Anxious for any news about the return of ((ORWO))

Donald Qualls · Apr 2, 2021

Disconnekt said:
And Orwo said themselves on twitter that they are not american owned: https://www.twitter.com/ORWOfilm/status/1376820885605203969

The need for that probably arose from the existence of ORWO North America, a separately owned "distributor" of ORWO film products. As I understand it, they own the North American (or US?) rights to use the ORWO name, and mainly distribute ORWO products, but have no direct connection with ORWO proper in EU.

AgX · Apr 2, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
The need for that probably arose from the existence of ORWO North America, a separately owned "distributor" of ORWO film products. As I understand it, they own the North American (or US?) rights to use the ORWO name.

No, they don't. But they own the right to "Orwo Original Wolfen North America" ...

But they ("Orwona", Campbell Representation Inc.) are the offcial distributor for Filmotec in the USA and Canada.
(One may wonder about Mexico...)

Donald Qualls · Apr 2, 2021

Ugh. IP rights are one of the greatest sources of confusion there is...

relistan · Apr 2, 2021

AgX said:
No, they don't. But they own the right to "Orwo Original Wolfen North America" ...

But they ("Orwona", Campbell Representation Inc.) are the offcial distributor for Filmotec in the USA and Canada.
(One may wonder about Mexico...)

Just to confuse things further, there is also this: https://www.orwo.studio/

AgX · Apr 2, 2021

This studio has been taken over at the forming of that new conglomerate, and been given the Orwo brand.

mohmad khatab · Apr 5, 2021

relistan said:
Hey man, nobody is attacking you. I think translation is getting in the way. @Henning Serger was pointing out that what you quoted from ORWO and what he said originally are both true. You quoted ORWO saying they are making color film. They are: Lomography color film. This was discussed above. They said they have the capability to do it. Henning already said that. They said there is a rumor they are making color cinema film, but they refused to comment. Everything Henning said is also true with everything they said.

That being said... you have gone way too far with some of your reply. More than worth an apology. Particularly over invoking the holocaust.

Yes, dear brother.
You're right, maybe the translation was bad.
I mainly suffer from a weak English language, because in my youth I was confused between learning French and English, and in the end I did not succeed in learning any of them well ..
All in all, I apologize to everyone again.
Greetings to all

pentaxuser · Aug 10, 2021

As a result of watching in the last few hours a new YouTube video by ShootFilmLikeaBoss there appears to be a U.K. site for Orwo film. The site is run by a James Holcombe and it's called orwouk.com. He is primarily a distributor for the ORWO films in the U.K. so I could be wrong but I doubt if this announcement is of any value to those resident outside the U.K. but that is "doubt" as opposed to certainty that it definitely does not cover those who live elsewhere. It appears to be bulk roll only and not cassettes

A quick check on prices makes the UN54 slightly cheaper than Foma 100 from one U.K. retailer but ORWO N75 the Foma 400 equivalent is slightly more expensive using the same retailer as a benchmark. The only other seller of ORWO in the U.K. appears to be ntphoto which I think is Nick and Trick and its prices are way over what orwouk want

Anyway mention this as a possible extra resource for those with an interest in ORWO films.

pentaxuser

mohmad khatab · Aug 10, 2021

pentaxuser said:
As a result of watching in the last few hours a new YouTube video by ShootFilmLikeaBoss there appears to be a U.K. site for Orwo film. The site is run by a James Holcombe and it's called orwouk.com. He is primarily a distributor for the ORWO films in the U.K. so I could be wrong but I doubt if this announcement is of any value to those resident outside the U.K. but that is "doubt" as opposed to certainty that it definitely does not cover those who live elsewhere. It appears to be bulk roll only and not cassettes

A quick check on prices makes the UN54 slightly cheaper than Foma 100 from one U.K. retailer but ORWO N75 the Foma 400 equivalent is slightly more expensive using the same retailer as a benchmark. The only other seller of ORWO in the U.K. appears to be ntphoto which I think is Nick and Trick and its prices are way over what orwouk want

Anyway mention this as a possible extra resource for those with an interest in ORWO films.

pentaxuser

I will not talk much about this, so as not to be punished again so that my account in the forum will be activated again..
I will be smart this time.
However, I hope everyone who was fiercely opposed to the idea of (ORWO) returning to produce a color film, I hope that these opponents have literary and scientific courage and can apologize for being opposed to this idea without scientific evidence.
A respectable person, a noble person, a person of high morals, should apologize if the days prove that his point of view was wrong. And if he does not apologize, he is not worthy of respect at all.

These are attached pictures of personal conversations that took place between me and the sales manager of (ORWO) company on Instagram.
- Perhaps these hadiths do not rise to be a complete argument and evidence that proves my point of view, but it is considered one of the clues that must be respected.
I was told, by the directors of ORWO, that they will be able to produce a color film in a year from now. And I find myself confident in what they say.
If not, I will write a post declaring that I am an idiot, ignorant, stupid and a moron and I will apologize to all people.
- On the other hand, if this is done and they have actually fulfilled their promise, everyone who fiercely opposed that idea must have moral courage and write a clear and frank apology, and he must admit that he was opposing on the basis of personal matters.

cmacd123 · Aug 10, 2021

James is well experienced in the Cinema industry, his mandate for ORWO is the UK. He will likely concentrate on movie sales, as opposed to having film loaded in still cassettes.

pentaxuser · Aug 10, 2021

Based on relistan's experience of N75 and his estimated speed of 320 rather than 400 it would appear to match Foma in terms of speed or possibly represents an improvement of what is usually quoted for Foma of 200/250. It also matches the Foma price in terms of bulk rolls so it might be simply a question of which is preferred in terms of "look" of the prints

What is clear is that Orwouk.com's only U.K. competitor that I can find, namely ntphoto, charges appreciably more for the bulk rolls and even more as a percentage for the 100 speed UN54

Currently a 100 ft bulk roll of UN54 is about £42. If you get 20 rolls of 36 frames out of the 100ft then this makes the price about £2.10 per 36 frame cassette which as far as I can see is the lowest price of any 100 speed film available in the U.K.

Just in case this is required. I have no connection with orwouk, do not use it and in fact only came across this information as a chance result of looking at the video today that I mentioned above

If I or anyone on any forum has a function it is to inform other members of useful price information

pentaxuser

mohmad khatab · Aug 11, 2021

I love the ORWO name and am ready to do whatever it takes to bring this great brand back to life. Trust me, it's just love that drives me. I am a man who is generally moved by feelings and not pragmatic at all

Lachlan Young · Aug 11, 2021

Let's keep this simple, the current/ new/ upcoming Orwo materials draw far more on Agfa Leverkusen/ Inoviscoat technology than from anything lurking in an ancient formula book in Wolfen. In other words, any colour material (depending on intended market) will be ECN-2/ C-41/ E-6. The current ORWO B&W materials have close relationships to certain well-known Agfa/ Inoviscoat emulsions (you can judge for yourself which ones they are).

pentaxuser · Aug 11, 2021

Lachlan Young said:
The current ORWO B&W materials have close relationships to certain well-known Agfa/ Inoviscoat emulsions (you can judge for yourself which ones they are).

Lachan, I am afraid I need a bit more help here. I think that you are saying that the b&w films I mentioned, namely the 100 speed UN54 and the 400 speed N75 are a close relationship to well known current AgfaPhoto films. Are these APX100 and 400?

Is "close" in effect close enough to be indistinguishable?

I searched a previous thread which had my head spinning by the end in terms of working out what are reasonable conclusions to draw but there seems to be agreement that ORWO films are coated by Inoviscoat. So does your comment indicate that AgfaPhoto films are now coated there as well now and not at Mobberley as there seemed to be a suggestion that AgfaPhoto films were really Kentmere 100 and 400 which in turn would seem to indicate that the 2 ORWO films may have no relationship to the AgfaPhoto films?

Thanks

pentaxuser

laingsoft · Aug 11, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Lachan, I am afraid I need a bit more help here. I think that you are saying that the b&w films I mentioned, namely the 100 speed UN54 and the 400 speed N75 are a close relationship to well known current AgfaPhoto films. Are these APX100 and 400?

Is "close" in effect close enough to be indistinguishable?

I searched a previous thread which had my head spinning by the end in terms of working out what are reasonable conclusions to draw but there seems to be agreement that ORWO films are coated by Inoviscoat. So does your comment indicate that AgfaPhoto films are now coated there as well now and not at Mobberley as there seemed to be a suggestion that AgfaPhoto films were really Kentmere 100 and 400 which in turn would seem to indicate that the 2 ORWO films may have no relationship to the AgfaPhoto films?

Thanks

pentaxuser

The orwo films are certainly not Kentmere. Not even close. Kentmere film is disgusting and muddy and the Orwo film is much closer to Foma 100 imo.

Lachlan Young · Aug 11, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Lachan, I am afraid I need a bit more help here. I think that you are saying that the b&w films I mentioned, namely the 100 speed UN54 and the 400 speed N75 are a close relationship to well known current AgfaPhoto films. Are these APX100 and 400?

Is "close" in effect close enough to be indistinguishable?

I searched a previous thread which had my head spinning by the end in terms of working out what are reasonable conclusions to draw but there seems to be agreement that ORWO films are coated by Inoviscoat. So does your comment indicate that AgfaPhoto films are now coated there as well now and not at Mobberley as there seemed to be a suggestion that AgfaPhoto films were really Kentmere 100 and 400 which in turn would seem to indicate that the 2 ORWO films may have no relationship to the AgfaPhoto films?

Thanks

pentaxuser

What is sold as 'Agfa' APX 100 and 400 today seems to be a close relative of Kentmere 100 and 400 - and made/ coated in Mobberley by Harman. UN54 and N74 appear to be close relatives of the last Agfa Leverkusen made version of Agfpan APX 100 and the modified version of the late Agfa era APX 400 formulation that was subsequently re-engineered to bring it closer to 400TX - and both made/ coated by Inoviscoat. Lomo Potsdam Kino and Berlin Kino are apparently UN54 and N74 - which, given Lomo's relationship with Inoviscoat, is highly likely. Given that there will have been various material/ ingredient changes, expecting the current ORWO/ Inoviscoat/ Lomo films to look exactly like their Agfa Leverkusen forebears is going to be a fool's errand, though they seem to have very similar sensitometric behaviour.

mohmad khatab · Aug 11, 2021

The current CEO of ORWO Group. He does not want to publish a lot of information, he means that on purpose, and the reason for that is that he does not want to publish anything unless he is absolutely certain that they are ready for actual production.
The man does not want another tragedy to be repeated, as happened with the tragedy (Ferrania).
Many photographers around the world lived in an amazing dream, and it turned out to be just a mirage.
The owners of ORWO do not wish to repeat this sad tragedy.
- Even the director of the Department of Communication with Photographers, did not obtain an official authorization from the group's management to talk about detailed information about their latest developments.
- But he only hardly told me one piece of information, or rather two information.
The first is that their chemists are working hard to reformulate the formulas of their films to comply with the requirements of the current global environmental code. (Their sales in the past contained elements that are considered to some extent against the environmental code now, they may contain toxic elements or the like. I don’t really know what the details of that story are)
The second point: The man told me that they (almost) will be able to produce, package and pack an analog product of all categories by the end of this year.
- I tried to bring that man to this forum in order to create an account for himself bearing the name (ORWO) to become the official spokesperson for the (ORWO) group, as is the case with the (Ferrania) Foundation,,
But it seems that the man needs to obtain a permit from his manager in the company in order to do so.

pentaxuser · Aug 11, 2021

Thanks, Lachlan, that clarifies matters. It was just the used of Agfa in the Agfa/Inoviscoat phrase that had me wondering. So its a close relationship with the former Agfa films and not the AgfaPhoto films which are closely related to Kentmere.

The word Photo at the end of Agfa needs to be used by all of us when we mention such films to ensure we distinguish between the former Agfa v the "new" Agfa films

pentaxuser

AgX · Aug 14, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Lachan, I am afraid I need a bit more help here. I think that you are saying that the b&w films I mentioned, namely the 100 speed UN54 and the 400 speed N75 are a close relationship to well known current AgfaPhoto films. Are these APX100 and 400?

There was never as connection between between Filmotec ("Orwo") and Agfa-Gevaert.
Filmotec is a late offspring of ORWO and as such their approach was based on ORWO materials.

Moreover current AgfaPhoto films are themselves in no way related to Agfa-Gevaert.

mohmad khatab · Aug 14, 2021

AgX said:
There was never as connection between between Filmotec ("Orwo") and Agfa-Gevaert.
Filmotec is a late offspring of ORWO and as such their approach was based on ORWO materials.

Moreover current AgfaPhoto films are themselves in no way related to Agfa-Gevaert.

Yes, yes, I totally agree with you.
Your information is correct and reasonable.

ORWO Film Official · Aug 17, 2021

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
Looks like Filmotec GmBh, the manufacturer of Orwo line of films including Orwo UN54 and N75, has new owners now.

For the first time this century, the IP and know of Agfa Motion Pictures, and it’s spin off ORWO was united under one common shareholder. This brought together IC Investments, InovisCoat, FilmoTec, and a range of other companies, underneath one banner. The new German company is very active in the film space and is obsessed with improving every aspect of the film value chain.

ORWO Film Official · Aug 17, 2021

relistan said:
Just to confuse things further, there is also this: https://www.orwo.studio/

ORWO Studios is part of our worldwide Family, bringing together companies involved in the development of cutting edge new techniques in the cine-film sector (such as holograms, AR/VR, virtual sets and advanced CGI); as well as mastery of the classic traditions (analogue - production, post and distribution).

ORWO Film Official · Aug 17, 2021

mohmad khatab said:
Yes ,, I understood that part ..
But what are their plans about color film

Yes the rumours are true. After tons of requests, we have decided to release a completely new color cine film line. The world needs choice!

It’s a bit daunting to be setting up as the only alternative to the giant behemoth that is Kodak; but we are convinced that this is what is necessary to make film thrive, not just survive. Creative people need a range of canvases. They need options!

We have been deep in R&D throughout the last 2 years and are planning to launch pre-selling as soon as possible, with the first films being ready for shipping in the second quarter of 2022.

More details will be coming very soon...

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Aug 17, 2021

ORWO Film Official said:
For the first time this century, the IP and know of Agfa Motion Pictures, and it’s spin off ORWO was united under one common shareholder. This brought together IC Investments, InovisCoat, FilmoTec, and a range of other companies, underneath one banner. The new German company is very active in the film space and is obsessed with improving every aspect of the film value chain.

Thanks for the clarification! And warm welcome to Photrio!

ORWO Film Official · Aug 17, 2021

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
Saw this in a comment to a Facebook post by ORWO Film:

"We are currently manufacturing colour photographic film. There is a strong rumour that ORWO is experimenting with Colour Cine film. We can’t confirm or deny this, at this stage!"

"We are actively buying support companies, not selling them. This even includes a UK chemical company. As a consequence of this vision — we now have the ability to process black and white, and to process colour, in our own labs. We also have the ability to make our own film prints and we will soon be announcing many exciting things."

Not sure if this is Orwo's official Facebook page, maybe somebody like @Henning Serger can confirm.

Yes this is our official channel. You can find us on Instagram & Twitter @orwofilm and Facebook @orwofilmofficial. Please follow these channels to stay updated with the latest news and developments.

ORWO Film Official · Aug 17, 2021

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
Thanks for the clarification! And warm welcome to Photrio!

Thank you! My name is James, by the way. I'm from ORWO and will be keeping you all updated with the latest developments.

Anxious for any news about the return of ((ORWO))

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