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Black-and-white negative · Black & white

NK-2

НК-2

Soviet cine black-and-white behind a toned apocalypse.

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Planned media

Soviet cine black-and-white. Original vs Ashigrain.

NK-2, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
NK-2
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)
Exposure index
100
Introduced
c. 1980
Process
ГОСТ 10691.3-84 developer No. 5, 6-11 min
Prints on
2302
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

About the film

NK-2 (НК-2) is a Soviet black-and-white cine negative of medium speed, intended for exteriors and brightly lit studio work.

In Konstantin Lopushansky's Letters from a Dead Man (1986), the cinematographer Nikolai Pokoptsev shot the scenes in the destroyed city entirely on NK-2 and then toned them, giving them their brownish-yellow cast. Pokoptsev told the trade journal Tekhnika kino i televideniya in 1990 that the film used seven domestic stocks, four black-and-white and three colour, chosen by light level and by the contrast each episode needed so that the cuts between them would look natural. A 1983 study in the same journal lists the NK-2 it measured as made by Tasma in Kazan, a factory that had produced its first film in 1936. Zhurba's 1990 handbook of photographic materials lists it in its table of cine negatives, beside NK-1, NK-3 and NK-4. It gives NK-2 a speed of at least 100 GOST units and an average gradient of 0.62, reached in 6 to 11 minutes in the standard developer No. 5. The handbook also specifies a resolving power of at least 110 lines/mm and a maximum density of at least 2.0. NK-2 is not the same film as KN-2, a slower negative in the same table.

Sources for this history
  1. Журба Ю. И. Краткий справочник по фотографическим процессам и материалам (1990), djvu.online
  2. Замысел фильма рождается в цвете (Техника кино и телевидения, 1990, № 2), Техника кино и телевидения
  3. Оценка физико-механических свойств кинопленок при динамическом нагружении (Техника кино и телевидения, 1983, № 3), Техника кино и телевидения
  4. Ермакова Е. Ю. Практическая магия кинематографа. Часть II (2024), Московский государственный психолого-педагогический университет
  5. Дефицит кинопленки становится все более острым (Хроника, 01.03.1990), Энциклопедия отечественного кино
  6. Большая советская энциклопедия: Кинопромышленность, booksite.ru
  7. Гордийчук И. Б., Пелль В. Г. Справочник кинооператора (1979), Internet Archive
  8. Статья о числе строк ТВ-развертки и разрешающей способности 35-мм кинопленки (Техника кино и телевидения, 1982, № 3), Техника кино и телевидения

The look

NK-2 is a Soviet black-and-white cine negative of medium speed for exteriors and brightly lit studio work. Its best-known use is the toned ruined-city scenes of Letters from a Dead Man. It prints on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302 by default.

Planned media

Medium-speed black-and-white negative printed on 2302.

NK-2, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
NK-2
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)

Planned media

Black-and-white printed on Kodak 2302.

NK-2, Kodak B&W Print Film 2302

stock
NK-2
mode
Print
print_film
Kodak B&W Print Film 2302
film_format
Super 35 (4-perf)

Best for

  1. Post-apocalyptic or ruined-city exteriors
  2. Brightly lit studio scenes
  3. Toned Soviet-era black-and-white

Among the films

FilmSpeedGrain, RMS σD · lower is finerYears made
Technicolor Process IITechnicolor Process II−2⅔ stops vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 16−2⅔ stops.0201922
DS-5MDS-5M−1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 40−1⅓ stops.0051979
Kodak Aerochrome III 1443Kodak Aerochrome III 1443−1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 40−1⅓ stops.0242001
Kodak Vision3 50DKodak Vision3 50DMade since 2011, in production · −1 stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0052011–
Fujifilm Velvia 50Fujifilm Velvia 50Made since 2007, in production · −1 stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0092007–
Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50−1 stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0051995
Kodak Kodachrome 64Kodak Kodachrome 64Made 1974–2009 · −⅔ stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 64−⅔ stop.0121974–2009
Fujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type IIFujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type II−⅔ stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 64−⅔ stop.0102002
Ilford Ortho PlusIlford Ortho PlusMade since 1997, in production · −⅓ stop vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 80−⅓ stop.0151997–
Polaroid Type 669Polaroid Type 669−⅓ stop vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 80−⅓ stop.0241981
Svema LN-9Svema LN-9same speed vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 95same speed.0071988
Fujifilm Astia 100FFujifilm Astia 100FMade 2003–2012 · same speed vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0082003–12
Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100same speed vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0121998
Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100same speed vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0051998
Kodak Ektar 100Kodak Ektar 100Made since 2008, in production · same speed vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0052008–
Kodak Ektachrome 100DKodak Ektachrome 100DMade since 2018, in production · same speed vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0142018–
Fomapan R 100Fomapan R 100Made since 1980, in production · same speed vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0221980–
NK-2NK-2this filmEI 100this film.0131980
Fujifilm FP-100CFujifilm FP-100CMade 1992–2016 · same speed vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0231992–2016
Eastman Color Negative 5247Eastman Color Negative 5247+⅓ stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 125+⅓ stop.0051983
Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160+⅔ stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 160+⅔ stop.0071995
Kodak Vision3 200TKodak Vision3 200TMade since 2010, in production · +1 stop vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 200+1 stop.0072010–
Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Made since 2003, in production · +1 stop vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 200+1 stop.0252003–
Kodak Vision3 250DKodak Vision3 250DMade since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0072009–
Fujifilm Eterna 250DFujifilm Eterna 250DMade 2005–2013 · +1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0042005–13
Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Made since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain the sameEI 250+1⅓ stops.0132009–
Eastman Double-X 5222Eastman Double-X 5222Made since 1960, in production · +1⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 250+1⅓ stops.0151960–
Fujifilm Pro 400HFujifilm Pro 400HMade 2004–2021 · +2 stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 400+2 stops.0042004–21
Kodak Vision3 500TKodak Vision3 500TMade since 2007, in production · +2⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0072007–
Kodak Vision2 Expression 500TKodak Vision2 Expression 500T+2⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0092003
Fujifilm Eterna 500Fujifilm Eterna 500Made 2004–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042004–13
Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Made 2009–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042009–13
Kodak Portra 800Kodak Portra 800Made since 2000, in production · +3 stops vs NK-2 · grain finerEI 800+3 stops.0082000–
Kodak T-Max P3200Kodak T-Max P3200Made since 1988, in production · +3 stops vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 800+3 stops.0191988–
Kodak Ektachrome P1600Kodak Ektachrome P1600+4 stops vs NK-2 · grain coarserEI 1600+4 stops.0381999

Science & sources

NK-2 calibration chart: OriginalNK-2 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 +0.72 stops to match the original's mid-grey, frame 0.

A Soviet black-and-white cine negative of medium speed. Its curves are reconstructed from specification values in a 1990 Soviet handbook, not digitised from a datasheet. 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.−4.0−3.0−2.0−1.00.01.02.0log 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.0.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.6Density0.00.0050.010.0150.02RMS granularity (σD)

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

ChannelDensityDatasheet-based σDModel σD
N0.30.006670.00692
N0.60.0094450.009801
N10.0121940.012653
N1.50.0149350.015497

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.

  • НК-2 has no datasheet with curves. Its characteristic curve, spectral sensitivity and MTF are reconstructed from specification values in a 1990 Soviet handbook (Журба 1990), not digitized from a datasheet.
  • The spectral sensitivity peak, 500 nm, is assumed, and the 670 nm sensitization limit is read as the 1 % point; the red response may be under-represented.
  • The MTF is a curve through one specified value, 0.75 at 30 cycles/mm.
  • The source gives only a maximum RMS granularity of 33 × 10⁻³, with no aperture or density. Grain is proxied from Eastman Double-X 5222, so the granularity values shown are that film's.
  • The source gives no colour balance. Daylight calibration and spectrally neutral silver density are assumptions, and the ГОСТ speed is taken as the exposure index.
  • In the print branch it prints on Kodak B&W Print Film 2302 by default. Black-and-white print timing is modeled.
  • Custom lighting spectra, camera metering and the spectral reflectance inferred from fixed-white-balance footage are modeled assumptions, not measurements of this film.
  • Characteristic response outside the published exposure range is an extrapolation, not measured film data.

Film guide: assumptions and practical choices

Sources

  1. Exposure index: Журба Ю. И. Краткий справочник по фотографическим процессам и материалам (1990), 1990 edition, p. 35
  2. Reconstructed: Журба Ю. И. Краткий справочник по фотографическим процессам и материалам (1990), 1990 edition, p. 35
  3. Process: Журба Ю. И. Краткий справочник по фотографическим процессам и материалам (1990), 1990 edition, p. 98

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