Lomography's Lomo Kino Films - Potsdam and Berlin

It's been quite a while since I reviewed a b&w film from Lomography.  Back in 2011, I reviewed Lady  and Earle Grey films. Since then, Lomography has really expanded their line of film offerings, especially in the color emulsions, some of which I have also reviewed.   Lomography's style of branding and their target audience- young, adventurous and film-curious, has made an impact on how film is marketed.  Few people get excited if I asked them about Fompapan 100, but slap a different brand name on it with attractive packaging, and the film gets sought after.  So too, have Lomography's "new" black and white emulsions, under the branding of Lomography Kino films, come into the hands of people that would never have heard of ORWO cine films.  I'll give Lomography credit -- I like their advertising and how they hype up an emulsion, and that's okay.  If it gets more people interested in trying something new, that's great.  Some may even find that a particular emulsion provides an opportunity to be creative with a result that matches their vision.  

This review will cover the two emulsions that Lomography has released under the "kino" name:  Berlin - ISO 400, and Potsdam - ISO 100.  First of all what exactly does Lomography mean by the "kino" (cinema) label?  Who makes this film?   Here's Lomography's description for the Berlin: 

"A Refined Formula for True Film Lovers

Inspired by the New German Cinema sweeping through Berlin in the 1960s, our original Berlin Kino Film emulsion was an utter blockbuster. However, as German cinema evolved through time, adapting to meet the innovatory spirit of its founding fathers, so did our film formula. Refined and brimming with greater artistic control, the Berlin Kino B&W 400 2019 Formula will allow you to capture moments of your life in an eternalized enchanting monochrome. "

and the Potsdam:

 "A Legendary Roll of German Cine Film Reborn

Inspired by the New German Cinema sweeping through Europe in the 1960s, Lomography’s Kino Films are extracted from rolls of cine film produced by a legendary German company that has been changing the face of cinema since the early 1900s. Originally used to make moody monochrome movies, their gorgeous black and white tones lend a timeless effect to cinematic scenes."  

Certainly attractive descriptions of the cine films that are produced by Orwo - N 74 Plus and UN 54:

"Product description: ORWO N 74 plus (Negative Film) is a high speed black-and-white panchromatic camera film for both outdoor and indoor usage. Its wide exposure latitude makes it especially suitable for use under low light illumination and difficult light conditions. 

Applications include documentary films, news coverage, underwater and industrial cinematography. Use of N 74 plus is also recommended under normal light conditions when greater depth of field is needed. The N 74 plus has improved slippage, extremely low shedding and excellent antistatic qualities.  Compare To: Eastman Double X (250 ASA)"

"Product description:  ORWO Film UN 54 (Universal Negative) is a panchromatic medium speed black-and-white negative camera film for both outdoor and indoor usage. According to the ORWO Instruction 4185 the UN 54 film can be processed as black and white reversal film and be used to produce direct positives.   Compare To:  Eastman PLUS X (80 ASA)"

Now you see the difference between descriptions to two different audiences - the film hobbyist and the professional  cine film user.  Based upon the two different descriptions, which would you choose, not knowing they are the same product?  Lomography's, I am sure.   This is an example of many of the "new" films are coming to market for the 35mm shooter.  Whether it's from Lomography, Cinestill, Film Photography Project, Washi, or others - cine films are finding their way into the hands of avocational and hobbyist photographers, and it's all good.

My experience with these films goes back a few years, as I received samples  of the ORWO N74 Plus and UN 54 films in 2016. I'll compare this latest batch of Lomo films with the ones that I received from ORWO.

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 - As Lomography touts - "Capture life’s most elusive moments in everlasting monochrome charm with the 2019 emulsion of our iconic black and white cine film."   I had not tried the earlier Berlin emulsion, so I can't comment on it.   Was the prior emulsion "old stock" from ORWO?  Hard to say, so it's all just conjecture, but my film cassettes do state "New Improved Formula!"   I bought them from B&H back in late 2019.  I love the packaging and the fact that Lomography provides developing information.   I shot my first roll in February in my FM3a,  and the second in my Nikon FE2 in June.  I compared those negatives with a roll of actual ORWO N74+ that I shot in 2016.  These are not the same films.  The N 74+ from 2016 has the typical cine sprocket perfs which are rounded, whereas the Berlin 400 2019 has standard 35mm squared-off perfs.  So, is the Berlin 400 I received something else, and NOT N74+?  Some research reveals that Filmotec (the branding for the ORWO cine film) released N-75 in 2019, with some improvements, rated at 400 ISO in Daylight, 320 ISO for Tungsten lighting.  It's also supposed to have  additional anti-halation undercoat (AHU).  That may explain the difference, as well as my 2016 film has "Filmotec ORWO N74 813717 79A06" in the film rebate. The Lomography film has no film information printed in the rebate.  I feel that the film base is quite dark and darker in the two Berlin rolls that I shot, whereas the ORWO N74+ has a lighter gray film base.  The negatives fit nicely into my scanner holder, without cupping or curling, so that is a plus.  Scan-wise, I think the results are very good, though there is some grain when developed in straight D-76.   The one thing I didn't care for was that Lomography uses a two-piece plastic cassette for this film.  I ended up prying it apart in the dark to remove the film, which isn't optimal.   So, I am fairly sure that the Berlin Kino 2019 emulsion is ORWO N75. Is the New Improved Formula batch that I received the same? That I do not know.

Orwo N 74+ from 2016

Berlin sample 2 with darker base, regular sprockets

Berlin sample 1 with dark base, regular sprockets

Lomography Potsdam Kino 100 - Note that because this film can be developed as a negative or a positive film, it has quite a write-up on the Lomography site.   I have not processed it as a positive, but for a cine film, that is a real plus for those shooting the 16mm version.  I shot my first roll in February in my Nikon FM3a, and the second roll in my Pentax Spotmatic F in June. I compared those negatives to a roll of ORWO UN54 that I shot in 2016.  They all appear to be the same film, except that the ORWO has "Filmotec ORWO UN54 512912 14A11" on the film rebate.  I really like this film, as the scans are beautiful, and there is something about the tonality I really like.  The Potsdam film was developed in straight D-76 for 5 min 45 sec, and the UN54 was done in D76 1:1 for 7 minutes. Results are comparable. Standard metal cassettes are used for this film, or at least for the rolls that I purchased.

Potsdam sample

UN 54 from 2016

Overall impressions - I have other 400 ISO films that I like better than the Berlin 400. It's not bad, it's just that I am not liking the darker film base that to my eye, seems like base fog, and the more noticeable grain.  I much prefer Kentmere 400 and HP-5.  The Potsdam film reminds me a bit of Plus-X, and I do like its rendition of shadow areas.  Of the two, it's one that I would purchase again for landscape photography. 

As with any film - there will be people that find Berlin 400 or Potsdam 100 perfect for what they shoot, and others that won't like it as much as some other emulsion, which is one of the great things about shooting with film.  Try them yourself and see what you think.  It's also important to note that I give kudos to Lomography for providing more information on development, along with examples from different developers.  

A few sample images - scanned with my Epson V700 scanner, post processed with Paint Shop Pro 64-bit.

Berlin 400, Natural Bridge, VA Feb. 2020

Berlin 400, Asheville, NC Jan. 2020

Berlin 400, Natural Bridge, VA, Feb. 2020

ORWO N74+, 2016, Nikon FG

Berlin 400, NC, June 2020

Berlin 400, NC, June 2020

ORWO UN 54, Cranbrook, MI, Pentax K1000, 2016

UN 54, MI, Pentax K1000, 2016

Potsdam 100, Dutchess Co., NY, Feb. 2020

Potsdam 100, Sharon, CT. Feb. 2020

Potsdam 100, Asheville, NC June 2020

Potsdam 100, Asheville, NC June 2020

In the end, both of these films are fine films to shoot with, giving one ever more reasons to shoot film!

Not a fan of the plastic 2-piece cassette!

How to cook your film

I know that it is the end of what seems to be the longest month of the year...January. It seems like January has 40 days, doesn't it?   The calendar assures that it is only 31, but I swear there is an extra week hidden in there.  Perhaps it is because we are so damn busy in December with holidays, parties, birthdays, etc. that January seems so long.  In any case, it's also one of those months that I find myself catching up with things that got put on the back burner, like developing film.  I have been working through developing and scanning a lot of rolls of C-41 film that I shot in the second half of 2017.  One new thing that has made my work go so much easier has been one of those immersion heaters for Sous Vide cooking.  I had seen them being used for C-41 and E-6 processing as heaters for water baths to bring the chems up to the proper temperature, and keep it there.  So, I ordered one online from Amazon for $68.00. It's a Sous Vide Immersion Stick Pod by Primo Eats, and it's an amazing device. Although designed for slow-cooking food, it makes a perfect water heater with thermostat control and a rotor that circulates the water.  The temperature range is 5-100° C, so having the water bath at 38.5°C is not a problem.  In fact, I could set it for 20°C for b&w processing, too.  This has saved me a lot of water -- I had been using hot water from the tap to heat up the chemistry; and has saved me lots of time, as well.  I can set everything up in the water bath, turn on the stick pod, and go off and do other things until the chemistry is up to the right temp.  The device heats up the water quite quickly, but of course, the chemistry in the bottles also has to be heated by the water circulating around them.  Once it's at the proper temperature, you can be sure that it will stay there while it is in the water bath. This will give you more control over your processing, for sure.

Set the temp and let it heat up.

I label my tanks with numbers that correspond to how
many rolls I have processed in a batch of chemistry. I usually
stop at 20 rolls.

So far, so good.  The film has come out great, and I no longer worry about whether the temperature has changed. I also put the developing tank in the water bath in between rotations, just to make sure it is staying where it should be.

And here are a few shots from my Pentax K1000 and Lomo 400 color film, from last May-June.

Some Aged Scotch

Several weeks ago I received some 35mm film to test.  My contact at Ultrafine Online sent me a couple of rolls of Scotch ATG 400 C-41 film.  I was of course, intrigued, and there was some speculation that it may be the same film stock as the recently released Lomography F2/400.    From Ultrafine's web site is the description of the Scotch ATG 400 film:

"This is a rare film and this series was unique from back in the day as Scotch was trying to set themselves apart from the field and did some R & D, which mainly resulted in this ATG Series of films, which were originally meant to assist with underexposure and exposure compensation. This has resulted as the film has aged to a nice tone, which has been a favorite among Lomophiles, Holga shooters, and dedicated film shooters, who love have fun, shoot film, and experiment with different types of emulsions."

The ATG 400 film was tested by Popular Photography back in 1993, and came in behind 400-speed films from Kodak, Fuji, Konica and Agfa beating it out.  However, the review by Michael McNamara "400 Revolution" [Pop.Photo. September 1993, pp. 28-37] tested a number of attributes of these films, at a time when 400 ISO C-41 films offered users many choices.  Interestingly, almost all of the results looked best at ISO 200, but in most cases, acceptable results were obtained between ISO 50 and 800. The Scotch film was the lowest-priced emulsion, and was designed to have better rendition in the shadows.

From 9/1993 Popular Photography

Okay, this film has been in Ultrafine's freezers for a while, so I knew that I wasn't going to shoot it at ISO 400. I figured it was worth a try to shoot it at 200 and hope for the best.  I loaded up my Pentax K1000 with the 55mm f/2 lens, and shot the roll on an overcast dreary day inside Matthaei Botanical Gardens. I figured it would offer me plenty of color and I could photograph things I am very familiar with.

I processed the film last night using the Unicolor C-41 kit.  It was fresh, and I had only put 2 rolls through the 1-liter kit since I mixed it up.  Processed as normal.  When I took the film off the reel I thought perhaps it had not even developed as the emulsion side looked brown.  However, after drying, the film has a noticeable blue base, and the emulsion side looked "normal."

Results?  I am thrilled with the results from this film.  It has a soft grainy look that is pleasant.  It makes me wish the weather was warmer and I had a model outdoors.  It would really be interesting to see how it would do for portraits and figures.  I chose well picking ISO 200. 100 may be even better, so I'll try that next time for part of the roll.  Reds looked red, the shadows were not too bad, and while I think the greens are muted, tending a bit blue, it could also be the muted light that day. Full sun would be the next challenge.

Here are some scans from the negatives. Minimal post-processing has been done, and there may be dust spots that I have not cleaned up.

So, I am impressed with the results from this forgotten film. Maybe like whiskey, aging does it good. At $3.95/roll it's cheaper than vintage Scotch. You may want to give this film a try.  I don't think it's the same as the  Lomo F squared/400 film.  The Scotch film is probably close to 20 years old.