Light Lens Lab Is Developing and Producing Brand-New Film Emulsions

Jan 29, 2025

Jaron Schneider

Split image: Left side shows a grayscale microscopic view of irregular, geometric shapes clustered together. Right side features a black-and-white photo of a fluffy cat sitting on a table surrounded by various objects in a cluttered room.

Light Lens Lab, a Chinese optics manufacturer that reproduces classic lens formulas for modern cameras, announced that it is expanding its efforts into film development and plans to release brand new emulsions in the near future.

The company is most well known for its reproduction of lenses that are no longer actively made but are cherished for their particular “look.” For example, its 50mm f/1.2 “1966” is a modern remake of the Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 that was originally made between 1966 and 1975. A true Leica version of this lens is prohibitively expensive and difficult to acquire given its relative rarity, so Light Lens Lab remade it, going so far as to do its best to replicate the manufacturing and glass production of the era so that it could be enjoyed by more photographers.

“Light Lens Lab uses a type of glass that almost exactly matches the vintage formula and even hand grinds and polishes the twin aspherical elements that made the original so famous. This means that the look of the images out of the new 50mm f/1.2 are an almost exact match to Leica’s original,” Chris Niccolls explains in his review.

While the company did not specify a timeline, development is well on its way with a newly-developed T-grain structure emulsion already nearly completed the company notes in a blog post, seen by Kosmo Foto.

Light Lens Lab says its goal with the film project is to not only produce film but to also research and develop new emulsions.

“Our initial research has yielded promising results. Our first emulsion test indicates that our black-and-white T-Grain silver halide structure research has succeeded,” Light Lens Lab writes.

“We conducted a test shot using our Seagull Upgrade Project TLR Camera. However, the antihalation layer was not applied to the film during this testing phase. A new antihalation layer will be utilized for future films.”

Black and white image of an old, weathered steam train engine. Details include rusted metal, visible tubing, and intricate mechanical components under a canopy of trees. The engine appears abandoned and full of character.

A fluffy cat is sitting on a cluttered table in a room filled with shelves and various items. The surroundings include bags and objects in a dimly lit, vintage-style setting. The scene is in black and white.

Along with this announcement, Light Lens Lab published examples of the grain structure of this new film emulsion as well as sample images that, as mentioned, don’t have an antihalation layer applied. There is obviously more work to be done, but Light Lens Lab has already progressed quite far in this endeavor.

The company’s goal is to produce this new black-and-white film with speeds ranging from ISO 100 through ISO 1600 in E-41, E-6, ECN-2 for cinematography, and even in an instant peel-apart film format.

A grayscale microscopic image shows various geometric shapes, including hexagons and triangles, scattered across the surface. The image has measurement details and a date of 21-Jan-25 in the lower portion.

A scanning electron microscope image shows various shapes of hexagonal and triangular particles densely packed together. The grayscale image reveals geometric patterns at a microscopic scale.

“The Film Project will utilize our newly developed proprietary machine and emulsion process, allowing us to be self-sufficient in our production,” Light Lens Lab adds. “We also aim to produce films in various photographic or cinematographic formats; please stay tuned for future releases.”

Light Lens Lab will continue to manufacture lenses under its original branding but the film will be released and marketed under a different brand name. The company didn’t say what that name would be.

Image credits: Light Lens Lab