Orwo

alanrockwood · Nov 23, 2017

I was wondering, has anyone tried Orwo films, and if so can you comment on them?

Also, does Orwo manufacture film, or do they simply re-brand film?

AgX · Nov 23, 2017

There are three kinds of Orwo films:

-) manufactured by Orwo
-) converted and branded by Orwo
-) partially manufactured by Filmotec who meanwhile use the Orwo brand

dE fENDER · Nov 23, 2017

Orwo UT-21 was quite nice.
Modern orwo bw are just usual films.

trendland · Nov 23, 2017

Well I can tell you something about Orwo BW papers. I got a big amound from school in all formats of Orwo bw Papiers (for a school project).
I've had to throw all the stuff away.
I was still using my Ilford RC Deluxe for school exibition then.
So I never tried any films of ORWO (better no riscs ) - but may be the stuff today is OK??? (it was 1979/80 I made my experience)

with regards

trendland · Nov 23, 2017

dE fENDER said:
Orwo UT-21 was quite nice.
Modern orwo bw are just usual films.

As I remember (I never tried it) was UT-21
the typical bw film from the time of cold war.A college told me : They were forced to use this stuff (no alternate exept sovjet films from USSR) - so everything was far behind.
This original films (so it seams to me today ) from its characteristics - were comparable with Ilford FP4/PanF (the older films before improvement) but they never reached the quality of older Ilford emulsions.
But I am not sure 100% - the todays Orwo films are total different from UT21.
So there is just the name remaining and the technology of the emulsions comes from Foma Films.
Tell me pls : "Am I right - it it might be that am I right......?..

.....

with regards

RauschenOderKorn · Nov 23, 2017

trendland said:
Well I can tell you something about Orwo BW papers. I got a big amound from school in all formats of Orwo bw Papiers (for a school project).
I've had to throw all the stuff away.

If you are talking today about vintage ORWO products (i.e. production ceased in 1991 I think), the main application probably are artistic purposes. Orwo B* and BB* are excellent papers for lith printing, I have not tried them for conventional printing. I guess they would work within the usual limitations of 20-50 years old paper.

RauschenOderKorn · Nov 23, 2017

I have some Orwo FO5 (= Film Orthochromatic dmax: 5) which expired in 1981. Works like a charm

guangong · Nov 23, 2017

Has any APUG member used ORWO b/w cinema films? I shoot Kodak TriX reversal almost exclusively, partially because although retired I still received an academic discount. Suddenly Kodak ended my discount. So for me a roll of 100ft TriX and ORWO 16mm movie film now are about the same. Any experiences or comparisons to share?

baachitraka · Nov 23, 2017

ORWO UN54 is one good film but never tried ORWO N74+

dE fENDER · Nov 23, 2017

trendland said:
As I remember (I never tried it) was UT-21
the typical bw film from the time of cold war.

UT-21 was a color slide. B/w had been marked as NP20, NP22 and so on...

Michael L. · Nov 23, 2017

Provided that they have been sensibly stored (though not necesssarily frozen), I have found that "old" and long expired Orwo NP20 and NP22 B/W films can still be used with good results. Rated at about half their original DIN/ASA speed and developed in HC-110, there is only very slight fogging. Developing NP20 in Microphen, I have even achieved box speed.

dE fENDER · Nov 23, 2017

Michael L. said:
Provided that they have been sensibly stored (though not necesssarily frozen), I have found that "old" and long expired Orwo NP20 and NP22 B/W films can still be used with good results. Rated at about half their original DIN/ASA speed and developed in HC-110, there is only very slight fogging. Developing NP20 in Microphen, I have even achieved box speed.

UT-21 also can be used. My example (exp about 1992, exposed at 2016)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9ruc2cb5ajcgqy/Vdnh_Orwo.jpg?dl=0

AgX · Nov 23, 2017

trendland said:
But I am not sure 100% - the todays Orwo films are total different from UT21.
So there is just the name remaining and the technology of the emulsions comes from Foma Films.

Basically the connection between Filmotec and late Orwo are the people, part of their machinery and their location.
Filmotec specialized in the niche market of professional cine films.

Europan · Nov 23, 2017

FilmoTec makes the most modern black and white ciné films. Ilford Pan F, FP 4, HP 5 when available in ciné conversions were decades older (by design). Eastman-Kodak black movie films are also older. I have developed ORWO UN 54 and N 74 in the 35mm and 16mm formats commercially for years, printed them onto ORWO PF 2 and Eastman fine grain positive, and processed these as well. Very good and satisfying films, for example drying up quicker than all others.

To those who don’t trust FilmoTec I want to shout: load an Eyemo or a Filmo with ORWO stock and go shooting. Can of course also be another camera, say, a Mitchell. Have it processed by lab people who know their job and look at the pictures in a cinema, projected on a big screen. If you have the guts, use ORWO PF 2 plus or PF 2 Version 3, those are films with an unsensitized emulsion and an antihalo undercoat, yes, like camera films have. Then have a positive struck again and that projected or do it yourself with a 16mm projector, but big. Thirteen feet wide.

Chris Livsey · Nov 23, 2017

Just processed a roll, self loaded in IXMOO, of the N74 I find it an excellent film.
This in Divided D76H 5 mins in A & B baths on M2 with 35mm Zeiss ZM Biogon:

The UN54 is very good as well, major advantage of these films is they dry flat!!
Lots more tagged on my Flickr on many developers.

miha · Nov 24, 2017

AgX said:
There are three kinds of Orwo films:

-) manufactured by Orwo
-) converted and branded by Orwo
-) partially manufactured by Filmotec who meanwhile use the Orwo brand

So, which is which?

AgX · Nov 24, 2017

The first two groups were made by Filmfabrik Wolfen which is typically called by their brand, Orwo. The latter by Filmotec.

miha · Nov 24, 2017

What belongs to the second group?

AgX · Nov 24, 2017

Ilford

miha · Nov 24, 2017

Interesting, thanks,

AgX · Nov 24, 2017

To add to the confusion, there also was still film rebranded about the year 2000 as Orwo film.

And there are recently faked Orwo cassettes. Which may contain film from the Filmfabrik or not...

miha · Nov 24, 2017

I was using quite a bit of NP27 when recent, lovely film.

Nokton48 · Nov 24, 2017

I have been buying up 6.5x9cm Orwo NP20 and a bit of NP15 cut film. Ilford FP4+ and FOMA 100 are about it. There are not too many different types out there that will fit my Plaubel cameras. So I am happy to have the NP20 and NP15. The NP15 is a wonderful special film I am told.

DSC05884[1447] by Nokton48, on Flickr

anfenglin · Nov 24, 2017

Well,

Orwo films called NP15, 18, 20, 22 and 30 were the black and white films, UT were the slides and Orwocolor were the color negative films, produced by the VEB Filmfabrik Wolfen (Original Wolfen) in Wolfen in the former East German Republic.

This used to be the Agfa which lost the rights to the name in the late 50s because the West German Agfa won the legal dispute.

After the German reunification they continued making films for a while, the packaging is black with silver or gray writing and the ZIP-code starts with an O for Osten (east).

The films called Orwo today are still being made by Filmotec. They, supposedly, are quite good.

As has been said earlier, the old East German Orwos are also still very good films if stored correctly, I especially enjoy them In Caffenol.

AgX · Nov 24, 2017

anfenglin said:
This used to be the Agfa which lost the rights to the name in the late 50s because the West German Agfa won the legal dispute.

No, there was no legal case to be won.

Both Agfa companies cooperated for 15 years. They even were depending on each other. Though with legal disputes on foreign markets. But there was a principled legal agreement. When both companies took more diverted paths and that contract was running out, on governmental level in East-Berlin it was decided for the Wolfen plant to go an own way, also marketing-wise. A new brand was created and in a unique campaign established worlwide.

Orwo

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