CineStill 400D .
CineStill 400D (Dynamic) has a key difference from its siblings in the CineStill line: it is not derived from Kodak Vision3 motion picture film like 50D and 800T. It is a new purpose-built film for still photographers.
This is a film anyone who shoots landscapes, architecture or people should consider. Like Portra and Ektacolor Pro 400 it’s an excellent option to throw into the bag for a weekend away. It’s appropriate for a variety of situations whether the light is bright or dim — at 400 ISO there is plenty of leeway if you’re not sure where or when you’ll be shooting.
Like its siblings — 800T and 50D — it is a low contrast colour film with wide latitude. The colour is slightly muted but it represents colourful scenes well without the strength of Kodak’s Ektar and E100. It does share the CineStill halation — a reddish-orange glow around bright highlights — though it's more controlled here than on 800T.
If you’re after a professional, versatile colour film, CineStill 400D is a fine choice — one you might keep coming back to.
- + Landscapes when you want a warmish tone
- + Portraiture when you need more light than 50D
- + Architecture when you want the colours slightly muted
- − Scenes where you want more colour saturation - instead choose Kodak Ektar 100
- − When you want the lowest grain in the range - choose 50D
- − When you want cooler tones — choose 800T
more from their film.
CineStill 400D delivers grain that is finer than you'd expect for an ISO 400 film. Multiple reviewers describe it as comparable to Kodak Portra 400 in fineness, and the underlying Vision3 emulsion technology includes shadow grain reduction that keeps grain subdued even in underlit areas. In 120, what reads as fine grain in 35mm becomes essentially invisible at typical output sizes. Latitude is wide and biased toward overexposure — the film can be rated anywhere from EI 200 to EI 800 and developed normally, with a full stop of overexposure consistently recommended for the smoothest results. Reciprocity is not a concern for typical handheld shutter speeds.
Push processing is one of this film's genuine strengths. The manufacturer publishes a three-stop push table: rate at EI 400–1000 for +1 stop, EI 800–1600 for +2 stops, or EI 1000–2000 for +3 stops. At each level, expect progressively higher contrast, reduced shadow detail, and more visible grain. The film's natural low-contrast base means pushed results still tend to look cinematic rather than harsh. Because the 120 negative starts with far more information, even a two-stop push in medium format retains detail that would be lost at the same push level in 35mm. At box speed, contrast is softer than Portra 400 and saturation is subdued — colours are described as natural and warm rather than vivid, with the film rendering skin tones particularly well. Saturation is below Portra 400 rather than matching it; blues can appear stronger than expected in outdoor scenes. Scanning can introduce a slight green cast in shadows; a small magenta correction in post is sometimes needed.
Halation is a design characteristic of this film: bright in-focus highlights produce a reddish-orange glow, more controlled than CineStill 800T but present in sunny conditions or when shooting toward light sources. The larger negative in 120 does not suppress halation. Store unexposed rolls at 13°C or below and allow at least three hours to warm up from refrigerator temperature before opening the packaging to avoid condensation on the film surface. Medium format rolls do not have DX coding, so exposure confirmation must come from your camera's manual speed setting. Shoot within six months of purchase for optimal results.