KODAK Vision3 500T is a powerful film capable of delivering crisp results despite it’s higher ISO. Can you develop Vision3 500T in B&W? Is processing 500T in black and white worth it?
Processing 500T
500T is meant to be processed in ECN-2, but you can process it like a black & white negative too. Keep in mind that using black & white developer and fixer means you are effectively bleach-bypassing your images hence producing a more contrasty look which is usually not associated with motion picture films.
Processing in B&W
To process 500T in black & white, you need to remove the remjet antihalation layer first (assuming you plan to reuse the developer). If you dillute the developer enough to make one-shot processing economic, you can remove remjet after processing without any issues.
Why is there more contrast compared to processing in color?
This, again, boils down to the fact that omitting the bleach bath results in the silver particles staying present in the emulsion instead of dissolving away. This way, there are both the dye (color) layers but also silver particles.
Is Motion Picture film in Black n’ White worth it?
Absolutely! Vision3 film is often cheaper than black and white films. The fact that you can also process it in B&W without any issues makes it a really competetive B&W film, especially that the results look really fine.