SHANGHAI 120 Vs Lucky 120

shadesofgrey · Jun 19, 2012

Hi everyone. Has anyone any knowledge of one or both of the above films. Has anyone tried both and come to a conclusion that one is better than the other for x reasons. They seem a viable alternative to using the better quality films that I use at present to test the medium format cameras that I repair/collect.

All the best.

Sam.

Dennis S · Jun 19, 2012

I have used both (tried) but the Lucky never made it as far as the first frame before jamming my insert. Twice this has happened and I only bought 3 rolls of it so maybe the third is the charm but I doubt I will be trying it. Shanghai is quite nice film if developed in Rodinal as anything else curls the hell out of the film. Quite nice contrast and easy on the grain. One of my favorite films price wise. I usually get 4 or 5 rolls every few months and the "Free Shipping" always gets my vote. Prints nice also.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 19, 2012

Ive heard there is Lucky 120 but never found any. Do you have a source? I shoot the Shanghai GP3 a lot having secured some very cheap direct from Beijing as I lived there and have relatives go back too. A lot like Plus-X but curls a lot. Some examples here:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=38698047@N00&q=Gp3

CGW · Jun 19, 2012

Funny, the only time I tried Lucky 120 both rolls jammed in my Mamiya RB67 backs. Maybe it's the tar paper-like backing?

PhotoJim · Jun 19, 2012

Both films are thin, and hard to deal with until you've filed them in neg sheets and they've had a few weeks to flatten. Otherwise I like them well enough.

I haven't had any issues with either one feeding improperly, though.

Terry Christian · Jun 19, 2012

I've used both in 120, and Shanghai in 4x5 also. They're about the same, with about the same type of black backing paper; but if I have to pick one over the other, I might give Lucky the edge.
rich815, I've always gotten my Lucky 120 off eBay, no certain seller, whomever is cheapest at any given time.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 19, 2012

Terry Christian said:
I've used both in 120, and Shanghai in 4x5 also. They're about the same, with about the same type of black backing paper; but if I have to pick one over the other, I might give Lucky the edge.
rich815, I've always gotten my Lucky 120 off eBay, no certain seller, whomever is cheapest at any given time.

Ah I see it now. About $3 a roll. Glad I still have 50+ of the GP3 I got for under $1. Heard it may not be being made anymore....

artonpaper · Jun 19, 2012

A friend gave me a roll of each. He said to re-tape the leading edge of the film onto the backing prior to use to prevent jamming. That worked. Both films very similar in image quality.

dehk · Jun 19, 2012

Reason why Lucky jammed its that shitty tape they used. I retape them to make sure they don't jam my backs.

Colin Corneau · Jun 19, 2012

My opinion mirrors dances w clouds and rich815's...I've heard nothing but cheap and awful things about Lucky, and Shanghai GP3 was quite nice, when I used it in 120.

I used Rodinal and it was quite lovely. Crappy paper backing, though, and it did curl like sh!t unfortunately. But, as a film, it seemed OK.

I'm going to stick with Ilford and Kodak, quality wise and access-wise...but to answer your question, Shanghai film struck me as an OK choice.

Andrew K · Jun 20, 2012

I've used both films - I even shot the Shanghai ina Great Wall on the great Wall

I've had more problems with GP3 than Lucky when it comes to having it come unstuck form the backing paper (1 roll - out of over 100 rolls shot with both films)..

I use Ilfrod DDX or LC29, and the results are fine on both counts..

And yes - I do thing they've stopped making the GP3...

I may alwso have been lucky because the cameras I use have simple film paths (run straight from spool to spool, or in the case of a TLR over a couple of rollers, but nothing as complex as a RB or pentax 645..)

Athiril · Jun 20, 2012

Really love the GP3, gorgeous film.

Re: It not being made anymore, this idea came up some years ago as well, seems to keep coming around. Also many things in China are simply made on demand, when a distributor/seller needs more, they order some (big order), factory goes into production. Not sure if this is the case for GP3 or not.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 20, 2012

Athiril said:
Really love the GP3, gorgeous film.

Re: It not being made anymore, this idea came up some years ago as well, seems to keep coming around. Also many things in China are simply made on demand, when a distributor/seller needs more, they order some (big order), factory goes into production. Not sure if this is the case for GP3 or not.

Hope you're right. I really like GP3. When my father-in-law went to pick some up for me on his last trip to Beijing a year or so ago I sent him to the places I knew should have it and one said nope and the other had some but said its no longer being made and what's in the distribution channel is it.

MartinP · Jun 20, 2012

I bought a super cheap lot of ten rolls of Shanghai GP3 out of curiosity, and to try in an ancient junkshop Agfa Clack. The first couple of rolls worked ok but the badly printed numbers were very hard to read through the red-window and also I found printed through frame-numbers on the negs. It seems the film is now the same price as Ilford or Kodak products and I don't think that is justifiable, based on the quality of results.

Pioneer · Jun 20, 2012

I have not tried either one but at the prices it seems to recently go for on the 'Bay I think I will continue to work with the Arista EDU films. At least they have never jammed up in my Pentax 645.

Dennis S · Jun 20, 2012

Athiril said:
Really love the GP3, gorgeous film.

Re: It not being made anymore, this idea came up some years ago as well, seems to keep coming around. Also many things in China are simply made on demand, when a distributor/seller needs more, they order some (big order), factory goes into production. Not sure if this is the case for GP3 or not.

I have found someone too that will supply NEW GP-3 but you have to order a minimum of 500 rls. Not likely I will be doing that but it is a nice film.

ambaker · Jun 20, 2012

You can still get it in date, with at least a year till expiration from that big bay in the cyber sky.

10 rolls for 29 bucks shipped. That doesn't mean it is in production now, but it's out there if somebody wants or needs it.

I only use it in my cams that do not have view windows. As others have mentioned, the numbers are very difficult to see, and the light can leave the number printed on the film.

shadesofgrey · Jun 21, 2012

Thanks one and all for the info. A great help and very interesting views. I've ordered 10 rolls of Shanghai (free post of course Terry/D-W-C) so that should keep me going and allow me time to get use to it. I'd heard that it has a real bad curl though a friend said that once the negs were in the neg bags he placed them on his light-box for an hour or so with a heavy book on top of them, then turned the light box off so as to allow them to cool naturally and bingo, no curl? Maybe I'll checkout his words of wisdom soon. I notice that 'Rodinal' gets the thumbs up, why and in what dilution?

Thanks again guys, your time and help much appreciated.

All the best.

Sam.

"Never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away and you've got their shoes."

Absolutely brilliant Colin.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 21, 2012

My Flickr link above with GP3 examples all have time/temp/dilution and agitation I used.

shadesofgrey · Jun 21, 2012

rich815 said:
My Flickr link above with GP3 examples all have time/temp/dilution and agitation I used.

Hi Rich. Yep, got them book marked and noted in my Dev cookbook folder. Why the variety of Devs? Experimentation or choosing to suit film/subject?

Sam.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 21, 2012

shadesofgrey said:
Hi Rich. Yep, got them book marked and noted in my Dev cookbook folder. Why the variety of Devs? Experimentation or choosing to suit film/subject?

Sam.

Do be sure to note the temp difference. Just happened to be warmer water some days so time adjusted accordingly to compensate. Otherwise often when the subject or scene is bright or contrasty I will over-expose 1/2 to a full stop and pull back development time 10-15%. I also primary scan my negs and find a slightly less developed (and less contrasty) neg scans better.

SHANGHAI 120 Vs Lucky 120

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