📸 First Impressions
Lately I’ve been digging into some lesser-known cinema stocks, and one that’s recently landed on my bench is
Darko’s 5289—an 800T tungsten-balanced motion picture film with some serious potential for still photography.
I’ve cut and respooled a good batch of it and run a few rolls through myself. The emulsion is sturdy, fresh, and clearly motion-origin — likely in the Kodak Vision3 family. What I haven’t done yet is shoot it at night under artificial light, and that’s a direction I’ll happily leave to you to explore.
No gimmicks here — this is simply respooled and sold as what it is. I’ve got a healthy supply on hand across a couple of batches, so it isn’t a one-and-done limited drop.
🧪 What I Know So Far
- Stock Name: Darko’s 5289
- Speed: Originally 800T (tungsten-balanced) — but it’s 20+ years old and less sensitive now. I’d start around ISO 100 and experiment up from there.
- Color Profile: Unknown, but likely close to Kodak Vision3 500T with a bit more grain or contrast
- Process: ECN-2 (also C-41 crossable for a shifted look)
- Use Case: Low light, artificial light, neon scenes, or creative color rendering in daylight with an 85 filter
🔄 Try It Out
I’ve run rolls through my Nikon F3 and Leitz-Minolta CL in daylight — the frames here are from that first batch. What I haven’t chased yet is night work: street shots under neon, interiors, controlled lighting. How does it stack up against Cinestill 800T — more halation, less, more contrast? That’s open territory, and I’d love to see what you pull out of it.
Either way, this is shaping up to be a fun, moody, low-light stock, and if you're into cinematic tones with a bit of analog unpredictability, this one's worth watching.
🛒 Shop Info
Darko's 5289 are now available in a few spots:
Each roll is hand-respooled, tested for light-tightness, and clearly marked. Tag your shots on social media #darkos5289 to show the world!
Got experience with this stock? Want to collaborate on a test roll post? Drop me a line — I’d love to hear about it.