Kodak released a 50 ISO movie stock (5203) last week

<p>Wow, it looks like we might have the ultimate 35mm film stock. And I was musing about a new Ektar 25 just last week. According to the short news piece I read about it, "With grain almost gone, the superb color and fine detail of new Kodak Vision3 50D/5203 shows that film is still very much alive"</p>

<p>But guess what? I couldn't find it on their website. If you're prepared to download an 8MB PDF to read nothing more than a paragraph (Film & Digital Times, free download), it's in issue 45, page 41:</p>

<p>http://www.fdtimes.com/news/</p>

<p>I do miss the Eastman brand, though.</p>

<p>Strange, with a Google search, it's as though they have announced it in every language but English. French, Spanish, Russian, etc., but not in English, and not on their US website.</p>

<p>Is it just an updated version of this:-<br /><a href="http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Production/Color_Negative_Films/5201.htm">http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Production/Color_Negative_Films/5201.htm</a><br />The other speeds of their color negative movie film seem to have all already been updated to "Vision3" versions.</p>

<p>Color negative film 5201 is Vision2, the old version.</p>

<p>It seems that it was announced at the Camerimage 2011 festival</p>

<p>In this link:<br>

<a href="http://www.motion.kodak.com/motion/About/The_Storyboard/4294969322/index.htm">http://www.motion.kodak.com/motion/About/The_Storyboard/4294969322/index.htm</a></p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>We’ll preview the next addition to our KODAK VISION3 family of films</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I haven't kept up on the latest, but motion picture film used to use different processes than still film, i.e., not the standard C-41 for negatives or E-6 and K-14 for slides. You coudn't take it to the local lab and could not conveniently process it at home. That's why companies like Seattle Film Works would buy huge rolls of movie film, reload it into 35mm cartridges and virtually give it away because you had to come to them for processing. So before you buy a 1,000 foot roll and start reloading, be sure you will be able to get it processed.</p>

<p>Gentlepersons…</p>

<p>Can Vision 5203 be developed at one’s local photo processor? </p>

<p>A. T. Burke</p>

No. Cine film has a backing material that gunks up C41 machines.

<blockquote>

<p>but motion picture film used to use different processes than still film</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It still does (ECN-2). :-) My hope is that this emulsion will migrate to C-41.</p>

<p>The motion picture films are optimized for the length of exposure they get as movie frames. Not sure how this film would fare at the faster speeds (1/125 to 1/2000 etc.) of still cameras. Maybe some reciprocity issues? But, if you have a reliable source of this film that can suppy you with a convenient quantity and processing then it might be worth a try. FWIW, in past tests of various motion picture stocks against still film emulsions, the motion picture films were generally acceptable, but fell short of what consumer grade Fujicolor or Kodacolor could deliver.</p>

 

<p>I'm not sure of the specifics of this product, but in general, motion picture films have less latitude, finer grain, better sharpness, and less color saturation compared to consumer color neg films. I hear that this film has more over exposure latitude than it's predecessor, but it is still likely to be less lattitude than consumer films. </p>

 

<p>Mike is correct about reciprocity. MP films do not require reciprocity over a wide range. This film may not have good reciprocity at the extremes, but if emulsion components are shared with consumer films, then they would have good reciprocity.</p>

<p>Just so everyone knows, there are several labs that will run short lengths (ie still lengths) of cine film through their processors for still photographers. One such lab is Cinelab in MA. Unfortunately their website is currently down for maintenance. There are probably others, too.</p>

<p>I have been using the Vision2 50D (5201) with a Contax 139 Quartz and Zeiss lenses in 135 format; as well as the Vision3 200T for 65mm, reformatted (experimental) to 120 format, with a Rollei 6008i and Zeiss Planar 80mm lens.<br>

I consider their exposure latitude is very wide.<br>

I have been developing them through ECN-2 or C-41 (manual process, with a final manual removing of the remjet layer, using water + borax).<br>

I will post some images in the next weeks.<br>

5201 is an incredible stock (50D), if Kodak was able to improve it, then.... that should really be phenomenal, as was reported from Camerimage, on the CML board.<br>

Film is alive! (this stock is even available from an intermediate company in L.A in super-8 cartridges...).</p>