Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 Film Review

Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 colour negative film was designed for movie cameras. But in the mid-2010s, CineStill popularized its use in SLRs and rangefinders with a remjet-less version, the 50D. As the availability of ECN-2 developers increased, the original Kodak (non-CineStill) version of this film also began to gain popularity amongst us still photographers.

Kodak Vision 3 film requires a pre-wash to remove the remjet layer. If you skip this step, the images and the developer chemicals will be ruined, which is why most photo labs won’t take it. However, this step isn’t difficult to add to the standard C-41 process at home, which makes this film attractive to photographers as it’s much cheaper than any colour film (including the CineStill version) when purchased in bulk.

Developing (cross-processing) Kodak Vision 3 films in C-41 chemicals won’t always yield the results you’d hope for. Lucky for us, the 50D variant of the emulsion works well with the standard colour-negative film developer.

As more photographers discover this film, it’s beginning to make its way to the stores pre-spooled (guaranteeing a cheaper upfront cost) and some labs are beginning to offer Vision 3 development.

In this review, I’ll cover all the technical specifications, share samples, and review the various ways of getting hold of and developing this film.

In this review: What is Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203? Dynamic range and colours. Grain and resolution. Kodak Vision 3 50D vs. CineStill 50D. The great crackdown of 2024. Tips for developing in C-41. Where to buy Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

What is Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203?

Kodak Vision 3 is a motion picture film packed for movie cameras in various formats and lengths (50’ and up). However, you can’t buy it directly from Kodak, and even if you do get some, you can’t shoot it in your 35mm (or medium format) film camera without performing a few extra steps.

Vision 3 50D was used in major productions, including Interstellar, Tenet, Dunkirk, and Killers of the Flower Moon. It is very fine-grained, offers high colour accuracy, and has an excellent dynamic range.

CineStill sells a version of the 50D packed for 135 and medium format cameras without the remjet layer. CineStill’s 50D can be taken to any lab for processing and will work fine at home in C-41 chemicals. It will also produce noticeable halation.

If you’re willing to source and bulk-load this film, you can use it with your SLR or a rangefinder — but you will need to take it to a special lab or remove the remjet layer before developing. This can save you a lot of money. You can also buy pre-rolled Kodak Vision 3 film to save a little less money (single 35mm rolls currently go for $10-15, whereas bulk-rolled 36exp. rolls may cost as little as $8 or better). In either case, you will still have to deal with remjet; many photographers find that to be worth the effort.

Dynamic range and colours.

The Kodak Vision 3 datasheet for this film shows about 11 stops of dynamic range when developed in ECN-2. C-41 chemicals tend to add contrast and saturation, which may decrease the film’s dynamic range. Though judging from the results, it can’t be by much.

The colours I got from this film in C-41 developer looked natural in most conditions, comparable to Kodak Portra 160. Looking back at the exposures taken at various times of day and the sun’s position, I’ve noticed that this film may produce increased saturation in warm light, such as during the golden hour.

​✪ Note: I use this method to scan all film for my reviews. It creates consistent results that make understanding and comparing the emulsion’s colour/contrast attributes possible.

Grain and resolution.

This is Kodak’s finest-grain film for motion picture format. It can produce exceptionally fine details in colour on large screens and in print.

I doubt that the developer choice (ECN-2 vs. C-41) affects the grain or resolution of this film, though that would be interesting to test.

Check out this 12x close-up of the grain from the CineStill version of 50D (which is identical to Vision 3 in terms of resolution).

Kodak Vision 3 50D vs. CineStill 50D.

CineStill 50D is physically identical to Kodak Vision 3 50D with the exception of the remjet layer and the packaging. Without the remjet, 50D renders halation effects which are unique and subjectively attractive.

The halation on CineStill 50D film isn’t always noticeable; however, it appears to slightly change the colour of the brightly lit parts of your image, like the sky and snow. This can make editing this film a little more challenging in some cases. For example, the above photo from the BC mountain range shows a lot of halation (red glow) around the trees near the bottom and snow banks. You may also notice that the large body of water is also a little purple — correcting that colour may force the rest of the scene to look unnaturally green.

Despite costing more than Vision 3 bought in bulk, and the potential editing challenges, CineStill 50D is mostly as good as the original. It’s just as fine-grained and its colours look almost indistinguishable from Vision 3 in most cases. CineStill 50D is also available for sale at more shops, it comes in DX-coded metal film canisters, and it’s safe to take to any lab that develops colour film or to use with a home kit.

If you’ve got the right chemicals and a scanner (or an access to a lab that does ECN-2 development), the bulk-loading tools, and a roll of Kodak Vision 3 film, you’ll have some of the best colour film chemistry on the market and a whole lot of savings.

If this sounds attractive, you may like to make some calculations in advance — as a 100’ bulk roll and the tools needed to spool it are a considerable investment. You can determine the number of 35mm film rolls and exposures from any bulk roll length using this app: Bulk Roll Calculator.

The great crackdown of 2024.

You can shoot a technically more colour-accurate film (Vision 3) for a lot less (than CineStill) with a little bit of effort and a reasonable upfront investment. This can and has been enough to persuade avid photographers to take the plunge. However, recent industry developments may make find this film more challenging.

Background. Kodak films like Portra, Gold, ColorPlus, Ektar, Ektachrome, and Pro Image are manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company at the Rochester factory. However, the rights to distribute those films belong to another company, Kodak Alaris — which was split from Kodak around 2012 due to bankruptcy. Kodak Vision 3 films are excluded from this deal, which is why you could buy these films directly from Eastman.

New owners crack the whip. Kodak Alaris was recently acquired by Kingswood Capital. Shortly after, Eastman Kodak began demanding proof that the Vision 3 film they’re selling will be used for video production.

Though you can no longer buy from Kodak directly (unless you prove that you’ll be using their film for movies), Vision 3 film can still be found as short ends (unused footage sold by production studios), bulk packs, and prerolled in canisters — see below.

Tips for developing in C-41.

Kodak Vision 3 50D film works well with C-41 chemicals, despite being intended for the ECN-2 process. However, you must remove the remjet layer before developing the film using the Kodak formula or a home-brew alkaline solution with mechanical action*. Once you’ve finished development, I recommend washing your film in Kodak Photo Flo or a wetting agent to clean up the remaining remjet.

✱ — A solution of baking or washing soda will remove the remjet from your film; however, small bits of it may remain in the chemicals after the fact, contaminating your rolls of film going forward. That is why I recommend using the Kodak pre-bath formula, which removes the remjet much more efficiently.

Where to buy Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203.

Just because you can’t buy this film directly from Kodak, doesn’t mean it’s not available. If you’d like to bulk load to save big, you can try short ends or the entire canisters from resellers — whenever available. But you can also buy individual 35mm film canisters with 50D. The link below will give you a few options to choose from; you can also try your local brick-and-mortar store or a lab.

Please note that if you buy bulk rolls that are longer than 100’, you will need a special bulk loader tool.

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 film purchase using this link  so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!