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Black-and-white negative · Black & white

Eastman Double-X 5222

Same code from Raging Bull to The Lighthouse.

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Planned media

Classic cine black-and-white printed on 2302: deep blacks, hard-edged light and visible silver grain. Original vs Ashigrain.

Eastman Double-X 5222, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
Eastman Double-X 5222
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)
Exposure index
250
EI 250 daylight / EI 200 tungsten
Introduced
1960
In production
Process
KODAK D-96 developer, to control gamma 0.65-0.70
Prints on
2302
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

About the film

Eastman Kodak unveiled Double-X at the SMPTE convention in Hollywood in May 1960, selling it as two to three times faster than Plus-X without visibly grainier prints.

More than six decades on, it is still made under the same codes, 5222 in 35 mm and 7222 in 16 mm. Gordon Willis chose it for Manhattan because it was Kodak's fastest black-and-white negative, fast enough to hold f/5.6 on interiors, and he had the release prints made on Agfa stock. Michael Chapman shot Raging Bull on it in a high-contrast style modelled on Weegee's newspaper photographs, and Janusz Kamiński paired it with Plus-X on Schindler's List, calling the black-and-white emulsions dated. Testing it against colour film and digital for The Lighthouse, Jarin Blaschke found it coarser in grain and stronger in local contrast, then filtered it to imitate early orthochromatic film. The production paid to ship the negative every day from Nova Scotia to FotoKem in Burbank, the only lab Blaschke trusted with it. Robert Yeoman and Wes Anderson liked it so much on The French Dispatch that about half the film ended up in black and white, more than they had planned. For Oppenheimer, Kodak made the first-ever 65 mm run of Double-X for the black-and-white sequences.

Sources for this history
  1. EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222 Technical Data, Eastman Kodak Company
  2. EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222, Eastman Kodak Company
  3. Motion Picture Daily, 2 May 1960, Media History Digital Library
  4. A High-Speed Black-and-White Negative Film, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
  5. Chronology of Film, Eastman Kodak Company
  6. Kodak B&W film delivers a unique visual signature to Robert Eggers' 'The Lighthouse', Eastman Kodak Company
  7. Stormy Isle: The Lighthouse, American Society of Cinematographers
  8. The Essential Reference Guide for Filmmakers, Eastman Kodak Company
  9. Dreaming in Black-and-White, American Society of Cinematographers
  10. Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust, American Society of Cinematographers
  11. Manhattan: Black-and-White Romantic Realism, American Society of Cinematographers
  12. DP Robert Yeoman used Kodak color and B&W 35mm filmstocks for director Wes Anderson's 'The French Dispatch', Eastman Kodak Company
  13. The French Dispatch: La Vie Littéraire, American Society of Cinematographers
  14. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema NSC FSF ASC gets up-close & personal using Kodak 65MM large-format film on Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', Eastman Kodak Company
  15. Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer, American Society of Cinematographers

Shot on Eastman Double-X 5222

The look

Eastman Double-X 5222 is Kodak's fast panchromatic black-and-white cine negative: coarse, visible silver grain and strong local contrast, on a grey base that lets halation bloom around lights. It prints on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302 by default, or near-neutral on a colour print film with that print's own tint.

Planned media

Side light shaping a face in black-and-white, with silver grain in the midtones.

Eastman Double-X 5222, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
Eastman Double-X 5222
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)

Planned media

Light sources with a soft halation glow: the grey base gives an assumed twice the rem-jet strength.

Eastman Double-X 5222, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
Eastman Double-X 5222
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)

Best for

  1. Hard-light noir and night exteriors
  2. Weathered faces in side light
  3. Period pieces that need visible grain

Among the films

FilmSpeedGrain, RMS σD · lower is finerYears made
Technicolor Process IITechnicolor Process II−4 stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 16−4 stops.0201922
DS-5MDS-5M−2⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 40−2⅔ stops.0051979
Kodak Aerochrome III 1443Kodak Aerochrome III 1443−2⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 40−2⅔ stops.0242001
Kodak Vision3 50DKodak Vision3 50DMade since 2011, in production · −2⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 50−2⅓ stops.0052011–
Fujifilm Velvia 50Fujifilm Velvia 50Made since 2007, in production · −2⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 50−2⅓ stops.0092007–
Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50−2⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 50−2⅓ stops.0051995
Kodak Kodachrome 64Kodak Kodachrome 64Made 1974–2009 · −2 stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 64−2 stops.0121974–2009
Fujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type IIFujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type II−2 stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 64−2 stops.0102002
Ilford Ortho PlusIlford Ortho PlusMade since 1997, in production · −1⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain the sameEI 80−1⅔ stops.0151997–
Polaroid Type 669Polaroid Type 669−1⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 80−1⅔ stops.0241981
Svema LN-9Svema LN-9−1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 95−1⅓ stops.0071988
Fujifilm Astia 100FFujifilm Astia 100FMade 2003–2012 · −1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0082003–12
Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100−1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0121998
Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100−1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0051998
Kodak Ektar 100Kodak Ektar 100Made since 2008, in production · −1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0052008–
Kodak Ektachrome 100DKodak Ektachrome 100DMade since 2018, in production · −1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0142018–
Fomapan R 100Fomapan R 100Made since 1980, in production · −1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 100−1⅓ stops.0221980–
NK-2NK-2−1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 100−1⅓ stops.0131980
Fujifilm FP-100CFujifilm FP-100CMade 1992–2016 · −1⅓ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 100−1⅓ stops.0231992–2016
Eastman Color Negative 5247Eastman Color Negative 5247−1 stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 125−1 stop.0051983
Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160−⅔ stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 160−⅔ stop.0071995
Kodak Vision3 200TKodak Vision3 200TMade since 2010, in production · −⅓ stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 200−⅓ stop.0072010–
Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Made since 2003, in production · −⅓ stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 200−⅓ stop.0252003–
Kodak Vision3 250DKodak Vision3 250DMade since 2009, in production · same speed vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 250same speed.0072009–
Fujifilm Eterna 250DFujifilm Eterna 250DMade 2005–2013 · same speed vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 250same speed.0042005–13
Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Made since 2009, in production · same speed vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 250same speed.0132009–
Eastman Double-X 5222Eastman Double-X 5222Made since 1960, in production · this filmEI 250this film.0151960–
Fujifilm Pro 400HFujifilm Pro 400HMade 2004–2021 · +⅔ stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 400+⅔ stop.0042004–21
Kodak Vision3 500TKodak Vision3 500TMade since 2007, in production · +1 stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 500+1 stop.0072007–
Kodak Vision2 Expression 500TKodak Vision2 Expression 500T+1 stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 500+1 stop.0092003
Fujifilm Eterna 500Fujifilm Eterna 500Made 2004–2013 · +1 stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 500+1 stop.0042004–13
Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Made 2009–2013 · +1 stop vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 500+1 stop.0042009–13
Kodak Portra 800Kodak Portra 800Made since 2000, in production · +1⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain finerEI 800+1⅔ stops.0082000–
Kodak T-Max P3200Kodak T-Max P3200Made since 1988, in production · +1⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 800+1⅔ stops.0191988–
Kodak Ektachrome P1600Kodak Ektachrome P1600+2⅔ stops vs Eastman Double-X 5222 · grain coarserEI 1600+2⅔ stops.0381999

Science & sources

Eastman Double-X 5222 calibration chart: OriginalEastman Double-X 5222 calibration chart: Processed
Synthetic test chart (grey ramp, ColorChecker, hue sweep, point highlights) before and after the full Ashigrain pipeline: print branch on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302, Super 35 4-perf, default controls, exposure +0.65 stops to match the original's mid-grey, frame 0.

A panchromatic black-and-white negative. It prints on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302 by default.

Response curves and the evidence behind the model

Compare manufacturer data with the Ashigrain model on the same axes. This shows the calibration to source curves; comparison with photographed film is a separate question.

Characteristic response

Density against log H (lux-seconds) for channels N. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are digitised, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: digitised and simulated.−3.0−2.5−2.0−1.5−1.0−0.50.0log H (lux-seconds)0.00.51.01.52.0Density

RMS granularity

RMS granularity (σD) against Density for channels N. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are datasheet-based, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: datasheet-based and simulated.0.20.40.60.81.0Density0.00.0050.010.015RMS granularity (σD)

Density variation (σD) measured through a 48 µm aperture. Where the datasheet gives a single grain value, the response away from that point is an approximation.

ChannelDensityDatasheet-based σDModel σD
N0.30.0076680.007949
N0.60.0108440.011241
N10.0140.014513

Model limits

These images show the film model in use. Spectral response, lighting and viewing conditions include approximations, while halation, bloom, grain size, weave and flicker are not fully measured for each film. A real film capture also depends on development and print timing.

  • The model assumes custom lighting spectra, camera metering and the spectral reflectance inferred from fixed-white-balance footage. These inputs are not measurements of the film.
  • The source gives daylight and tungsten exposure indices but no colour balance. Daylight calibration, silver-clump size and spectrally neutral silver density are assumptions; the single-layer halation response is not measured.
  • The source gives only RMS granularity 14 × 10⁻³ at net density 1.0 with a 48 µm aperture. The granularity-versus-density curve away from that point is modelled.
  • In the print branch it prints on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302 by default. Black-and-white print timing, which places the metered grey at visual density 1.0, is modelled rather than taken from a laboratory aim.

Film guide: assumptions and practical choices

Sources

  1. Exposure index: EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222 Technical Data, H-1-5222, Revised 7-15, p. 1
  2. Characteristic curves: EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222 Technical Data, H-1-5222, Revised 7-15, p. 2
  3. Diffuse RMS granularity: EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222 Technical Data, H-1-5222, Revised 7-15, p. 2
  4. Process: EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Negative Film 5222 / 7222 Technical Data, H-1-5222, Revised 7-15, p. 2

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