thanks for your input guys.. Yes i remember dealing with issac chen once long ago actualy when the LuckySHD400 was still in production. Tried some of the shanghai too but I wasn't very pleased with it.. Its in a box now reserved for last resort emergency's!
Actually dfoo in general terms I agree with you about the anti-halation layer issue, but I always found it quite handy for bad lighting conditions because it gets very contrasty with an extra minute or two in the developer. good for long shots where you cant always use a flash if you can handle the result being a little rugged. Ive got a few negs that were extremely poorly lit which could almost be compared to a lith print!
As for ERA I guess it might be time for me to say RIP. Sadly too many of us have had to say that all too often in recent times