Ordered Kodak Gold 100, got Profoto XL 100 (?!)

[BrianShaw]

p.s. I even contacted Kodak, both their customer service department (worthless) and a more inside contact referred by a regularly-published internationally-known photographic writer... and could not get one iota of inforamtion from them on the similarity or differences between the two products.

 

[railwayman3]

I have no reason to doubt you, but our experience has been exactly the opposite of each other. I processed both Kodak Gold200 and ColorPlus200 at the same time and had them printed with the same machine... to get very different results.

OK, I'll admit that I was being a bit mischevious in inferring that the films might be identical. Accepting that they are different, the printing machine, scanner, or whatever, must then be correctly adjusted for each type of film to get the best results. If not, obviously different results.....

Still, I suggest, a lot of hype in packing virtually identical films for different markets. I live near the site of one of the former Kodak factories in the UK where films were finished and packed, and a close friend who worked there confirms that film from identical master rolls was finished under different names for different markets. (I have no reason to doubt this, it was well after the factory closed and he took early retirement, he was previously under a confidentiality employment contract.) No different to many other products.

 

[BrianShaw]

OK, I'll admit that I was being a bit mischevious in inferring that the films might be identical.

Not mischevious at all.... but totally confusing in whether you are writing assumptions or a statement of knowledge/experience.

Good day, madam.

 

[railwayman3]

Not mischevious at all.... but totally confusing in whether you are writing assumptions or a statement of knowledge/experience.

Good day, madam.

Sorry. However, the second paragraph of my last posting, i.e. the packaging of the same film under different names for different markets is definitive. From my friend as a former employee, the information volunteered in a casual conversation a little while ago, with no questioning or prompting, and with no point to make or axe to grind. Don't think he (or I) thought it was particularly unusual or a big deal at the time. Amongst other branding, the Kodak 200ASA "High Definition" 35mm was identical with another consumer 200ASA film, the "High Definition" being marketing hype at the time HD televisions were the latest "new gadget" in the UK.

There has been regular speculation that Fuji adopt similar marketing with their flagship films, their own consumer films, and other own-label films (e.g. current Agfa Precisa and Vista). Quite understandable, why should they incur extra costs by setting up a whole different product, when the profit is in the marginal cost of an extra run of an existing product. Some people aren't interested in paying more than £1 in the cheapo store, others turn up their noses and want to pay £5 to be seen using a posh brand....not just in films, of course.

 

[newcan1]

Profoto and Gold are not the same. Profoto (aka ProImage) has slightly less contrast and saturation. I believe it is sold as a professional film in certain regions of the world.

I have found that its tonality and contrast are similar to Portra 160, but it has larger grain. I have used it quite a lot, and for a film of that price level, I like it a lot. I also have a lot in my freezer; at least 200 rolls.

 

[heterolysis]

Looking at my negatives, the Profoto rebate actually says KODAK PROFOTO XL 100. It for sure is not just rebranded Gold, though the emulsion could very well be similar as Kodak says.

 

[OzJohn]

Profoto and Gold are not the same. Profoto (aka ProImage) has slightly less contrast and saturation. I believe it is sold as a professional film in certain regions of the world.

I have found that its tonality and contrast are similar to Portra 160, but it has larger grain. I have used it quite a lot, and for a film of that price level, I like it a lot. I also have a lot in my freezer; at least 200 rolls.

Kodak ProImage 100 was/maybe still is a pro film, 35mm only, that was sold in 5 packs and did not require refrigeration. When I used it (late 90s - early 2000s) it was made in Kodak's new Chinese factory (I assume that factory has now gone the way of all the others). It was cheaper and aimed at volume photographers eg schools, grads etc. It was a very good film for its purpose and also had the bonus that it would print on the analogue minilabs of the day using the same channel as the Gold films. I have no idea if it was essentially the same as Gold 100 as that is a film I never used but given that Kodak manufactured the same consumer films in a number of different factories ProImage could well have been rebadged Chinese Gold. OzJohn

 

[bvy]

This is a follow up to my original post. I shot and processed a roll of Kodak Profoto XL 100, and I'm deciding that, for the price, I like it. I'm most of the way through a second roll.

Without any correction, it scans with a greenish-yellow cast as someone here suggested. To compare, Superia and Portra scan with the color very close to what it should be, if not dead on. I knew better than to draw conclusions about the film itself based on this, so I picked a few frames and headed to the darkroom.

My enlargements are shown below. I scanned each print with no color correction, so as to eliminate processing variables; I think the prints "pop" a little bit more when seen in person. I've also included a screenshot of the scans so you can see what I mean about how the negatives scan.

Film: Kodak Profoto XL 100
Camera: Olympus XA2 (exposed at box speed)
Film Developer: Kodak Flexicolor
Paper: Fuji Crystal Archive Type II Lustre
Paper Developer: Kodak Ektacolor
Print Scanner: Epson V500 with 'No Color Correction' set.

 

[Paul Glover]

Tried a roll recently and it seems quite good for the price. My scans had a slight magenta cast but I forgot to shoot a "calibration" frame in normal sunlight with a gray card, and my scanning software was being terribly uncooperative too (probably intimidated by the enlarger ;-) ). I plan to try some more of it.

 

[benjiboy]

Ordered Kodak Gold 100, got Profoto XL 100 (?!)
So what, I married Cinderella, and she turned into one of the ugly sisters