and bought another 20 rolls. I am well pleased and still have change from £20. I am going to switch to Kodak paper shortly, Morco have it reasonably priced and I have never liked Fuji CA I think it is designed more for digital exposure. It just seems to be flat with blown highlights when exposed optically. I hope the new Kodak paper hasn't gone the same way?? Other posters seem to agree that Kodak prints easier and is more adaptable to third party films.
Richard.

 

[braxus]

Yes I got my rolls off a seller on Ebay who has his guy based in Spain, but the seller is in Britian. Complicated, but I did get my film. I will try it out when the weather gets better. The sellers name was "Pablofotografico".

 

[pentaxuser]

Pentax User and ath,
yes it was ALDI. I had never been in before and when I saw the film I had to buy two rolls of each. After developing them I have today re-visited and bought another 20 rolls.
Richard.

Well that explains it. I went into my local ALDI today and asked when were they getting more VR400 in stock and they said that their consignment had been diverted to the store where a guy called Richard was a new major buyer

pentaxuser

 

[Richard Harris]

Pentax User,
Hmmm, sorry about that one. Seriously though, my local Aldi had two batches in stock Whether they were shipped together or not is unknown to me. The ones I bought are dated 10/08 so they are not long dated. I am not worried about that though, they are in the fridge now.
Richard.

 

[B&Wpositive]

Film ID code

The older VR200 used to be marked CL. I have a roll that expires in 1999 in the older style packaging, and it's coded CL-5 200. This means 5th generation of CL ISO 200.

Gold 200 has always been GA I think.

What are the latest VR films marked?

 

[ath]

What are the latest VR films marked?

My latest were marked Kodak 200-8 (last year) and Kodak 400-2 VR plus (2 or 3 years old) on the negative.

 

[B&Wpositive]

Wow...version 8!

Also curious: are the rolls of film marked with either CL or GA?

 

[ath]

are the rolls of film marked with either CL or GA?

No.

 

[B&Wpositive]

correction

Sorry I meant "CL" or "GB" for the 200 speed film.

 

[ath]

Still No. The marking is exactly as I wrote.

 

[B&Wpositive]

But those were negative edge markings; surely the film must also have a letter ID on the cassette itself. Or maybe it doesn't...