Kodak Gold Max 800 film offers maximum versatility for 35mm zoom cameras. Get great results in a wide range of light conditions, indoors or out. This film works well for fast sports and even still-life photography. Rich color saturation, greater flash range, and great capturing of depth and shadow are all possible in sunlight or low light. There are four rolls of film in this pack, each with 24 exposures.
1 Fast Film, Wide Range
... I would dare to say the photo-finishing lab has a lot to do with the results you see. I was horrified by one lab I tried recently. Incompetence in the lab can totally ruin your prized shots. As always, it's best to shoot a test roll or two and make sure you don't photograph anything you can't reshoot later. Test a new lab the same way, with photos that can be redone.
Keep this film cool. Refrigerate unopened rolls and let them aclimate before using. Try to load your camera in as much darkness as you can achieve. Process this film as soon as you can, after shooting. Leaving the film sitting around or in heat will cause the dyes to deteriorate. If you need to travel by air, ask for a hand-inspection at the airport. Don't pack this film in checked luggage. It is more sensitive to X-Ray equipment than an average film.
This film actually has a better grain index (48) than Kodak's professional negative film (Portra - index 50) at a 4.4 magnification, ISO 800. (I haven't seen any other index value data from Kodak for this film, so I can't comment about larger print sizes.)
If you need a fast color film for poor lighting conditions or for action photos, this is a good film. It is not as good in controlled lighting situations as the Portra or Supra or even Royal Gold films at lower ISO ratings. If you need the speed and don't intend to enlarge beyond 5x, this film is perfect. If you need to enlarge beyond that, the grain becomes more and more apparent. In photography, as in every other endeavor, choose the right tool for the job. Film is a very important tool for serious photography. Don't depend on just one type of film.
2 Great film
I have used this film for years--with both my older point and shoot Cannon 135 Zoom and my current Nikon N65. The fact that it is a higher speed film makes it very versatile for all types of situations I shoot in--indoors, outdoors, low light, beach photography, fast-action sporting events, etc. I have not had a problem with graininess but I have not blown pictures up past 11x14 size. I have shot approximately 200+ rolls with this film and my lab has never had to color-correct my film. I wonder if some people who use this film and have had problems with graininess have more of a problem with their camera or photo processing lab than it is with the film. This film can be used in all types of situations and I will keep using it with confidence!
3 remember what this stuff is for
I'm a complete rookie as far as real photography is concerned. I went on a trip to East Asia with a bunch of rolls of film and and an old Nikon FM camera. I bought an FM3A in Taiwan as well, and with that camera I used the 800 speed MAX film. I made the mistake of using the film in scenes with lots of light and they came out very grainy, as people have said before. But that's not what this type of film is meant for. As anyone should know the higher speed film one uses the lower quality which is produced, though my comrades who used their P&S cameras thought the higher speed the better -- but that's because they can't change their F stops, which are usually higher than the more hip manual cameras. Film speeds are meant for different purposes. I used lots of 100 speed film and people were asking me "Why are you using such slow film?!" I replied that the lower speed the film the better quality. It turned out that the 800 speed film was among the last film I had before I bought 5 rolls of Kodak Gold 100 in Xian, China. I think the fastest film one should use is 400 speed film anyway unless you're using zoom lenses, which are pretty stupid anyway. I used a Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 lens, a Nikon 28 mm f/2 lens, and a Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 micro lens -- no zooms. So before we blast a product, lets remember what the purpose of this film is.
4 kodak makes some great films this just isn't one of them
I'am an avid photographer that shoots about 15 rolls per month, and I can honestly say this is kodak's worst film. If you want to save money, and don't want to blow up your pics past the standard 4x6 I guess it's ok. If you are taking serious pics that are inportant to you, and wish to blow them up stay as far away from this film as possible. This film has way too much grain, and coloures are washed out. Best bet for that special weding or moment spend a coupple of more bucks and buy kadak royal gold 400 or 1000 you will be veary impressed.
5 Not good for the average use of consumer...
I grabbed a roll of 800 speed film by mistake once and have avoided it like the plague ever since that day. For regular photography 800 speed is a waste and causes the photographer to give up a lot of detail and color in their pictures. I used a roll for a trip to Las Vegas and regret it to this day because of the colorless grainy pictures I got with that roll. On the same trip under the same lighting with the sme camera, my pictures using both 200 and 400 speed film are much clearer and have a lto more saturation of color and detail. Under specific circumstances this film could be useful, but skill with a camera and aperture/shutter speed settings will do the same on a good camera with lower speed film and make better pictures.
6 Not good for the average use of consumer...
I grabbed a roll of 800 speed film by mistake once and have avoided it like the plague ever since that day. For regular photography 800 speed is a waste and causes the photographer to give up a lot of detail and color in their pictures. I used a roll for a trip to Las Vegas and regret it to this day because of the colorless grainy pictures I got with that roll. On the same trip under the same lighting with the sme camera, my pictures using both 200 and 400 speed film are much clearer and have a lto more saturation of color and detail. Under specific circumstances this film could be useful, but skill with a camera and aperture/shutter speed settings will do the same on a good camera with lower speed film and make better pictures.
7 800 Max is the best!
I absolutely love the Kodak 800 Max film! I use it exclusively for all my film needs. I have a Pentax SLR camera with a 35-300 zoom lens. The quality of pictures that I get out of this film is amazing. Great colors, great details in all lighting conditions. I take a lot of pictures indoors (at school programs in extrememly difficult lighting situations) and quite frequently I am the only one who gets the shots of the kids. Outdoors the color saturation is excellent.
I get my film developed at a custom photo lab (not a chain or department store) and the developer says he rarely ever has to use color correction on this film. In fact he recommends it to many of his customers who use a zoom lens.
8 This film has no reason for existence!
This is the worse film I have ever used! It's a very high grain film with horrible color saturation. Shooting outdoors the colors look washed out and are often very overexposed, in low-light situations the shadows look very dark and unrealistic dark colors. If you want to shoot in low light without a flash then you're best going to 1000 or 1600 ISO. If you want to shoot outside/inside you are better off with the more common 400 or less with flash. The fact that this stuff is supposedly Kodak's biggest seller is mystifying, though. Is it all advertising hype, or are most people's standards really this low?
9 Superior Product for Zoom Cameras
This product gives you the type of performance it promises. I was absolutely amazed the first time I used Kodak Gold Max 800 film. The camera used was a Canon AE1 with a 75mm-210mm zoom lens. The subject...my mom and step-dads wedding. I took pictures under a variety of lighting conditions; from hair and make-up to the reception. All of my photos came out with similar quality. Bright vibrant colors! Great depth of field! None of the blue hues I often found on pictures using the 210mm zoom with 400 speed film. My only complaint is the amount of money I have had to spend on reprints, because everyone wants copies.
10 Ack! GRAIN!
I was not at all impressed with this film. I shot eight rolls under various conditions with my Nikon N80 and will not use it again.
The colors seemed washed out and contrast wasn't there. However, my main complaint is graininess. I've seen much smoother images from ISO 1000.
Perhaps others may have better results, but I'll be shooting Royal Gold 400 until something better comes along.
11 Great choice for varing light conditions
I used this film on a once in a lifetime trip to Egypt and was thrilled with the results of my pictures. I took some 200 speed also and you can really tell the difference in the quality of the prints.
