CineStill 50D (35mm) Review

Today, I’m diving back into a film stock that’s sparked plenty of debate in the community: CineStill 50D. It’s iconic, it’s pricey, and—if I’m being honest—it’s a film I didn’t actually like at first. In my book (which you can check out in the Books section), I was pretty vocal about finding its palette a bit too plain and its rendering a little too flat for my taste. But as any film photographer knows, sometimes a stock deserves a second chance under the right light. Beyond the price tag, 50D is famous for two things: 1. Ultra-fine grain: It's arguably the cleanest 35mm color film on the market. 2. The "Raw" Aesthetic: There is a long-standing rumor that this stock requires heavy post-processing to unlock that cinematic glow. Whether that’s a technical truth or just "film bro" lore, I decided to play along this time. I took my scans into Lightroom to see what lived beneath the surface, specifically focusing on boosting the contrast and taming those characteristic CineStill highlights. I’m thrilled to report that the experiment paid off. I took this roll to Manarola, Cinque Terre, and the results were nothing short of stunning. The Italian sun paired with the 50D’s daylight balance created a look that finally clicked for me.

FILM PHOTOGRAPHY