KodakVision3 500T

Kodak Vision3 500T (5219 in 35 and 65 mm, 7219 in 16 mm) is a tungsten-balanced color negative motion picture film, rated EI 500 under 3200 K light and processed in ECN-2 [1]. Kodak sells it as a motion picture film; it reaches still cameras through respools [14], and CineStill 800T is reportedly made from it without its anti-halation protection [9] [12]. Since 2025, Kodak has been replacing its black rem-jet backing with an anti-halation undercoat (AHU) [4].

Look and color

• Built for tungsten light. Under 3200 K lamps the film needs no filter, and Kodak leaves the final color balance to post-production [1]. On Kodak’s spectral curves the blue-sensitive layer sits well above the red-sensitive one, about 3.2 against 2.45 in log sensitivity (our reading of the graph): that extra blue sensitivity compensates for tungsten light, which is poor in blue [5] [12].
• Daylight turns blue. Kodak rates the film EI 320 in daylight with a Wratten 85 filter [1]. Without it, Alex Luyckx got “a severe blue cast” that remained after correction, and a yellow cast under cool-white indoor lights [10]. Kodak rates it three stars out of five for day exteriors and five for limited light [3].
• Color and skin. Kodak claims “outstanding skin tones and color reproduction” [1]. Tahusa describes “great tonality” and a cinematic mood in low light [9].
• No red halos. With its anti-halation protection intact, Tahusa saw none of the red glow of CineStill 800T [9]. Kodak says the new AHU structure controls halation “even more successfully than remjet” [4].

Tonality

• Curve. On the characteristic curves the three layers run parallel, on an orange mask (base densities about 0.84 blue, 0.58 green, 0.18 red). The toe runs from about −6 to −3 stops, the straight section to about +5 stops, then a gentle shoulder. The slope reads at about 0.55 in green and 0.46 in red (our reading of the graph) [1]. This low contrast is intended: Kodak designed the film for the digital intermediate, where it is scanned and graded [1].
• Exposure range. Kodak places a white card 2⅓ stops above normal exposure, with at least 3½ more stops for specular highlights, and a 3 % black card 2⅔ stops below, with at least 2½ more for shadow detail [2]. It also claims 2 stops of extra highlight latitude from its Sub-Micron Technology [1].
• Development changes contrast. Tahusa found better contrast, less grain and better tonality in ECN-2 than in C-41 [9]. CineStill, for its version of the emulsion, says the opposite about contrast: ECN-2 gives flatter, lower-gamma negatives [12].
• Long exposures: no correction from 1/1000 s to 1 s; around 10 s, add one stop and a CC10R filter [2].

Grain and sharpness

Kodak publishes granularity only as curves, measured with what it calls “modified measuring techniques”. The readings below compare the two Vision3 stocks on the same method; we do not compare them with the RMS figures of still films.

• Values are our reading of logarithmic graphs, so approximate. On both films granularity peaks in the toe, that is in the shadows: for 500T, about 0.03 in blue and 0.012 in green [1].
• Kodak calls the granularity “exceptionally low” and credits its Dye Layering Technology with less grain in the shadows [2] [1].
• Reviews disagree. Tahusa calls the grain fine [9]. Alex Luyckx warns not to expect fine grain and saw color noise in scans rated at EI 800, while noting that the film may have been stored badly [10].
• Sharpness: Kodak publishes modulation transfer curves but no resolving power [1].

Spectral sensitivity

The curves shown are traced from Kodak’s March 2022 datasheet, the rem-jet version; the March 2026 AHU edition shows the same curves (our comparison) [5] [1]. The blue-sensitive layer is the most sensitive, about 3.2 in log sensitivity against 2.8 for green and 2.45 for red (our reading of the graph) [5]: that surplus of blue keeps whites neutral under warm tungsten light [12], and turns daylight frames shot without an 85 filter blue [10]. The Grain Archive style is not computed from these curves.

Names, status and history

• 2007. Vision3 500T was introduced in 2007 [8]. The datasheet still carries the 5219 (35 and 65 mm) and 7219 (16 mm) codes [1] [2].
• 2025: AHU instead of rem-jet. Kodak announced in 2025 that all Vision3 color negatives would lose their carbon rem-jet backing for an anti-halation undercoat that washes away in processing, plus a process-surviving antistatic layer [4] [6] [7].
  • Kodak says sensitometry is unchanged and both versions can be mixed [4]. The curves in the March 2026 datasheet match those of the March 2022 rem-jet edition (our comparison) [1] [5].
  • New catalog numbers carry “AHU”; the product name and code stay the same [4]. American Cinematographer reported that AHU volume would be limited at first [6].
  • Kodak’s datasheet still specifies ECN-2 [1]. Reviewers report developing AHU film in plain C-41 chemistry [11] [19]; Kosmo Foto wrote that this is “theoretically” possible [7].
• Status. On September 29, 2026, Kodak listed 5219/7219 among its current camera films [3], in 65 mm, 35 mm, 16 mm and Super 8 [2].
• CineStill 800T. CineStill says 800T “was originally based on a 500-speed motion picture film” and that its work started with “Kodak Vision 3 stock”, without naming 5219 [12] [13]. See its own page for what changes.
• Also sold as. In still-camera cassettes, 500T is sold by:
  • Silbersalz35 500T, with rem-jet, sold since 2019 with ECN-2 processing and scanning included [14];
  • Reflx Lab 800, converted from Vision3 500T and renamed from “Reflx Lab 800T” in 2023 after a trademark dispute with CineStill [15];
  • Candido 800, described as respooled, modified Vision3 500T with its rem-jet removed [16]. Analog.cafe found 5219 edge markings, and readers reported halation on some batches but not others [17].