I recently discovered the motion picture film, Vision3, which is made by Kodak. You know when they say “Oh this movie was shot on film“, this is exactly what I’m talking about.
This is the same film that was used to shoot movies like Sinners, Oppenheimer, The Wolf of Wall Street.
Vision 3 is a film that Kodak created for shooting motion pictures. So if it’s a film made for movies, how can it then be used in analog cameras for capturing pictures?
So essentially what happens is, the leftovers (called shortends) from shooting movies are gotten from film crews in Hollywood which are then repackaged and sold to consumers. In the US (I think), you can also just call your local Kodak rep and send in an order.
I don’t have that luxury so I buy them from the website 35mmdealer.de.
Why shoot with this film?
Because like I said above, it allows me to channel my inner Christopher Nolan.
Jokes aside though, Cinema films are typically cheaper than traditional photo films. My Vision3 500T costs €11.90 compared to €21+ for Kodak Portra 400. That's nearly half the price for arguably superior image quality.
Also these films were designed for the most demanding applications - Hollywood productions with million-dollar budgets. The tolerances for color accuracy, grain structure, and dynamic range are incredibly tight.
Vision3 comes in several varieties, but the main ones you'll encounter are:
Vision3 250D (5207) - Daylight balanced and Vision3 500T (5219) - Tungsten balanced
As you might guess, 250D is much better for shooting in the daylight and is perfect for outdoor photography and natural light portraits, while the 500T is perfect for tungsten lighting, indoor photography and mixed lighting situations.
With all of that said, here are some pictures taken with the cinema films.
Thanks for looking!