KodakVision3 250D

Kodak Vision3 250D (5207 in 35 and 65 mm, 7207 in 16 mm) is a daylight-balanced color negative motion picture film, rated EI 250 and processed in ECN-2 [1]. Kodak describes it as bringing the performance of Vision3 500T to a medium-speed daylight emulsion [2]. Still photographers shoot it through respools; CineStill 400D is often said to be the same film, which is not confirmed [7] [20].

Look and color

• Accurate, with warm scans. Kodak claims “outstanding skin tones and color reproduction” [1]. Analog.cafe finds the colors “nuanced and colour-accurate” in C-41 or ECN-2, but “on the warmer side” from the scanner [7]. Silbersalz35’s scans came back with a “very warm” white balance for Matthias Steck [10].
• Balance. For Alex Kunz, “no single color dominates”: vibrant on a sunny day, dull and muted on a gray one [16].
• Saturation: the sources disagree. Emulsive, cross-processing in C-41, found greens, reds, yellows and blues “all vividly represented” [11], and Alex Roddie describes “a rich velvety palette” [15]. In ECN-2, Phil Harrison found the palette “more muted” than in C-41 [9].
• Compared with Portra 400 in C-41, the AHU version showed more intense greens and blues and warmer highlights [13].
• Shadows: green or magenta. Dude Oi found a green cast in the shadows that was hard to remove [14], and Analog.cafe saw green noise in the deepest shadows after C-41 processing [7]. Tahusa saw “a hint of magenta” in the shadows of the AHU version in C-41 [13].
• Skin: the same reviewer changed verdict. Tahusa found skin better than on Portra in 2021 [12], then “more accurate with Portra” with the AHU version in 2025 [13].

Tonality

• Curve. On the characteristic curves the three layers run parallel on an orange mask. The toe runs from about −6 to −3 stops, the straight section to about +6 stops, with a gentle shoulder beyond. The slope reads at about 0.5 in green and 0.45 in red (our reading of the graph) [1]. Kodak designed the film for the digital intermediate, where extended highlight latitude allows “dodging and burning” in grading [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].
• ECN-2 is flat, C-41 adds contrast. In ECN-2, Phil Harrison found lower contrast and good tolerance of overexposure; in C-41, more contrast and natural colors [9]. The AHU version in C-41 had “significantly higher contrast” than Portra 400 in daylight [13]. With Silbersalz35’s ECN-2 scans, cinema film gives “a rather flat image” meant to be graded [17].
• Metering. In ECN-2, Phil Harrison found EI 250 too fast and got fine grain at EI 125; in C-41, EI 250 was right [9]. Analog.cafe advises against EI 400 in C-41, which can add casts and shadow problems [7]. Silbersalz35 users are advised to overexpose by about one stop [17].

Grain and sharpness

Kodak publishes granularity only as curves, measured with “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. Granularity peaks in the toe, that is in the shadows [1]. Kodak calls it “exceptionally low” [2].
• Reviews disagree.
  • Fine: finer than Portra 400 for Analog.cafe [7], “barely visible” in some frames for Matthias Steck [10].
  • Coarser: “a bit higher grain than comparable still photography films” in Silbersalz35’s ECN-2 scans [17]; “very grainy” when underexposed at EI 250 in ECN-2 [9].
• Sharpness. Against Portra 400, Tahusa found the AHU version’s grain “softer, less distinct, almost blurry”, and Portra “definitely sharper” [13]. Kodak publishes modulation transfer curves but no resolving power [1].

Spectral sensitivity

The three layers have almost the same peak sensitivity: about 2.47 for blue, 2.40 for green at 550 nm and 2.38 for red near 655 nm (our reading of the graph) [5]. A tungsten film such as 500T boosts its blue layer instead [6] [21]. In practice, under 3200 K lamps Kodak asks for a blue 80A filter, which brings the film down to EI 64 [1]. The Grain Archive style is not computed from these curves.

Names, status and history

• 2009. The Timeline of Historical Film Colors dates Vision3 250D to 2009 [8]. The codes are 5207 (35 and 65 mm) and 7207 (16 mm) [1].
• 2025: AHU instead of rem-jet. Kodak announced in 2025 that all Vision3 color negatives would lose their rem-jet backing for an anti-halation undercoat, with unchanged sensitometry and new “AHU” catalog numbers [4]. The March 2026 datasheet describes the new structure, with the same curves as the March 2022 edition (our comparison) [1] [5].
• Status. On September 29, 2026, Kodak listed 5207/7207 among its current camera films [3], in 65 mm, 35 mm and 16 mm [2].
• Also sold as. In still-camera cassettes, 250D is sold by:
  • Silbersalz35 250D, with rem-jet, since 2019, with ECN-2 processing and scanning included [18];
  • Reflx Lab 320D, described as respooled 250D AHU, rated EI 320 for C-41 [13];
  • Candido 400, described as based on Vision3 250D with its rem-jet removed [19].
• CineStill 400D is a separate case. Many assume it is 250D without rem-jet [7]. CineStill says 400D “has never had a rem-jet layer on it at any point through manufacture” [20], and Analog.cafe found clear differences in C-41 [7]. See the CineStill 400D page.