CineStill 400D Film Review
Risking life and limb I managed to capture this fearsome dragon staring me down in Chinatown. This shot is a good example of the high levels of detail that this ISO 400 film can render (click to enlarge). 1/400s 35mm F1.4.
Over the last two decades film photography has been on a real rollercoaster ride. From riding high at the start of the millennium to seemingly dwindling into oblivion just a decade later and now to surging again as people seek a slower and more meaningful shooting experience. Whilst it is great that the interest in film has increased so much it is not without consequences. Film prices have shot up dramatically in the last four years alone, you are easily paying at least double what you did in 2019 and production issues have only exacerbated that, alongside Fujifilm killing off their film lines one by one.
These two traditional dolls show off how much red pops when using CineStill 400D. 1/2500s 35mm F1.4.
Fine grain also helps with the smooth transitions between in and out of focus. 1/2000s 35mm F1.4.
A miniature model float on display at Japan House London. A constant source of interesting and colourful objects. 1/800s 35mm F1.4.
However, it’s a completely different story for motion picture film where Kodak has still been making product in bulk for filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino year after year. Given the economies of scale it has become popular for many companies to buy and re-package motion picture film for stills photography, often at much cheaper prices than the standard equivalent. The most famous of these is CineStill (though their prices are not exactly much cheaper!) who have sold CineStill 50D, CineStill BWXX and the most well known and popular CineStill 800T. If you are shooting colour negative film then there is unlikely to be anything better to shoot with at night than that.
The red berries of this skimma pop nicely against the mostly green background, but it’s certainly not Fuji greens. The colour balance is definitely shifted more to the warm side. 1/200s 50mm F1.8.
I really love the natural looking colours of this image and I am glad I framed this properly to avoid the plums overlapping with the branch in the background. 1/400s 50mm F1.8.
But whilst the increasing prices of film have been burning holes in our wallets, they do also provide new opportunities for innovation that is only possible through being able to sell a roll of film for £20 instead of £5. Using their strong, established base and expertise, CineStill launched a brand-new product in 2022 – CineStill 400D. This is a completely new emulsion based off properties of both motion picture and stills film in an attempt to not only bridge the gap in their own film range but to provide a bit more market competition. Initially available in both 35mm and 120 roll film, I’m yet to hear any updates on 4x5 sheet film even though that was successfully fundraised, and I think the return of 220 roll film was always nothing more than a pipe dream.
Another good example of how rich the reds look on this film. The highlights of the white leaves are also well controlled and not blown out. 1/100s 50mm F4.0.
This shot of the succulents once again shows off the fine grain of this film. 1/250s 50mm F1.8.
It’s almost that time again for the Christmas turkey. 1/80s 50mm F2.8.
Having shot both 800T and 50D previously I was keen to give this new emulsion ago, especially as a hole had opened in the market with the recent demise of Fujifilm’s Pro400H. Shooting a roll of 35mm in my Nikon F100, I was curious to see how the look compared to CineStill’s other films and also to Kodak’s legendary Portra 400.
Shooting inside in low light is not an issue with ISO 400 and fast glass like my 35mm F1.4G. 1/125s 35mm F1.4.
Skins tones are quite different to what you’d get with Kodak Portra. There’s definitely a shift towards red here as well. 1/160s 35mm F1.4.
A Butsudan - a Buddhist shrine found in many Japanese homes to offer honourings to the deceased. 1/100s 35mm F1.4.
One of the great things about motion picture film is how fine the grain is in comparison to film made specifically for stills photography, one of the things I found impressive with 800T. And so that is the case here for 400D. Grain is present but remarkably controlled, not only rendering high amounts of detail but also giving smooth transitions from in and out of focus areas. Another hallmark of motion picture film used for stills photography is a lack of anti-halation layer which gives light sources a glowing red look. That is also here which helps it fit into CineStill’s range, there is a consistent look rather than a complete departure.
Continuing on the Japanese theme I headed on over to Japan Centre. Thankfully it had a nice red sign. 1/320s 35mm F2.8.
The large dynamic range from top to bottom is handled well by the dynamic range of the film. However I do think I should have increased the exposure by at least a half a stop. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4.
The T in 800T stands for ‘Tungsten’ and the colour balance is altered to balance out the glow of yellow tungsten lights, great for artificial lighting but it leaves natural daylight looking very blue. The colour balance here is of course for daylight hence why it is 400D and not 400T and it does a good job of rendering colours accurately, though it is a little on the warm side and I find red colours really seem to pop. I’d say the film stock it reminds me of the most in that regard is Kodak Ektar. According to the CineStill website the large exposure latitude of this film stock means you can shoot it at ISO 200 or ISO 800 with standard development and you can push it all the way up to ISO 3200 if needed. With a real lack of high ISO colour films this is a great new addition. Though I cannot personally say how effective that is.
The glowing red halation that is synonymous with shooting motion picture film for stills photography. 1/250s 35mm F1.4.
There was no shortage of red in Chinatown just after Chinese New Year. I think the heavy vignetting from the F1.4 lens has left the edges a bit underexposed. 1/3200s 35mm F1.4.
Shooting a single roll means I can’t review every aspect of the film, but I have been left very impressed and can wholeheartedly recommend others to shoot this. It’s very much in line with the re-packaged motion picture films already on the market, so if you like that look then this is a good option. For those who prefer stronger blue tones and less halation, then the classics like Portra are likely to be a better bet. But it’s worth giving this a go at least once to see what you think. And don’t worry, there’s no remjet layer so there’s no need to worry about sending it into your local lab. Happy Shooting.
One of London’s most photographed feature - the Chinatown gate. This is definitely not the first time it’s featured on this blog. 1/2500s 35mm F1.4.
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