GA — 046 Black and white

KodakDouble-X 5222

Vintage black and white with rich blacks, per reviews; visible cubic grain

Manufacturer
Eastman Kodak
ISO
250 · EI 250 daylight, 200 tungsten
Type
Black and white
Process
B&W
Formats
135, 120, 35 mm motion picture (5222), 16 mm motion picture (7222)
Status
In production
Datasheet
H-1-5222

Also known as CineStill BwXX (also sold as, reported [4]).

Status checked [2]

After: beach cabin under storm clouds, with the preset inspired by Kodak Double-X 5222 (GA — 046 / P) applied (simulation). Before: the same beach cabin under storm clouds, base development without a preset, in color.
fig. 1 · GA — 046 / P · simulation on a digital RAW, not a film scan Drag, tap or use the arrow keys

Character

Contrast
Reviews disagree: 'a little less contrast than you might expect' to 'strong contrast'; development changes it a lot
Grain
Diffuse RMS granularity 14 (datasheet, D-96)
Latitude
About 1.5 stops each way, per one review; other reviewers shot it from EI 100 to 1600
Best for
Dim light and depth of field (Kodak); controlled light (reviews)

Kodak Eastman Double-X is a high-speed, panchromatic black-and-white negative film made for motion pictures, as 5222 in 35 mm and 7222 in 16 mm [1]. It was introduced in 1959 [4] [5]. CineStill sells it to still photographers as BwXX, in 135 and 120, and describes it as based on Double-X 5222 [3] [4].

Look and color

  • Panchromatic. The film is sensitive from violet to orange-red from the datasheet curve [1]. Its curve is close to Tri-X’s; see the spectral section below.
  • Reviews. Reviewers describe a “truly vintage” black-and-white look [5], “rich silver tones and deep blacks” [6], “wonderfully rich blacks” with tones that “fall off nicely” [8] and “wonderful tonality” [7].
  • Color in gray. None of the reviews we read describes how individual colors turn into gray. For that we rely on the datasheet curve.
  • A motion-picture stock. Kodak positions it for general production use, outdoors and in the studio, in dim light and where more depth of field is needed without more light [1].

Tonality

  • Speed. Kodak gives exposure indexes of 250 in daylight and 200 under tungsten light, for development to a gamma of 0.65 [1]. Reviewers often quote it as ISO 200 [7] [8].
  • Curves. With D-96 the gamma runs from 0.50 at 4 minutes to 1.05 at 12 minutes. The toe is long and the plotted range shows no shoulder (our reading of the graph) [1].
  • Contrast: sources disagree. One review finds “just a little less contrast than you might expect” and a “smooth, flat” tonality [5]. Others report “high contrast” [6] and “strong contrast” [8]. The developer matters: Rollei Supergrain gave more contrast than Diafine [7].
  • Latitude: sources disagree. One review puts it at about 1.5 stops each way, with shadows turning to ink and highlights washing out beyond that [5]. Another finds exposure latitude limited and asks for precise metering [6]. A third shot ISO 100 to 600 with Diafine and found few blown highlights [7].
  • Push. CineStill says it can be pushed to EI 1600 [3]; a reviewer tested EI 200 to 1600 [6].
  • Long exposures. Kodak asks for no correction from 1/10,000 s to 1 s [1].

Grain and sharpness

Film Diffuse RMS granularity Developer
Kodak Double-X 5222 14 [1] D-96
Kodak Tri-X 400 17 [9] HC-110 (B)
Kodak T-Max 400 10 [10] D-76
  • RMS values measured in different developers are only roughly comparable. Kodak’s Double-X figure is read at density 1.0 with a 48 µm aperture [1].
  • Resolving power is 100 lines/mm at a test-object contrast of 1000:1 and 32 lines/mm at 1.6:1 [1].
  • Reviews: “tight cubic grain” that limits perceived sharpness [5]; an “incredibly sharp film” [6]; “notably fine” grain with Rollei Supergrain and Diafine [7]; cubic grain that is finer in T-Max developer than in CineStill Df96 [8]. The sources contradict each other on sharpness and grain, and developer choice explains part of it.

Spectral sensitivity

On an equal-energy basis, sensitivity is highest in the violet and blue (about 425 to 440 nm), dips near 510 nm, rises again to a second maximum around 575 nm, then falls steeply past 630 nm [1]. Reds beyond about 640 nm therefore render dark, and blue skies lighter than in a plain luminance conversion. Our style measurement agrees: a sky 4.5 L* lighter than the base rendering [11].

fig. 2 · spectral sensitivityKODAK DOUBLE-X 5222 · DATASHEET KODAK H-1-5222
Spectral sensitivity of Kodak Double-X 5222 compared with the human eyePanchromatic response on an equal-energy basis: a maximum of about 0.89 log around 425 to 440 nm, a dip to about 0.56 near 510 nm, a second maximum of about 0.72 between 565 and 585 nm and a small plateau near 620 nm, then a steep fall beyond 630 nm to about -0.67 where the trace ends at 661 nm. 400450500550600650700 10.50 λ (nm) relative sensitivity
Panchromatic response on an equal-energy basis: a maximum of about 0.89 log around 425 to 440 nm, a dip to about 0.56 near 510 nm, a second maximum of about 0.72 between 565 and 585 nm and a small plateau near 620 nm, then a steep fall beyond 630 nm to about -0.67 where the trace ends at 661 nm. The style's B&W channel mix is derived from this curve. Source: datasheet p. 3, traced pixel by pixel from the graph image in the PDF.

Datasheet digest

Eastman Kodak Company datasheet H-1-5222, edition 2022-03. Read the datasheet (PDF) on kodak.com Motion-picture datasheet for 5222 (35 mm) and 7222 (16 mm), not a still-photography sheet. Source: manufacturer. The Grain Archive does not host datasheets.

Key figures for Kodak Double-X 5222
ItemValueSource
Exposure index250 daylight, 200 tungsten (3200 K), for development to a gamma of 0.65[1]
Diffuse RMS granularity14 (net density 1.0, 48 µm aperture, D-96, 21 °C)[1]
Resolving power100 lines/mm (test object contrast 1000:1), 32 lines/mm (1.6:1)[1]
Gamma against D-96 time0.50 at 4 min, 0.56 at 5 min, 0.66 at 6½ min, 0.84 at 9 min, 1.05 at 12 min (read from the graph)[1]
Recommended developmentD-96, about 7 min at 21 °C in a continuous machine, to a gamma of 0.65 to 0.70 (Status M)[1]
Characteristic curveLong toe, no visible shoulder over the plotted range (read from the graph)[1]
ReciprocityNo filter or exposure correction from 1/10,000 s to 1 s[1]
Filter factors, daylightNo. 8 ×1.5, No. 15 ×3, No. 25 ×8, No. 29 ×20[1]
BaseGray acetate safety base[1]

Names, status and history

  • 1959. Kodak introduced Double-X 5222 as a motion-picture negative [4] [5]. Emulsive describes it as a refinement of the older Super-XX formula [6].
  • 5222 and 7222. 5222 is the 35 mm version and 7222 the 16 mm version, listed together on Kodak’s motion-picture site and on datasheet H-1-5222, dated March 2022 [1] [2].
  • CineStill BwXX. CineStill sold BwXX in 35 mm first and added 120 on May 26, 2021 [4]. It calls BwXX based on Double-X 5222, with the same speeds of ISO 250 in daylight and 200 in tungsten [3] [4]. A reviewer wrote that BwXX is identical to stock Double-X [6]. We list this link as reported: Kodak does not mention BwXX.
  • Status. On September 30, 2026, Kodak’s motion-picture site listed Double-X 5222/7222 [2], and CineStill’s store listed BwXX with a limit of 20 rolls per customer [3]. Neither states a discontinuation. Kodak’s datasheet is a motion-picture document without still-photography information [1].
  • Halation. Reviews and vendor pages we read do not agree on the anti-halation backing, so we say nothing about it.

Alternatives

  • GA — 003 Kodak Tri-X 400

    Spectral curve of similar shape; Kodak lists RMS 17 in HC-110 against 14 for Double-X in D-96, so grain cannot be compared directly

  • GA — 001 Ilford HP5 Plus

    The classic still-photography ISO 400 black and white, sold in ordinary 135 and 120 rolls

  • GA — 019 Kodak T-Max 400

    Kodak's T-grain 400, with a published RMS of 10 in D-76: finer grain than Double-X on paper

  • GA — 067 Kodak Plus-X 125

    Kodak's slower black-and-white negative (ISO 125), no longer made

Get the look in darktable

The GA — 046 / P preset, inspired by Kodak Double-X 5222, is a darktable 5.6 style of 4 native modules, with no LUT. It sits on top of your own exposure and tone mapping.

Measured on test RAW files, CIELab
ZoneMetricBefore → after
skyL55.3 → 59.8
skinL78.2 → 78.0
pink T-shirtL47.3 → 46.5

Settings, all measurements and limits of the Kodak Double-X 5222 preset

GA — 046 / P · darktable preset

Double-X 5222
for darktable

Full pack · 87 presets · yours to keep
.dtstyle file, darktable 5.6 or later

$20 Get the full pack

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See real photos

Scans of real Kodak Double-X 5222 film, published by others:

Questions about Kodak Double-X 5222

Is CineStill BwXX the same as Kodak Double-X?

According to CineStill and to a reviewer who shot it, yes: BwXX is based on Kodak's Double-X 5222 motion-picture stock, sold in 35 mm and, since May 2021, in 120. Kodak's own pages do not mention BwXX, so we treat the link as reported, not confirmed by Kodak. [3] [4] [6]

Is Kodak Double-X still made?

It appears so. Kodak's motion-picture site still lists Double-X 5222 (35 mm) and 7222 (16 mm), and CineStill's store listed BwXX in 35 mm and 120 on September 30, 2026, with a purchase limit of 20 rolls. Kodak gives no production notice, so check stock before planning a project. [2] [3]

What ISO is Double-X 5222?

Kodak gives exposure indexes of 250 in daylight and 200 under 3200 K tungsten, for development to a gamma of 0.65. CineStill says it can be pushed to EI 1600. One reviewer tested EI 200 to 1600; another shot ISO 400 and ISO 100 with a compensating developer. [1] [3] [6] [7]

Is Double-X the same as Tri-X?

No. They are separate Kodak emulsions: Double-X is a motion-picture negative from 1959, Tri-X a still-photography film. Their spectral curves have a similar shape. Kodak lists RMS 14 for Double-X in D-96 and 17 for Tri-X in HC-110, so the two grain figures are not directly comparable. [1] [5] [9]

Which developer should I use for Double-X?

Kodak's datasheet gives D-96, about 7 minutes at 21 °C in a motion-picture machine. Still photographers reported Rodinal 1+25, Ilfosol 3, Rollei Supergrain, Diafine, T-Max developer and CineStill Df96. Results differ: Diafine was described as smoother, Supergrain as more contrasty. [1] [6] [7] [8]

Sources

  1. 1DS Kodak, Eastman Double-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222, technical data H-1-5222 (March 2022)
  2. 2M Kodak: Eastman Double-X black and white negative film 5222/7222, product page Accessed September 30, 2026.
  3. 3R CineStill: BwXX Double-X 35 mm 36 exp, product page Accessed September 30, 2026.
  4. 4M CineStill: A brand new classic, CineStill BwXX 120 (May 26, 2021) Accessed September 30, 2026.
  5. 5C Casual Photophile: Eastman Kodak Double-X (5222), a cinematic black and white film (Josh Solomon, August 4, 2017) Accessed September 30, 2026.
  6. 6C Emulsive: Film stock review, Kodak Eastman Double-X (5222), 35mm format (Alexander Laurent, May 25, 2020) Accessed September 30, 2026.
  7. 7C 35mmc: Eastman Kodak 5222 Double-X with a Contax RTS II (Ibraar Hussain, June 13, 2023) Accessed September 30, 2026.
  8. 8C Japan Camera Hunter: Film Review, Kodak Double-X (Michael Nguyen, September 25, 2020) Accessed September 30, 2026.
  9. 9DS Kodak Professional Tri-X 320 and 400, technical data F-4017 (October 2021)
  10. 10DS Kodak Professional T-Max 400, technical data F-4043 (February 2016)
  11. 11B The Grain Archive: Kodak Double-X 5222 style, validation measurements

DS: datasheet · M: manufacturer · C: review or community · R: retailer · B: Grain Archive measurement