New Shanghai 400 Color Film - First Impressions
The same company that produces GP3 black and white film (SHJC aka ‘Shanghai Jiancheng Technology Pty Ltd’) launched a color film this year, a 400 ISO color negative film.
While I cannot translate the characters on the box, some say it is called ‘Shenguang 400’. (Peta Pixel). I’ve been calling it Shanghai Color 400.
I haven’t found any conclusive evidence on what the film is and where it comes from, some say it’s related to Orwo, but there’s no documented trail to follow.
Anyway, it’s a nice film!!
I love the softness of the results, especially for greenery.
These results were developed and scanned by theFINDLab based in Orem, Utah.
Flat lighting works well with this film! I liked my images less that were mixed lighting or included a bit of sky, still nice, but it shines in the examples above (I think).
Perhaps this was due to the diffusion filter I left on or the type of sky that day (it was partly cloudy) though so hard to say after one roll.
For many of the images on the roll, I ever-so-slightly underexposed (usually by one stop). In the Nikon FM2n’s light meter, this looks like when both the O and - are flashing.
If anyone isn’t familiar with this style of light meter, there are only three indicators for exposure, a +, o, - , o is middle exposure, + is overexposure, and - is underexposure (generally and non-detailed-technically speaking).
The reason for slightly underexposing is that in previous rolls from Orwo (not saying this film is Orwo but it has similar characteristics), I didn’t like the look of middle (or an average) exposure with the film and wanted to try highlights only or a little bit under.
Some of these I wish I had gone even more under, but it’s a learning process!
Price
On Shanghai’s website, this film is selling for $12.99 USD for one roll or $121 for 10 rolls. That’s approximately in the middle range of film prices. It’s not Kodak Gold’s more affordable $10(ish), nor is it Portra’s $20(ish). Granted Portra is considered a better film than Gold, therefore the price difference, but generally speaking, Shanghai Color 400 is average at the moment.
I find the value fair, with all known factors considered.
It’s a lovely film (from my first roll), results similar to Orwo NC500 (although I like it better than my NC500 rolls), nice grain, and metal canisters.
Conclusion
My favorite question when testing a ‘new’ film is, would I buy it again?
Yes, I would.
At the current price, I would, any increases, probably not though.
What do you think?
If interested in the film, check out Shanghai’s site here. (Not sponsored and I paid for the film lol)
Until next time!
~M
Thanks for sharing your results! I’ve only used two rolls of color so far (both Kodaks) so this is helpful!
I see that you are using a wide-angle lens -- if I remember, do you have the 20mm for your Nikon? These look like 24mm or wider to me. Yes -- the diffusion filter is making highlights bloom a bit and that might be making the images look a little overexposed -- the exact same exposure without the filter you might find OK. I think that I had read somewhere that Shanghai Film actually has production facilities and did produce its own color film 'back in the day' -- so maybe they have brought that production line back to life -- that would be good! I like the subdued colors -- definitely not the saturated warmth of a Kodak consumer film, or the saturated greens of the (now gone?) Fuji 200/400 consumer stocks. Definitely grainier than a Portra 400, but the grain is rounded and smooth -- so not obnoxious. I noticed in the interior shot 'banding' in the grain on the upper-portion of the wall -- I don't see it elsewhere, so what at first I thought was a grain/film artifact actually seems to be some subtle texture in the wall that the film did pick up -- that's a good thing! To me these feel 'mellow' -- in a good way -- like a relaxed, not too hot, not too super-sunny, day. I guess that I will be ordering some of this and see if I can get it in time for my vacation to the Finger Lakes in August! Thank you, Molly-Kate!!! Cheers!