Shooting Film on a Budget: Color Films Under $10 by Taylor Blanchard

Written by Taylor Blanchard

As film photography saw a resurgence in interest during the pandemic, supply dwindled and prices shot up. Since then, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. While increases in film prices get the most attention, in recent years, Kodak announced a price cut (even if it was short-lived). We’ve also had new film stocks introduced, giving us more options.

At the end of 2025, I was feeling optimistic about film prices. Eastman Kodak announced it was once again selling film directly (versus via a licensing agreement with Kodak Alaris). They also started selling two “new” films: Kodacolor 100 and 200. They also released UltraMax 400, Kodak Gold 200, Tri-X 400, Ektar 100, and Ektachrome E100 in new packaging under the Eastman distribution. This week, they announced selling the Portra and T-MAX lines under new names.

Lately, the price of silver has been surging in commodities markets. That has real world implications for film photography since silver is obviously the reason film (and paper) is light sensitive and can record an image.

It’s a reminder that film is a global market with countless dependencies. While many of us bemoan the cost of shooting film, you can find many options of color films at less than $10. Many of these films also come in 3- or 5-packs, which give you an even better price.

As with the black & white value film article, apologies to my friends outside of the U.S. where film prices might vary for these stocks.

Kodak ProImage 100

• Color: Warm
• Contrast: Moderate
• Grain: Fine
• Available in 35mm

This film might be the least popular of these choices in the U.S. based on my unofficial review. Originally marketed in Asia, Kodak brought ProImage to the U.S. in 2018. It can be more difficult to find in your local store, and it’s not one you’d find at a big retailer.

The package design is awful, and I think this does the film a disservice, especially since it’s considered a bridge between the consumer and professional lines. The best value for this film is in the 5-pack.

I find the film overall warm with a bit of red.

Find Kodak ProImage 100 on Amazon.

Kodak ColorPlus 200

• Color: Warm, vintage
• Contrast: Muted
• Grain: Noticeable, pleasing
• Available in 35mm

ColorPlus is an unheralded film that is not nearly as popular as some of its cousins, despite its very affordable price tag. ColorPlus is a film with an unclear past. Originally marketed in Asia, the belief is it’s an offshoot of Gold. The canister says Kodacolor 200, which is why most people assumed the “new” Kodacolor 200 is simply ColorPlus.

ColorPlus is an unassuming film: it’s not too punchy, it’s not too contrasty. It tends to a warm color palette with enough grain that you know it’s film and not so much that it’s distracting. I love it for street photography and as a general walking around film. I’ve heard its look described as a bit retro or vintage, and I agree.

Find Kodak ColorPlus 200 on Amazon.

Kodak Gold 200

• Color: Accurate, true to life
• Contrast: Moderate
• Grain: Noticeable, pleasing
• Available in 35mm and 120

Kodak Gold is a powerhouse: Nice, accurate colors; a bit of grain but not distracting; and a wide exposure latitude. It also is available in 120: the only “consumer” film available in medium format (although Kodak Alaris always promoted it as part of their professional line).

Gold as a brand has been part of Kodak for a long time and was previously offered in multiple ISOs; the Gold lineage has likely spawned many Kodak offshoot films.

For me, Gold is one of the best travel films or when shooting in a range of conditions.

Find Kodak Gold 200 on Amazon.

Kodak UltraMax 400

• Color: Accurate, colors pop
• Contrast: Tends to higher
• Grain: More pronounced but not distracting
• Available in 35mm

Another film stock that is part of the Gold family, UltraMax was previously known as Kodak Gold 400, and then tweaked. This is one of those films people always request in 120, and I see why. It has bright, accurate colors with higher contrast. Honestly, it’s a film I didn’t take seriously until recently. Shame on me!

It gives great results straight out of the camera, and I find UltraMax doesn’t need much editing. It’s a great all-purpose film stock and given the 400 ISO, is versatile in different lighting conditions.

Find Kodak UltraMax 400 on Amazon.

Kodacolor 100 and 200

• Color: Accurate, colors pop
• Contrast: Moderate
• Grain: Mild to moderate
• Available in 35mm

In late 2025, Kodak dropped two new films, Kodakcolor 100 and 200, offering little detail other than saying these are “sub-brands of existing Kodak films.” This led to wild speculation before they even hit the shelves. These were the first “new” films to be released under Eastman Kodak distribution.

I’ve heard claims that these are ProImage 100 and ColorPlus 200. Even side-by-side comparisons with these films lead people to believe one thing or the other. My hot take is they are likely derivatives of those films, with slight modifications. I’ve only shot the 200, and I don’t think it’s a 1:1 of ColorPlus, but I can’t say with certainty.

Find Kodacolor 100 and 200 on Amazon or at B&H Photo.

Fujifilm 200 and 400

• Color: Neutral
• Contrast: Moderate
• Grain: Moderate
• Available in 35mm

A few years ago, Fuji started releasing “made in the USA” color films in new packaging to replace their C200 and Superia Xtra 400. Kodak is likely manufacturing these two consumer films for Fuji. Most people assume that means they’re selling Kodak Gold and UltraMax in Fuji packaging. Even if Kodak is manufacturing film for Fuji, we have no idea if they are the exact same; much like the debates above, I’ve seen arguments and film comparisons that draw contrasting conclusions.

Regardless, you can usually find a 3-pack of both at large retailers: electronics stores, drugstores, and big box consumer stores. I assume many people who are re-discovering film start with one of these Fuji films.

Other than the price, I don’t see a reason to seek out these Fuji stocks. Maybe it’s me, but I continue to hold a bit of a grudge against Fuji for how they’ve treated film the last 7-8 years – discontinuing many stocks. Maybe it’s my own issue, but I don’t love either of these stocks (and have a hard time believing they’re the exact same as a Kodak emulsion).

Find Fujifilm 200 and 400 on Amazon.

Conclusion 

When writing this and going through my photos, I realized that these consumer stocks are similar in their results: good color, very forgiving latitude, a bit more grain than you get in a professional stock.

Maybe your favorite is the first one you started shooting or the one that best suits your style. For me, it’s Kodak Gold because I love medium format and the results I get. ColorPlus is my second favorite because it’s got a unique look and UltraMax takes my third place ranking.

With the price and widespread availability of these films, you really can’t go wrong with any of them. 

Do you have a favorite?

Thank you so much, Taylor! Taylor is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, such as Shooting Film on a Budget: Black and White Films Under $10 and Pentax 17 Review.

You can also check out more of Taylor’s work on Instagram.

Leave your questions about budget friendly color film stocks below in the comments, and you can pick some up for yourself on Amazon here.

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Taylor Blanchard

Taylor Blanchard is a landscape and travel film photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here, such as My Foray Into Large Format Photography and The World of Infrared and Red-Sensitive Black and White Film.

Image Credit: Ashley Thalman

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