Lucky Colour C200 & C400 - 35mm Colour Negative Film Bundle

Both of Lucky's new colour films, one roll of each, from a factory that stopped making colour in 2012 and has since made two.

That is Lucky's entire modern 35mm colour range in one parcel. It is not a long list.

The Lucky Colour C200 & C400 35mm Film Bundle contains one roll each of Lucky Colour C200 and Lucky Colour C400, the two modern colour negative films from Lucky Film in China. ISO 200 and ISO 400, both daylight balanced, DX coded, 36 exposures, processed in standard C-41. C400 followed C200 by roughly six months.

What Makes the Lucky C200 & C400 Bundle Habit-Forming

The Whole Range in One Parcel

Lucky Film halted colour production in 2012 and rebuilt the line from scratch. C200 was the first film out of that rebuild, and C400 followed roughly six months later. Between them they are everything Lucky currently makes in 35mm colour.

A Stop Apart

C200 for sunny days and anything where you would rather keep the grain down. C400 for overcast afternoons, interiors and shutter speeds fast enough to stop movement. Shoot them through the same week and you will know which belongs in your bag by default. Each has its own page with the detail: Lucky Colour C200 and Lucky Colour C400.

Both Want Generous Exposure

C200 is a high contrast film, and C400 becomes considerably harder to colour correct when underexposed. Neither rewards guesswork in failing light, so meter carefully and err towards overexposure. Be wary of scenes lit by a mix of daylight and household bulbs too, which C400 in particular handles poorly.

Processed the Same Way

Both are standard C-41 with no remjet or special chemistry, so they can go through the same run and be scanned on the same settings.

A Vote for New Emulsions

Genuinely new colour negative films are still scarce, and manufacturers only keep making them if people buy them. Two new stocks in two years is a lot to ask of any factory, and buying the pair is the most direct way to tell Lucky it was worth doing.

Lucky C200 or C400?

C200 if you mostly shoot in good daylight and want finer grain. C400 if you shoot overcast days, interiors or moving subjects and can afford to expose it generously, because underexposed C400 is unusually difficult to colour correct. If you plan to buy one in quantity, shoot a roll of each first.

Are Lucky C200 and C400 new films or rebranded stock?

New films. Lucky Film stopped producing colour in 2012 and rebuilt its colour line with new equipment and chemistry. C200 and C400 are Lucky's own emulsions, not respooled or rebadged stock from another manufacturer, which sets them apart from many of the budget colour films launched in recent years.

Best For Photographers curious about Lucky's colour films who want to try both before committing, anyone wanting a daylight roll and a faster roll from the same manufacturer, and people who enjoy shooting stocks the internet has not yet formed a fixed opinion about. Send both to us together and we will develop, scan and print them side by side, which with two films this new is worth doing properly.

Perfect for: Early adopters, people who back manufacturers still investing in new emulsions, shooters bored of the Kodak and Fuji rotation, anyone who wants a genuine answer when asked what they are shooting, and anyone whose dependency has started taking an interest in Chinese manufacturing.

A decade ago, the idea of a Chinese manufacturer launching two new colour negative films in quick succession would have sounded like wishful thinking on a forum. Lucky has now done it, with its own emulsions rather than somebody else's leftovers. Neither film is perfect, and both of their pages say so, but buying the pair is the cheapest way to see for yourself how far a factory starting again has come. More Lucky film, posted from North Essex.