Cinestill? My own version / experiment!

[Xmas]

Ah, Dyson. Now I recognize that. I'm so old, everything is a Hoover.

OK, while I've dismissed the subjective, "It's movie, it must be better," comments, I admit I've gotten very curious. Here are some things I've found out along the way:

1) I've looked at the Kodak tech sheets for the 50D, 250D, and 500T films. Due to the fact that consumer Kodak films now use a different standard than the old RMS granularity, it appears to me that they still fall short of the best C-41 films.

2) Likewise, the resolution falls short of Ektar 100. Even the the 50D. The only two films that Kodak ever rated the resolution of as "Excellent" are the Ektar 100 and the consumer 400 High Definition, may you RIP. (Still my favorite.)

3) You can buy 400' cans of the Kodak films on eBay for around $100.

4) If I had to find another high speed color negative film, as I will after my 400HD stocks run out, I'd go for the Portra 400 and not worry about rem jet. Heck, it's even based on the Vision3 technologies! B&H iists a 100' bulk roll, but no price.

I think between Ektar 100 and/or Kodak 400HD or Portra 400, it doesn't make much sense to use the Vision3 films other than for fun or experiments. OK, you can save some money.....

So, I do have one roll each 250D and 500T coming to putz with, but I can't see them bettering what is out there for still films.

4) And with the ECN films, you are locked into home processing, no option to go to a (rapidly disappearing) minilab.

Hi Paul

The ECN film is Kodak's bread and butter the 50D kills the stills film eg in movie house projection.
Getting it processed is a bigger hassle.
Getting it on to silver halide paper means more time in developer than movie.
If you are not poor and don't shoot a dozen cassettes a day use c41.
It was possible to get bulk c41 last batch I've seen was expiry 2005 or so.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

I also meant to list as a fact that the tech specifications for the ECN films are with the rem jet in place during shooting and using the ECN chemistry. That should be obvious, but as I pointed out up above, when you remove the rem jet before shooting, and/or process in C-41, you probably won't even get the ECN specifications.

I learned, in my poking around, that ECN processes to a density of about .5, compared to .6 on standard C-41 negatives. That's why prints are so crappy with movie films.

So, OP, I'm sorry if I've rained on your parade, but I cannot see one reason to shoot ECN film other than using 500T as a high speed indoor film, like in a theater. OTOH, if you are scanning the negs, the only logical way to process ECN, you can shoot Portra 400 and color correct in processing.