Chinese lens manufacturer Light Lens Lab has announced a major project to develop new photographic films.
The lens maker, which produces lenses for Leica M and Leica screw-mount cameras, made the announcement on Wednesday (29 January), saying that the new project would even include research into new peel-apart instant films.
Light Lens Lab said in a blog post: “Happy Lunar New Year! We are excited to announce that, to celebrate this special occasion, we will begin researching, developing, and producing photographic and cinematic films.
“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. 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.
“Our goals for this project include researching, developing, and producing films through the following development processes:
- Black-and-white film with T-grain structure, with speeds ranging from 100 to 1600
- C-41
- E-6
- Instant peel-apart film
- ECN-2 for cinematography
- And more in the future
“We also aim to produce films in various photographic or cinematographic formats; please stay tuned for future releases.
“The Film Project will utilise our newly developed proprietary machine and emulsion process, allowing us to be self-sufficient in our production.
“This film project will be marketed under a different brand name, so please stay tuned for future updates!”
No further details have been given about whether Light Lens Lab, based in Shangrao in the east of China, has a new film-making facility or whether they will be using an existing factory, such as the one used for China Lucky Film’s emulsions.
The post also included images showing a magnification of the black-and-white film’s grain structure, which you can see below:
The post also showed two test images said to have been taken on the new film. Light Lens lab says the film used did not have an anti-halation layer – presumably this will be added to production emulsions.
The news follows reports that China’s somewhat dormant film-making industry may be poised to kick into action in 2025.
China Lucky Film, who produced a range of colour negative and black-and-white films in the 2000s, has restarted black-and-white film production, and hinted that it will also start colour film production later this year.
(You can see more speculation on what Chinese companies seriously entering the film market could mean in this piece just published by Japan Camera Hunter.)
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
Hello,
That’s promising ! Peel apart instant film is unbelievable !
Christian