CineStill BwXX: A Newfound Love by Drew Evans

Written by Drew Evans

Back when I started my film journey, I was quickly enamored with the grainy looks and the pastel hues that photographers were able to capture.

I tried for years to emulate that on digital, but I could never get the end results to match up well enough (not to mention the tactile process of shooting film).

When I made the jump and (somewhat rashly) abandoned my digital setup, the colors took over my work. I was shooting flowers, sunsets, the classic Victorian homes of San Francisco… really anything that was saturated and vibrant. It felt like the analog process was built for color film.

I fell in love with Portra 400 and 800, Fuji Pro 400H, Fuji Superia 400. They all rendered tones differently, and they all had different places in my bag. But they were always there, and I rarely ventured away from them.

Finding My Love of B&W Film

Quite honestly, I didn’t understand black and white film. It felt simplistic and a bit boring. Why shoot landscapes void of color if the primary subject of my shots depended on the colors involved?

That’s when two things struck me.

First, photographers before me only had access to black and white film and were able to take incredible images, so I clearly was missing something.

And second – arguably the more difficult lesson for me – was that color isn’t a subject on its own. Just because certain film stocks can produce beautiful colors and tones does not make an image interesting.

It took a while for me to realize it, but I did eventually find the sad truth. I wasn’t “too good” for black and white. Black and white was too good for me.

And thank the stars that I did find that truth. If I hadn’t I would never have come across CineStill BwXX.

An Overview of CineStill BwXX

If you’ve never used the film or don’t know anything about it, it’s purportedly rebranded Eastman Double-X 5222 motion picture film, used in some of the most popular movies in history.

It’s especially good in low light situations and is actually a variable speed film (200 in tungsten lighting or 250 in daylight, and you can rate it up to 1600). The result is a particularly cinematic and versatile film.

Find CineStill BwXX on Amazon.

Shooting CineStill BwXX and the Results

The first time I shot CineStill BwXX, I was at the famous Land’s End in San Francisco with a few friends at sunset. I was feeling extra frustrated – I had been victim to the classic film photographer trap and had opened up my camera before rewinding the film (I know you’ve all done it at least once).

Unfortunately for me, I had done it on back-to-back rolls of Portra. I pulled out a roll of BwXX and tossed it into my Leica. I rated it at 400 (I think), not having a clue what to expect.

When I scanned my negatives, I was blown away.

I think its biggest strength as a film is its dynamic range. Even near sunset and just after, the film had no problem picking up detail and staying sharp.

I’ve now shot this film at 200, 400, and 800 with no change in development, and they’ve all turned out beautifully.

I’m also a big fan of the contrasty scenes it produces. I’ve personally always gravitated towards black and white images that are high contrast, which is probably why I love using BwXX so much.

You can also read a few more tips I have for working with CineStill BwXX film stock here.

Final Thoughts

The biggest thing I’ve taken away from CineStill BwXX is a newfound love and appreciation for black and white film. I’m sure many readers are offended it took me this long to find out how powerful of a tool it can be.

But this film specifically, with its strong contrast and seemingly endless use cases, really pushes me. It forces me to see light through my viewfinder in a way that I never really bothered to see before.

At the end of the day, I can confidently say that I’ve produced some of my favorite images using CineStill BwXX. And for a film stock that I begrudgingly threw into my camera one evening without any expectations, it’s become one of my favorites.

Thank you so much, Drew! Drew is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out his other articles here, such as the Leica M6 35mm Film Camera Review and Mamiya 7 Review: Does This Medium Format Rangefinder Live Up to the Hype?.

You can also check out more of Drew’s work on his Instagram.

Leave your questions about CineStill BwXX below in the comments, and you pick up some for yourself on Amazon here!

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Drew Evans

Drew Evans is a cityscape and landscape film photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find his other articles here, such as Lecia M6 35mm Camera Review and 6 Tips for Buying and Shooting the Leica M6.

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