Kodak Ektachrome 200 Professional

Ektachrome 200 Professional, code EPD, was the working pro's faster slide film through the 1980s and 1990s. Kodak introduced it in 1980 as the pro version of the consumer Ektachrome 200 that had arrived with the new E-6 process. The pro variant got tighter color batch control and finer grain than the consumer film, but the underlying chemistry was the same E-6 system any decent slide lab could run.

The useful thing about EPD was push latitude. Where most slide films of the era fell apart past a one-stop push, EPD pushed cleanly to 800 and acceptably to 1600 with custom processing. Editorial shooters working dim concert halls loved it for that reason. The later E200 reformulation (1997, T-grain in all three color records) was even better, holding contrast and color balance out to EI 1000 on a two-stop push.

Character sits between EPN's neutral palette and Velvia's saturation grab. Skin tones come out natural with a slight warm bias. Saturation is moderate. Grain at box speed is fine for an ISO 200 chrome but visibly looser than EPN or Kodachrome 64. Compared to Fuji Provia 400X, EPD pushed cleaner but base saturation ran lower.

Process is E-6. Latitude is narrow in the usual slide way. Half a stop over kills highlights, a third under blocks shadows. Bracket on anything that matters.

Kodak announced the discontinuation of Ektachrome 200 in February 2011, and the broader Ektachrome line was gone by late 2013. The 2018 revival did not bring E200 back. Frozen rolls show up regularly through dealer channels. Warm-stored stock develops the same magenta fog that haunts all aged E-6.

Formats were 35mm, 120, and sheet sizes through 8x10. The sheet sizes went first in the late 2000s contraction.

Reciprocity exponent is 1.1. Zone Light Meter applies the correction past one second. A 10-second meter reading runs closer to 13 seconds at the slide. For long-exposure interior work the correction is small but not negligible, and EPD's mild reciprocity behavior is one reason architecture shooters trusted it.