An introduction to cinestill 800T
by ARVIN SANTIAGO of CineStill inc.
Published on 21.12.21
“Benefiting from decades of motion picture R&D it is packed with features that make it one of the most versatile film stocks ever .”
There are numerous reasons why film photographers are drawn to shooting CineStill 800T. Whether it's the wondrous cinematic glow of tungsten lights or the inspiration derived from exposing the same emulsion as top Hollywood cinematographers, 800T has quickly become a preferred film stock worldwide. However if gas stations and neon signs are all you're committing this film to, you're sorely missing out. Benefiting from decades of motion picture R&D, it is packed with features that make it one of the most versatile film stocks ever.
CineStill 800T is a high speed tungsten-balanced color negative film stock, designed for low-light situations. Aside from tons of character, what 800T has in spades is exposure latitude. Photographers can rate the film at EI 200-1000 without having to push process and still retain plenty of highlight and shadow detail. And when needed, 800T can be push processed all the way up to 3200 with increased contrast and grain.
Searching the hashtag "#CineStill800T" reveals countless examples of beautiful imagery captured under some of the most challenging lighting conditions. It is thus no wonder that 800T has become a staple for urban night time photography. However, the flexibility of the film makes it suitable for use in a variety of different lighting situations to achieve a wide range of looks.
Shooting any tungsten-balanced color negative film in daylight will naturally render a cool-toned image. An 85 warming filter neutralizes this cooler cast and renders a daylight-balanced image at the cost of losing about a stop and a half of light. Alternatively, overexposing 800T when shooting in daylight by rating it at EI 500 greatly increases its latitude for significant color correction in scanning and printing. The combination of wide exposure latitude and flexible color science means that it's absolutely possible to shoot 800T all day and all night long.
One of 800T's defining characteristics is the presence of "halation," a by-product of the proprietary "premoval" process. In some images, when overexposed light sources are in focus they can exhibit a reddish "glow" caused by reflection of light inside the film base and back to the red sensitive layer. Halation may not be everyone's cup of tea, but when used right it can add an undeniable cinematic quality to your images.
Processing your own 800T at home is another way to experiment with the film stock. Aside from push and pull processing, which is accomplished by increasing or decreasing the developing time, users can also choose between a couple of different chemistry options. 800T is designed to be processed in standard C-41 chemistry to produce color negatives with color contrast curves suited to optical printing on RA-4 paper or common film scanning software. The film can also be processed in CineStill Cs2 "Cine Simplified" chemistry for low-contrast motion picture negatives.
CineStill 800T is by far one of the most technologically advanced and creatively versatile film stocks on the market. There's something truly special about shooting an emulsion with motion picture technology, and beyond the technicalities of exposure latitude, color balance and halation, there's an undeniable sense of wonder and inspiration that comes from the cinematic nature of the images. The next time you want to create impactful photos with CineStill 800T, be sure to expose your scene properly. Process your film promptly with fresh chemistry — either at home or at a reputable lab — and share your results with others using the hashtag "#CineStill800T."
You can purchase CineStill 800T at CineStillFilm.com or at most film retailers.
Arvin Santiago is a team member at CineStill inc.
website: cinestillfilm.com
instagram: @cinestillfilm
Contributing photographers in order of appearance: Maarten Green, Karol Gustavv, Linus Johnson, Harald Claessen, David Diwiak, Katch Silva, Julian Taveras, Marti Vince Alonzo, Luka Trajkovic, Matthew Halla, Stevan Litster, Brian & Brandon Wright (Founders of Cinestill Film),
CineStill Inc. reserves the right to all words written within this article. No image or information featured within this article may be reproduced, re-distributed, transmitted or copied without the express permission of Cinestill Inc. and Shoot Film Magazine
Article Posted by Stuart Henry - Director of Shoot Film Magazine
