About the film
Agfa Ortho 25 is a slow black-and-white orthochromatic negative film from Agfa, ISO 25, 135 format, 36 exposures. It has long been discontinued; its modern successor is Rollei Ortho 25. This roll is expired and carries no exact date. I have just the one.
Look
Very fine grain, high sharpness and high contrast. Because of that contrast it holds shadow and highlight detail in harsh sun less well than a wide-latitude film such as Ilford HP5+, but in soft light it gives a clean, graphic image.
What “orthochromatic” means
Orthochromatic film does not see red light. Reds come out dark, skies come out light, and skin turns darker and more textured — freckles and small blemishes show more. It is the same “old” look as portraits on early films. A bonus for home developers: this film can be processed under a red darkroom safelight.
Shooting and developing
ISO 25 is slow: outdoors you want sun or a tripod. As the roll is expired with no known date, I would rate it at ISO 12–20 to allow for lost speed. Processing is standard black-and-white; for a contrasty ortho film a dilute developer with gentle agitation works well. I can develop and scan it for you.
Specifications
- Type: black-and-white negative, orthochromatic
- Format: 135, 36 exposures
- Speed: ISO 25 (I suggest 12–20)
- Expiry: expired, date unknown
- Processing: black-and-white, red safelight OK
- Stock: 1 roll
