Film Photography Lust: Lucky Black-and-White 35mm Film

China Lucky Film is a Chinese manufacturer that produces a range of affordable black-and-white photographic films (also produce color films). I have been using Lucky film regularly as one of my everyday 35mm black-and-white options.

I purchase Lucky film online from REFLX Lab in Shenzhen, China, usually in 100-foot bulk rolls. The three Lucky films I have used are:

Lucky SHD 400
Lucky SHD 100
Lucky SHD 50, sold under the Kangsong SHD 50 name

Lucky SHD 400 and SHD 100 are available from REFLX Lab in 35mm cartridges, 120 rolls, and 100-foot bulk rolls. Both films can also be found in 35mm cartridges through a limited number of other retailers. Other retailers I've used as reference include:

Bellows Film Lab
Brooklyn Film Lab
Midwest Photo
Tuttles Camera
Legacy Photo Lab

Lucky SHD 50 appears to have more limited availability. I have only found it in 100-foot bulk rolls from REFLX Lab, where it is sold as Kangsong SHD 50. It appears that the film is no longer manufactured nor commonly available in individual 35mm cartridges.

Why I Use Lucky Film

The primary attraction of Lucky black-and-white film is its price. It is particularly economical when purchased in bulk and loaded into reusable 35mm cartridges.

As an example, based on current bulk prices from REFLX Lab a 36 exposure roll equals:

Lucky SHD 400 = $3.61
Lucky SHD 100 = $3.61
Lucky SHD 50 = $2.78

I've found only Arista films in bulk have a price in the same range.

I would describe the overall image quality as acceptable to good, although not exceptional. For me, that makes Lucky a useful everyday film—something I can shoot regularly without worrying about the cost of each frame. It is also a practical choice when testing a camera (short rolls), experimenting with a developer, or photographing subjects that may not justify using a more expensive film.

Despite its affordability, Lucky film does have several drawbacks:

Quality control can be inconsistent, particularly with SHD 400 in my experience.
The 100-foot bulk rolls I have found are primarily available through REFLX Lab in Shenzhen. Shipping costs are currently very affordable.
The film can exhibit a noticeable amount of light piping.
I find that Lucky SHD 400 is best at 200 ISO and Lucky SHD 50 at 25 ISO

The quality-control problems I have encountered with SHD 400 have included occasional black spots and lines appearing on the negatives. These defects have not appeared on every frame, but I have seen them across several bulk rolls, making them more than an isolated occurrence.

Light piping can also affect the first few frames of a roll. This is especially important when bulk-loading the film, since light entering through the film base can travel farther into the cartridge than it would with some other black-and-white films. Advancing several extra frames after loading can help reduce the likelihood of losing an important photograph.

Even with these limitations, I continue to use Lucky black-and-white film regularly. Its low price makes it an appealing everyday option, and when the film is free of defects, it is capable of producing pleasing photographs.

In future posts, I’ll post a closer look at Lucky SHD 50, SHD 100, and SHD 400 individually, including how I expose and develop each film and the results I have experienced.