Rendering profile
- Sharpness
- high
- Tags
- cinematic, classic, high-contrast, gritty
- Best use cases
- narrative film, street photography, portraiture, documentary
Film stock wiki
Kodak 5222
Kodak 5222 Double-X is a classic panchromatic black-and-white cine negative film rated ISO 250 (daylight) / 200 (tungsten), known for its rich contrast, wide tonal range, and distinctive gritty grain — a staple of Hollywood cinematography for decades.
Key specs
- Brand
- Kodak
- Model
- 5222
- ISO
- 250
- Process
- BW
- Formats
- 135
- Production status
- In production
- Introduced
- 1959
Grain
medium-coarse, classic cinematic
Contrast
medium-high
Saturation
Unknown
Latitude
wide (approx. ISO 100–800 with pull/push)
Technical details
- Film base
- acetate safety base with remjet backing
- Push/pull
- Push to ISO 500–1000 with D-96 for increased grain; pull to 100 for smoother tones
Handling notes
- Exposure
- Rate at ISO 250 (daylight) or 200 (tungsten). Generous shadow exposure recommended.
- Development
- ECN-2 with remjet pre-bath removal, or D-96 B&W cine developer. Standard B&W chemistry (D-76, HC-110, Rodinal) usable after manual remjet removal — results vary.
Profile notes
Eastman Double-X 5222 is one of Kodak's longest-running motion picture black-and-white stocks, originally introduced in the 1950s and continuously produced ever since. The emulsion delivers a wide exposure latitude and characteristic mid-century cinematic look: deep shadow detail, punchy contrast, and visible but controlled grain. At ISO 250 daylight / 200 tungsten, it sits in a versatile middle-speed range suited to a broad range of lighting conditions. The stock has been used in landmark films including Schindler's List, Sin City, and The Lighthouse. It is coated on an acetate safety base with a removable remjet backing for standard ECN-2 processing; however, many still photographers have successfully used it in D-96 (the Kodak cine B&W developer) or even standard B&W chemistry after remjet removal. Sold in 135 bulk rolls and 100-ft/400-ft daylight spools. A dedicated still-photography version is sold as Kodak Double-X (see related entry). In_production as of 2026.
Aliases
Eastman Double-XKodak Double-X 5222Kodak Eastman 5222Double-X
Related stocks
BW
Kodak T-Max 100
Kodak T-Max 100 (TMX) is a professional ISO 100 black-and-white T-grain negative film celebrated for its extremely fine grain, high sharpness, and wide tonal range — one of the finest-grained B&W films available in 135 and 120.
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Kodak T-Max 3200
Kodak T-Max P3200 is a multi-speed ultra-high-sensitivity B&W T-grain film designed for very low-light photography, rated EI 800–25600. Originally discontinued in 2012, it was relaunched in 2018 in 135 format only.
BW
Kodak T-Max 400
Kodak T-Max 400 (TMY-2) is a professional ISO 400 black-and-white T-grain negative film offering best-in-class combination of fine grain, high sharpness, and wide exposure latitude at ISO 400, available in 135 and 120.