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I was horrified by one lab I tried recently. Incompetence in the lab can totally ruin your prized shots. Don't pack this film in checked luggage. Leaving the film sitting around or in heat will cause the dyes to deteriorate. If you need to enlarge beyond that, the grain becomes more and more apparent. If you need to travel by air, ask for a hand-inspection at the airport. 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. Refrigerate unopened rolls and let them aclimate before using. Don't depend on just one type of film. In photography, as in every other endeavor, choose the right tool for the job. Try to load your camera in as much darkness as you can achieve. I would dare to say the photo-finishing lab has a lot to do with the results you see. 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.
Process this film as soon as you can, after shooting. 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. Film is a very important tool for serious photography. . Test a new lab the same way, with photos that can be redone.Keep this film cool. (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.
I have shot approximately 200+ rolls with this film and my lab has never had to color-correct my film. I have not had a problem with graininess but I have not blown pictures up past 11x14 size. This film can be used in all types of situations and I will keep using it with confidence. 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 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.
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. So before we blast a product, lets remember what the purpose of this film is. 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. I bought an FM3A in Taiwan as well, and with that camera I used the 800 speed MAX film. 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 went on a trip to East Asia with a bunch of rolls of film and and an old Nikon FM camera. But that's not what this type of film is meant for. Film speeds are meant for different purposes. 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. I'm a complete rookie as far as real photography is concerned.
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. 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.
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. 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. 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. This film has way too much grain, and coloures are washed out.
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. 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. 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. 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.
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