Orwo

[twelvetone12]

Sorry I'm quite confused
Filmfabrik Wolfen doesn't exist anymore right? Some people from there went on and founded Filmotec, which is still in Wolfen, right? And they still make/finish film, the current "ORWO" films you can buy?

 

[AgX]

Precisely.

 

[AgX]

Filmotec has a very low profile, as being orientated at institutional and industrial customers.
There is a dealer for their films in the US called Orwo NA who also is aiming at private customers, having a shop and even offering an own type-135 conversion of N74+ , what Filmotec does not.

 

[twelvetone12]

Thanks!

 

[sepiareverb]

The current films UN54 and N74 are quite nice. I shoot a lot of the UN54 at 100 and run it it Perceptol 1:1 with lovely results. Reminds me of my old favorite Plus-X. The N74 has taken me a while to dial in, but I’m finally quite happy with what I’m getting at 400 in Rodinal 1:25

They can be erratic in supply here in the US, but George at orwona is a pleasure to deal with.

 

[ic-racer]

N74 seemed similar to Tri-x.

 

[thio]

I like modern UN54 too. Great negative film with old fashioned sensitization.

 

[pentaxpete]

I found ORWO through the British Importer 'BYMail Ltd' of Redhill, Surrey and use loads of NP22 and a bit of NP27 for my local Press Photography jobs as it was so much cheaper and I had to buy my own materials. I found the NP27 was softer in contrast and grainy which spoiled the resolution BUT I got 16x12" Darkroom prints for Exhibitions easily from the NP22 in 35 mm and the 120 rollfilm. I found a 'Formula from the 1960's PH35 Diluted 1+5 which suited the ORWO Emulsions well . Then I started to get weird 'Crystalline Deposits' on the surface of the 120 rollfilms like a sort of 'Reticulation' -- I even sent sample negs to Wolfen Factory who replied saying they had got rid of it using a Fresh, Acid, Fixer. The I tried the Liquid 'PROMICROL' 1+14 with the 1993 dated NP22 120 i had left and it worked well . Now I have no more 'Promicrol' but have tried my Home=Made FX-4 Formula 1+1 and it gives very good results -- and I now have a new supply of 1992 dated NP22 and NP20 sent by a very Kind Forum Member from Denmark and the NP22 works well with FX-4 and I have tried the Slower NP20 in 'RODINAL 1+50' Years ago I tried the NP15 in Beutler Formula and got very good Darkroom Prints . I have ONE ROLL outdated NP15 120 size left !
Regarding ORWO Transparency films : I used the UT18 from ByMmail Ltd for my own trials and i liked the higher contrast -- so I bought 100 cassettes to resell to Club members and my Evening Class Students at cost price to encourage them BUT all that batch had a horrendous BLUE Colour Cast -- due to the film not being 'Aged' enough before being sent to me.
I was sent a roll of 120 UT18 to try and the colours were very good -- at the time there was the 'Pentacon Club' with the Magazine going and some 120 ORWO UT18 was reproduced in the magazine,then on German re-unification the Pentacon Club closed down as did the Wolfen Factory and ByMail Lyd went out of business so NO MORE ORWO films !
I attach a result of UT18 120 size in my 1971 Pentacon Six
EASTER CHICKS by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

 

[foc]

I found ORWO through the British Importer 'BYMail Ltd' of Redhill, Surrey and use loads of NP22 and a bit of NP27 for my local Press Photography jobs as it was so much cheaper and I had to buy my own materials. I found the NP27 was softer in contrast and grainy which spoiled the resolution BUT I got 16x12" Darkroom prints for Exhibitions easily from the NP22 in 35 mm and the 120 rollfilm. I found a 'Formula from the 1960's PH35 Diluted 1+5 which suited the ORWO Emulsions well . Then I started to get weird 'Crystalline Deposits' on the surface of the 120 rollfilms like a sort of 'Reticulation' -- I even sent sample negs to Wolfen Factory who replied saying they had got rid of it using a Fresh, Acid, Fixer. The I tried the Liquid 'PROMICROL' 1+14 with the 1993 dated NP22 120 i had left and it worked well . Now I have no more 'Promicrol' but have tried my Home=Made FX-4 Formula 1+1 and it gives very good results -- and I now have a new supply of 1992 dated NP22 and NP20 sent by a very Kind Forum Member from Denmark and the NP22 works well with FX-4 and I have tried the Slower NP20 in 'RODINAL 1+50' Years ago I tried the NP15 in Beutler Formula and got very good Darkroom Prints . I have ONE ROLL outdated NP15 120 size left !
Regarding ORWO Transparency films : I used the UT18 from ByMmail Ltd for my own trials and i liked the higher contrast -- so I bought 100 cassettes to resell to Club members and my Evening Class Students at cost price to encourage them BUT all that batch had a horrendous BLUE Colour Cast -- due to the film not being 'Aged' enough before being sent to me.
I was sent a roll of 120 UT18 to try and the colours were very good -- at the time there was the 'Pentacon Club' with the Magazine going and some 120 ORWO UT18 was reproduced in the magazine,then on German re-unification the Pentacon Club closed down as did the Wolfen Factory and ByMail Lyd went out of business so NO MORE ORWO films !
I attach a result of UT18 120 size in my 1971 Pentacon Six
EASTER CHICKS by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Peter, your shot of the Easter Chicks looks good.
Was the Orwo UT18 similar to Agfa CT18?

 

[pentaxpete]

Yes -- ORWO UT18 was similar to Agfa CT18. but the CHEMISTRY to process was different.

 

[mohmad khatab]

I like modern UN54 too. Great negative film with old fashioned sensitization.

I have a very simple and legitimate wish.
I want to understand this graph.
I really need a simple and brief explanation of the implications of this graph, so that I can later understand any similar graph.

 

[mohmad khatab]

Yes -- ORWO UT18 was similar to Agfa CT18. but the CHEMISTRY to process was different.

Can you tell us the difference between the chemistry of the two types?

 

[pentaxpete]

There is a Formula for Agfa CT-18 published but not as far as I could find for ORWO UT-18 .

 

[foc]

I found these in my old BPJ annuals.
I hope they might help.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I like modern UN54 too. Great negative film with old fashioned sensitization.

It's a nice film for reversal too.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I have a very simple and legitimate wish.
I want to understand this graph.
I really need a simple and brief explanation of the implications of this graph, so that I can later understand any similar graph.

@mohmad khatab: This document could be of some help to you.

 

[Oxleyroad]

It's a nice film for reversal too.

I too use UN54 for reversal and find it it has great tonal range. I shoot it at an EI 64 when doing reversal.

 

[braxus]

Im currently selling some Orwo NP15 film in 35mm (8 boxes worth). I tested a roll this past month and it still came out great. It did have a wild curl to the neg when in the camera though. Luckily when they developed it, it straightened out.

 

[mohmad khatab]

I found these in my old BPJ annuals.
I hope they might help.

View attachment 249680 View attachment 249681 View attachment 249682 View attachment 249683

I suspect that these formulas are designed to treat specific types of films.

 

[mohmad khatab]

It's a nice film for reversal too.

How to develop a formula to be reversal
Is there a formula that is recommended?

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

How to develop a formula to be reversal
Is there a formula that is recommended?

I assume you're talking about reversing Orwo UN54. Take a look at this and this.

 

[Dennis S]

I use UN 54 & N74 but found that using Pyrocat HD on the UN 54 caused a problem with pin holes no matter what dilution I used. Using ID-11 or HC110 seemed to solve that problem and I had even made new Pyrocat HD with fresh chemicals but still the pinholes were still in the negatives.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

using Pyrocat HD on the UN 54 caused a problem with pin holes no matter what dilution I used. Using ID-11 or HC110 seemed to solve that problem and I had even made new Pyrocat HD with fresh chemicals but still the pinholes were still in the negatives.

Interesting! I guess the film doesn't go along well with catechol based developers. I too had faced the same problem with a specific batch of UN54 bulk film. I reported the issue to Filmotec and shifted to a non-catechol developer. Subsequently when I did reversal processing of this film, I tested using catechol as second developer as it produces nice looking stained slides. Then again I started getting pinholes and I quit using catechol for this film.

 

[mohmad khatab]

Interesting! I guess the film doesn't go along well with catechol based developers. I too had faced the same problem with a specific batch of UN54 bulk film. I reported the issue to Filmotec and shifted to a non-catechol developer. Subsequently when I did reversal processing of this film, I tested using catechol as second developer as it produces nice looking stained slides. Then again I started getting pinholes and I quit using catechol for this film.

Can you show us some examples of these experiments and tests?

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Can you show us some examples of these experiments and tests?

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-spots-on-the-negatives.159211/