Motion-picture color negative (C-41) · ISO 800
CineStill 800T Grain Look
What CineStill 800T grain looks like, and a free recipe that recreates its texture and tone on digital photos in your browser.
Published October 3, 2026 · Updated October 3, 2026 · Written by Maximilian Braun
Original
Processed with imagegrain
About CineStill 800T
CineStill 800T is based on Kodak Vision3 500T motion-picture film with the remjet anti-halation backing removed, so it can be developed in standard C-41 chemistry. It is rated at ISO 800 and balanced for tungsten light (3200K).
Removing the remjet layer is what produces the stock's signature red or orange halos around bright lights. Combined with tungsten balance, it is a favorite for neon streets, night cityscapes, and cinematic interiors.
Grain character
At ISO 800, grain is clearly visible, especially in dark, underexposed night scenes. It has noticeable color variation in the shadows and stays fairly fine in well-exposed highlights.
CineStill 800T grain recipe
| Intensity | 40% |
|---|---|
| Grain type | medium |
| Grain size | 4px |
| Roughness | 18% |
| Softness | 32% |
| Color grain | 20% |
| Shadows / midtones / highlights | 92% / 100% / 55% |
| Fade | 14% |
| Warmth | 0% |
| Vignette | 22% |
| Black and white | Off |
| Seed | 800800 |
Why these settings
- Medium grain with stronger shadow grain matches how 800-speed film shows its texture in night scenes.
- Higher color grain (20%) suggests the chroma variation visible in dark areas of 800T scans.
- Fade lifts the blacks slightly, as most 800T scans show softer shadows than clean digital night shots.
- Warmth stays at zero: the stock's cool tungsten rendering is a color-grading task.
What this recipe cannot do
The recipe does not create halation, the red glow around highlights, and it does not shift white balance toward tungsten. Add halation with a glow or bloom effect and cool the image in your editor, then apply this grain.
Best for
- Neon and night street photography
- Cinematic interiors under tungsten light
- Music and nightlife scenes
CineStill 800T FAQ
Why does CineStill 800T have red halos around lights?
Motion-picture film has a remjet backing that absorbs light passing through the film. CineStill removes it so the film can be processed in C-41, so bright light reflects back into the emulsion and creates red halation.
Is CineStill 800T grainy?
Yes, noticeably, as you would expect from an 800-speed film used mostly at night. Underexposure makes the grain stronger.
Can I add CineStill halation in imagegrain?
Not yet. imagegrain handles grain, fade, warmth, vignette, and black-and-white. Add halation with a glow or bloom tool first, then apply this recipe for the grain.
CineStill and CineStill 800T are trademarks of their respective owners. imagegrain is not affiliated with or endorsed by them; recipes are digital approximations of grain and tone, not film-stock emulations.