Tokyo 5 - CineStill 400D

April 11st, 2025 - Loaded at 1:33 PM, this roll's full of subway shots, movement studies, and the tourist vs. photographer dilemma. Ended at Shibuya with a missed 800T moment, Fuji400 is next.

This film was loaded at 1:33 PM, right after the previous one (800T). If you are thinking there are subway shots, you are right, there’s tons of it. Perhaps I should launch a series (✨ or a book! ✨) just with subway shots…

When I am traveling with my family, I am always divided on the “photographer versus tourist” photos dilema, as they are opposite things.

Photographer photos requires time, patience, sometimes waiting minutes until the right scene appears, we don’t want other people on the frame, we want it aligned perfectly, street photography kinda lies here, where the only allowed people in the shot are people you don’t know.

Tourist photos on the other hand are more concerned on documenting the trip, taking a photo that my mom would see her grandson having fun somewhere. Sometimes, I take tourist photos, which is also cool, but not very useful for posting in a portfolio or so…

Sometimes, we try to score both, like this roller coaster with my fam on the reflex.

What do you think about that dilema between “photographer and tourist photos”? Do you also think about these when you’re traveling? I’d love to hear you out!

As we headed to Shibuya Scramble Crossing (渋谷スクランブル交差点), I took more subway shots, where the 400D presented some interesting halation effect. Of course the 800T is more prominent, but it’s younger brother is a very interesting alternative because it also brings the effect without costing a tungsten light to have accurate colors, as you’re gonna see next.

This first shot is one of the best I took on the trip so far in terms of nailing the movement in the still. Something that caught my attention in Japan was how fast and in a hurry people were moving, some were literally *running* on the street to catch an open pedestrian crossing signal or so. In Japan, cars drive on the right side of the road, and the same pattern apply to escalators - the right side goes fast while the left side stand still.

This photo is very rich, because you can tell the difference in speed based on the blur on the escalator, people on the left, and people on the right. There’s a lot of Studium in there.

Using the ND filter is the great trick guys, I can’t recommend enough. Do yourself a favor and buy this to slow down the shutter speed a little bit when using an ISO400+ film.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the busiest crossing on Earth. When we got there, it was packed as expected, and I took just one shot, then end of roll. I LOVE the halation coming from the LCD/LED screens.

I was ready for a CineStill 800T, it was its moment to shine for the first time. I got one in my pocket, I was finally at night in Shibuya with the chance to load it, but I accidentally did roll the whole film back to the canister, and obviously I didn’t have my film retriever with me.

I bought a Fuji400 though, in Don Quixote, a famous Japanese store that sells everything you can imagine (well, except for CineStill films), so, expect a Fuji400 on the next post!

See you on the next roll! ✌️