250D vs. 500T:

What Light Is Each Film Made For?

Still pretty new to shooting film? If you’ve been shooting Kodak Gold or Fuji 400 and want to try cinema film, start with the light you like to shoot in. For daytime walks or portraits by a window, try 250D. For warm lamps or streets after dark, try 500T.

250D: Start with daylight

The D stands for daylight. Think a walk around town, portraits outside, or someone sitting by a bright window. If you’re mostly shooting in sunlight or shade, this is the roll I’d start with.

Explore Honest 250D →

500T: Start with warm bulbs

The T stands for tungsten. Think of the yellow glow from an old-school light bulb. 500T is made for that kind of light. It also needs less light than 250D, which makes it a good pick for a walk after dark.

Explore Honest 500T →

Pedestrians and children with scooters outside a subway entrance. — **Honest 250D · Daylight** — Street scene outside a New York City subway entrance.

A person’s white trouser legs hanging beside a pole at a nighttime crosswalk. — **Honest 500T · Night** — A person hanging from a pole above a New York City sidewalk at night.

Look at what’s lighting your subject

A friend sitting by a sunny window? That’s daylight, even though you’re indoors. The same friend lit by a warm lamp after sunset? That’s where I’d reach for 500T.

If you set your camera’s ISO by hand, start at 250 for 250D or 500 for 500T. When you finish the roll, you can ask your lab for C-41, the same process used for Kodak Gold.

Two rolls on the streets of New York

I used 250D during the day and 500T after dark. The street at night had all kinds of lights. I reached for 500T because I had less light to work with.

Next Up:

Breaking the rules

What happens if you take 500T out in the sun or shoot 250D through a subway window? In the next guide, I’ll show you what both rolls look like when you take them into the light they weren’t made for.