Cinestill 50D: A Slow, Pastel Film for Summer Photography
Cinestill 50D, a daylight-balanced ISO 50 color negative film derived from Kodak Vision3 50D (5203/7203), offers a pastel color palette, fine grain, and accurate skin tones. Its Remjet layer is removed by Cinestill for C-41 processing, causing halation around highlights. The film is less saturated and contrasty than Kodak Ektar or Portra, making it ideal for subtle color work. It benefits from post-scanning color correction to neutralize yellow or green casts. Developed in C-41, it is technically cross-processed, yielding slightly lower saturation than native ECN2 chemistry. The film is well-suited for pinhole cameras and long exposures. Sample photos were taken by Annie Buckles, Zeb Andrews, and Ashley Jennings using various cameras. The article is sponsored by Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, OR.
Key facts
- Cinestill 50D is based on Kodak Vision3 50D (5203/7203) motion picture film.
- The Remjet layer is removed by Cinestill to allow C-41 processing.
- It has an ISO of 50 and is daylight-balanced.
- The film produces a pastel color palette with low saturation and contrast.
- It exhibits halation due to the missing anti-halation Remjet layer.
- Accurate skin tones are a noted feature.
- Post-scanning color correction is often needed to correct yellow or green casts.
- Developed in C-41, it is cross-processed, resulting in slightly less saturation than ECN2.
Entities
Artists
- Annie Buckles
- Zeb Andrews
- Ashley Jennings
Institutions
- Cinestill
- Kodak
- Blue Moon Camera and Machine
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Portland
- Oregon
- United States