The First Look at China Lucky’s New Color 35mm Film

Chinese company Lucky Film’s long-awaited new color film is closer than ever and could arrive as soon as next month. Lucky Film has shared the first sample photo shot with its latest film, giving excited analog photographers a taste of what they can expect to enjoy later this summer.

As shared by Kosmo Foto, Chinese film company Reflx Lab reported information that China Lucky Film recently shared on its Chinese social media account, and there are a lot of exciting new details.

First, Lucky Film’s parent company, Lucky Group, is extremely excited about the resurgence of enthusiasm for analog photography in China and beyond. The company has been working diligently to develop its new color film in response to this growing demand, and the process has been lengthy and arduous.

Reflx Lab reports that Lucky Film is still finalizing the name of its new film, but it will be an ISO 200 color film. The company has reportedly reserved a launch event venue in Hebei Province, “with June or July being the likely timeframe” for this event. However, Reflx Lab’s source adds that while the film may launch very soon, it likely won’t enter fullscale production until early next year, so early supply may be limited. It appears that China Lucky Film is approaching its launch cautiously, trying to gauge market interest before ramping up its manufacturing efforts.

Reflx Lab notes that the new film is expected to cost around 50 yuan in China, equivalent to approximately $7 at current exchange rates. However, tariffs could significantly impact that price for American film photographers.

Most excitingly, Lucky Group shared a new test shot captured using its color ISO 200 film on the Chinese social media platform Rednote. The new shot below shows the chief engineer of the film project, Mr. Guo, standing outside holding a color test chart. The new film has an interesting tone, which Reflx Lab describes as “somewhat cyanish.”

This highly anticipated new C-41 color negative film has been a long time coming, and controversy has accompanied its development. Earlier this year, possible distributors began fighting among themselves and spreading misinformation about the new film. It was a bizarre situation and one that may resurface now that the eagerly awaited film is nearing its initial release.

In any event, Lucky Film’s brand-new color film for 35mm cameras appears to be nearing release. The more film, the better.

Image credits: China Lucky Film. Header photo created using a render of the upcoming color film that may not match the final production appearance. This render is used for illustrative purposes only.