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 I have ONE ROLL outdated NP15 120 size left !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
