Color film was typically made in a few standard balances rather than a wide range. Most common color films were daylight-balanced, roughly around 5000K, intended for direct sunlight or electronic flash. Under cooler light such as open shade, photographers often used a warming filter; under tungsten light (around 3200K), they used a blue correction filter such as an 80A.

Some films were tungsten-balanced instead, usually intended for studio or movie lights around 3200K. These were often marked clearly on the box or datasheet, sometimes with a “T” in the name.

For slide/transparency film, the film’s balance is especially meaningful because the film itself is viewed directly. For color negative film, the final print or scan includes color correction, so the “white balance” of the film alone is less absolute; the overall process matters more. That’s why negative film can tolerate some interpretation during printing or scanning.

So, in digital terms, most film corresponds broadly to either daylight or tungsten presets, with the exact target usually stated by the manufacturer.