Decide Between ISO 200 and ISO 400 Film for Your First Roll

What does the ISO number mean for film?

ISO is a number showing how sensitive a film is to light. Kodak's technical material says to use this number as-is on cameras or meters marked with ISO. So if your camera has a place to set film speed, just follow the number on the film box.

The Kodak Gold 200 document classifies the film as a low-speed color negative, and it presents Ultramax 400 and Portra 400 as high-speed films. Remember that a higher number favors darker conditions.

How do the two speeds differ?

The date checked is 2026-10-13. The figures in the table were checked in the Kodak Gold 200 technical data sheet (E-7022, June 2023) and Kodak's product pages. Cells that are blank were left out because the page gives no figure.

Do you shoot more in daylight or indoors?

The Gold 200 document has a daylight exposure guide for ISO 200. It assumes an average subject lit from the front between 2 hours after sunrise and 2 hours before sunset, and the shutter speed is 1/250 second throughout.

This table is for ISO 200. If you shoot in shade or overcast weather a lot, you need to open the aperture wide, so 400, which handles low light better, gives you some room. Kodak says Ultramax 400 helps with low-light performance, flash range, action shots, and reducing the effect of camera shake.

So what should you buy first?

Choosing by where you shoot makes it easy.

• If most of your pictures are outdoors on sunny days and travel, ISO 200 fits. Kodak presents Gold 200 for everyday shooting in daylight or with automatic flash, and says it suits enlargements and digital enlarging and cropping.
• If you shoot indoors, on overcast days, or into the evening, ISO 400 fits. Kodak presents Ultramax 400 as a film for indoor and outdoor use, low light with flash, and moving subjects.
• If you want to try a professional color negative, Portra 400 is also ISO 400. Kodak material says it renders skin tones well at its true ISO 400 speed.

Also look at how much exposure error the film forgives. The Gold 200 document gives a wide exposure latitude of 2 stops under to 3 stops over. This figure was confirmed only in the Gold 200 document.

Is there anything else to check before buying film?

Check the format your camera uses. Kodak material lists Gold 200 and Portra 400 in 135 (35mm) and 120 formats. A different format will not fit in your camera, so first see whether your camera takes 135 or 120. Choose the film speed after that.