Lucky SHD 100 - Your Experience?

[chuckroast]

'Just mentioned this in another thread, but thought I'd break it our for separate discussion:

what was the last camera you used, last film and how was it developed

The longer I use it, the more I like Kentmere 100. Now I am pushing to ISO 400 with excellent results, especially when the Sujet has low contrast. Staircase in the City Museum Düsseldorf, Germany. Central station, Cologne, Germany. Canon 7s, Russar 5.6/20 mm Kentmere 100, ISO 400 Adox XT-3...

www.photrio.com

The old Lucky was a really good traditional film but suffered badly from poor quality control. When I heard they'd reinvented the company and revisited the film, I decided to try some.

I shot my first roll with a Hasselblad and a 100mm f/3.5 lens, exposing at EI 80. Semistand developed it for 30min in Pyrocat-HDC.

The film took the stain very nicely and the negatives look great on a lightbox. Hoping to silver print later this evening.

Anyone else using this stuff in any of the available formats?

 

[chuckroast]

Print scans from the above:

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I have a few rolls of SHD 100 that I recently purchased but haven't used yet. However, I am more likely to reversal process these rolls than develop them as negatives. I was told by the seller that SHD 100 doesn't suffer from the emulsion defects that are commonly found in SHD 400. Did you notice any defects in the roll you developed?

 

[chuckroast]

I have a few rolls of SHD 100 that I recently purchased but haven't used yet. However, I am more likely to reversal process these rolls than develop them as negatives. I was told by the seller that SHD 100 doesn't suffer from the emulsion defects that are commonly found in SHD 400. Did you notice any defects in the roll you developed?

None noted, but again, I only tried one roll thus far.

 

[chuckroast]

The saga continues.

I have now developed another roll of 120 SHD 100, this time in ultra dilute Pyrocat-HDC 1:1:500, with 3 midpoint EMA agitations.

I also did a roll of 35mm SHD 100 that way.

Then I did another roll of 35mm SHD 100 wtih Pyrocat-HDC for 30 min semistand.

All were exposed at box speed.

The 35mm rolls were factory loads. Both showed some slight weird mottling on the unexposed leader/trailer, irrespective of developer dilution or time. I don't know if this is inherent in the film's design, a consequence of a particular batch of film, or a response to the low agitation scheme.

The ultra-dilute development resulted in a pinkish cast overall, on both 35mm and 120. This has the appearance of a slight chemical fog interacting with the Pyrocat stain to produce the (slight) pinkish look. It would seem that the long time in developer required for ultra dilution cause a bit of fogging. The 30min semistand does not exhibit this in any visible way.

I just had a 100' bulk roll of this film in 35mm delivered. I want to do a few other tests:

• Do another 30min semistand development to see if the mottling I am seeing is inherent in the film or just an artefact of the factory rolled batch I started with.
  
  
• Develop with conventional agitation and dilution to see how/if this changes the observed anomalies.

This is more a matter of academic interest at this point, because I've printed the first roll of ultra-dilute 35mm I shot, and pinkness/mottling aside, it produced beautiful images with none of the aforementioned visible.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

This is more a matter of academic interest at this point, because I've printed the first roll of ultra-dilute 35mm I shot, and pinkness/mottling aside, it produced beautiful images with none of the aforementioned visible.

How does SHD100 compare with Shanghai GP3?

 

[chuckroast]

How does SHD100 compare with Shanghai GP3?

I only ever used GP3 in 220 and 4x5, never 35mm. That said (and this is based on memory, since it's been a while):

• The GP3 base is thicker
  
  
• The roll film tends have more curl
  
  
• The GP3 does not show as much Pyro stain as the SHD 100
  
  
• To the somewhat limited degree I have used both of these films, neither has shown emulsion problems or manufacturing defects

 

[quigs]

I bought SHD 100 when I was getting used to shooting a TLR and I really enjoy it developed in Pyrocat-HD. I bought a bulk roll of the 400 in 35mm form but the quality control was abysmal and the 400 speed is too contrasty for me (ironic because I enjoy shooting Foma 400). But 100 seems to be a really good film!

 

[chuckroast]

I bought SHD 100 when I was getting used to shooting a TLR and I really enjoy it developed in Pyrocat-HD. I bought a bulk roll of the 400 in 35mm form but the quality control was abysmal and the 400 speed is too contrasty for me (ironic because I enjoy shooting Foma 400). But 100 seems to be a really good film!

Can you say a bit more about the quality issues you ran into.

 

[quigs]

Can you say a bit more about the quality issues you ran into.

Mostly scratches from the factory. The emulsion is extremely delicate compared to SHD 100. Here's some examples (ignoring the specks from an ongoing, separate issue that has affected all film stocks I've been developing).

The start of the bulk roll (image 2 in the sequence) was ridiculously scratched up. I thought it was a user loading issue after the first roll, so I stuck the bulk roll back in my dark bag and snipped off a bit of the roll directly and inspected it and it was scratched from the factory for the first two of the 36-frame rolls. The other two images show scratches across different canisters (plastic--never again, metal) and cameras. I thought the long scratch in the 3rd image was from my squeegee, so I stopped and switched camera bodies but it still cropped up in the same spot from time to time.

I think it's just not conducive to bulk roll in 35mm form due to being so delicate (I haven't shot 120 for 400). I was chatting with another film photographer on Instagram who shot 400 from the factory (not a bulk roll) and he had much better luck quality-wise, but wasn't happy with the visual results and still had the occasional scratch.

Another issue I ran into was air bells during development, which I'd never gotten with any other stock (easily corrected of course, I started pre-soaking it and knocking the tank against the counter after the inversions).

For 100 in 120 I switched from plastic reels to metal because I could not get the thin base to stop curling or kinking when pushing it on the reel. 400 in 35mm is also pretty thin and I don't know how challenging it would be to load on a plastic reel but I've not had trouble loading either with metal.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I reversal processed a roll of SHD400 120 film yesterday. This one barely had any emulsion defects or scratches though it curls a lot. Quite happy with the results.

 

[chuckroast]

I've posted an example using Lucky SHD100 120 processed in ultra-dilute Pyrocat-HDC here:

What Happens When We Ultra-Dilute Pyrocat-HDC?

Because you have made it repetitiously clear that indulging you further would be a pointless endeavour. Got it. No pictures... ever.

www.photrio.com

 

[chuckroast]

Another, not quite as dilute, this time 35mm ...

[April 2026] Stickup

Leica IIIf, 50mm f/2 Color-Skopar, Lucky SHD 100, Pyrocat-HDC, scan of silver print

 

[lowleft]

I reversal processed a roll of SHD400 120 film yesterday. This one barely had any emulsion defects or scratches though it curls a lot. Quite happy with the results.

Oh this sounds fascinating! What chems did you use for this? I was looking at getting the Reflx Pan 200 since it comes in 220 but a b&w reversal sounds really cool too.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Oh this sounds fascinating! What chems did you use for this? I was looking at getting the Reflx Pan 200 since it comes in 220 but a b&w reversal sounds really cool too.

I use my own brew but if you are new to reversal processing, this should be very helpful to you:

Reversal Processing

Turning your negatives into positives Reversal processing enables black and white transparencies to be produced directly from high quality films such as PAN F Plus, FP4 Plus and DELTA 100 PROFESSIONAL How […]

www.ilfordphoto.com

 

[chuckroast]

Today, I wanted to check a Hasselblad back for frame spacing (it was fine) and decided to give a roll of SHD 100 a try in PMK Pyro: EI 80, PMK 1:2:100 for 12 min, initial agitation of 30 seconds followed by 5 sec every 15 sec thereafter.

The negatives look great but .... WHAT??? The 12th frame was cut off. It seems the roll was cut short.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[MattKing]

Was it cut short or is the start mark in the wrong place or is the film taped in the wrong place on the backing paper?

 

[chuckroast]

Was it cut short or is the start mark in the wrong place or is the film taped in the wrong place on the backing paper?

It's a fair point, but it's definitely short. When compared to a sacrificial roll I keep around for checking magazines, this roll of SHD 100 is about 1.5 inches shorter overall. The leader appears to be fairly normal at 1.5-2 inches.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've been playing around with this film for the past few weeks, developing it in PC-512, as well as Pyrocat-HDC. I've been comparing it with another cheap, 100 speed film (actually, SHD is cheaper!), Kentmere 100... I'll tell all in my video...

 

[chuckroast]

I've been playing around with this film for the past few weeks, developing it in PC-512, as well as Pyrocat-HDC. I've been comparing it with another cheap, 100 speed film (actually, SHD is cheaper!), Kentmere 100... I'll tell all in my video...

Try it in PMK. It's pretty great. I exposed at EI 80 and developed in standard 1:2:100 for 12 min @ 68F/20C agitating every 15sec after and initial 30 seconds.

This was in a regular Nikor tank and reel system. The negs are teensie bit more dense than I like so I will probably back off to 11min next time.

 

[blee1996]

I've been playing around with this film for the past few weeks, developing it in PC-512, as well as Pyrocat-HDC. I've been comparing it with another cheap, 100 speed film (actually, SHD is cheaper!), Kentmere 100... I'll tell all in my video...

Where to get SHD 100 cheap?

 

[chuckroast]

Where to get SHD 100 cheap?

Reflx Lab

Film Photography Supplies

reflxlab.com

It's generally cheap. About 1/2 or the less the price of major name brands.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I ordered 2 bricks of 120 off of Ali Express.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

@chuckroast I'll have to mix up some PMK. I haven't touched it since the late 90's. I didn't like what it was doing to my HP5...I've been meaning to give it another go, though. SHD will be first in line. What EI are you using with it?

 

[chuckroast]

@chuckroast I'll have to mix up some PMK. I haven't touched it since the late 90's. I didn't like what it was doing to my HP5...I've been meaning to give it another go, though. SHD will be first in line. What EI are you using with it?

Try EI 80 for 11 min. I updated my post above with the deets.

It's funny, PMK is the only developer I like with HP5+.