CineStill400D

CineStill 400D (400Dynamic) is an ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film for C-41 processing, launched by CineStill in 2022 through a crowdfunding campaign [1] [3]. CineStill says it uses motion picture emulsion technology but was designed for still photography and never had a rem-jet layer [2] [3]. It is often said to be Kodak Vision3 250D; that is not confirmed, and reviewers found differences [4] [13].

Look and color

• CineStill’s description: “a soft color palette with natural saturation and rich, warm skin tones” [1].
• Warm. The Darkroom finds “very warm tones”, and 400D “much warmer, more saturated” than 800T in natural light [12]. In a side-by-side test on the same Noritsu scanner, 400D came out warmer than Portra 400, which looked cooler and less saturated [6]. Blue Moon Camera finds that it scans a bit warm, with a slight yellow-green cast, and cooler under a forest canopy on a cloudy day [7].
• A mint cast in scans. Analog.cafe found a slight mint-green cast in inverted scans; automatic correction can overemphasize browns and reds. It also found the film handles mixed lighting well [4].
• Saturation. Blue Moon Camera calls the palette “a bit on the muted side” but never flat, “in the same space as Kodak Portra 400” [7]. Matt Murray describes “rich vibrant colours” with a softer look than Kodak Gold or Ektar [8].
• Halation. CineStill says it “can occur at in-focus, overexposed highlights” [1].
  • At EI 400, it was “only just starting” around bright highlights in the 35mmc test [6]; Matt Murray saw more than expected, for instance on a subject’s back in direct sun [8].
  • Blue Moon Camera suspects it adds a diffuse warm cast to bright, reflective scenes [7]. Analog.cafe did not see it tint large bright areas such as overcast skies [4].

Tonality

• Contrast is described as medium [4] or soft [7]. CineStill publishes no characteristic curve [4].
• Dynamic range. Analog.cafe shot a scene with at least 12 stops between clouds and shadows and kept usable shadow detail [4]. The Darkroom recommends erring on overexposure and metering for the shadows [5].
• Exposure and push. CineStill gives EI 200 to 800 without push processing [1].
  • Its current push table stops at EI 2000 for three stops [1], while the 2022 launch announcement said “pushed up to 3200” [3].
  • The Darkroom warns that pushing adds contrast and grain and reduces shadow detail [12]. Matt Murray pushed it two stops to EI 1600 with “surprisingly little grain” [8].

Grain and sharpness

CineStill publishes no technical datasheet, so there is no granularity figure to compare [4].

• Mostly fine, per reviews. Analog.cafe calls it “exceptionally fine-grained” and thinks it may resolve as well as Portra 400 or better [4]. Blue Moon Camera saw “hardly any visible grain” for an ISO 400 film [7], and the 35mmc test found very fine grain on both 400D and Portra 400 [6].
• One dissent. The Darkroom’s film page says the grain “is relatively noticeable”, though it “looks really good” when properly exposed [5].
• Shadows. Analog.cafe found that 400D keeps color noise and grain in check in the deepest shadows [4]. Vision3 250D processed in C-41 showed green noise there in the same review series [13].

Names, status and history

• 2022 launch. CineStill announced 400Dynamic in March 2022 through its “FILM MAKER” crowdfunding campaign, first in 35 mm and 120, with 4×5 as a stretch goal [3]. By April 12, 2022, the campaign had raised nearly $680,000 and funded all three formats [9]. Retail sales began in October 2022 [10].
• 4×5 in 2024. After a limited run for campaign backers, 4×5 sheets became a regular product in April 2024, in boxes of 25 [11].
• What it is made of. CineStill says 400D is “specifically designed for still photography”, made with “manufacturing partners around the world”, and has “never had a rem-jet layer on it at any point through manufacture” [3] [2].
  • Analog.cafe notes that many believe it is Vision3 250D with the rem-jet removed, but finds it “more than” that: no motion picture film is cut to 4×5, and its shadows behave differently in C-41 [4] [13].
  • In 2024 CineStill contrasted its film with “400D generics”, which it describes as repurposed 250-speed motion picture film [14].
  • The Kodak Vision3 250D page lists the respools that are described as 250D.
• Status. On September 29, 2026, CineStill listed the 35 mm version as out of stock, with a limit of two per customer “due to limited supply”; the 120 rolls and 4×5 sheets were available [1] [15]. We found no discontinuation announcement. CineStill has extended the expiration date of new batches from two to three years [1].