5 Frames of Washi F in Mach.

I had a day out in Machynlleth recently. I took with me an unusual camera that I have been experimenting with (to be written up in a later post) so I thought just to make sure the day was a complete failure photographically I would also take with me my Super-Ikonta 530/16 loaded with Washi F, a film I have never used and one that I had little expectations of, but one that I have had a roll of in my deepfreeze for ages.

Washi F is an orthochromatic film and according to Washi “is a special X-ray film used for mass lung disease diagnose. Being coated without anti-halation layer, this unique film offer a high diffusion effect and beautiful grain”.

The Washi introduction and some reviews I found didn’t exactly inspire confidence. I started from the point of having no idea what to expect from the film so took a variety of images as I walked around the town and down to the river, with each one trying not to repeat myself. I thought that if each of the 11 images was based on a different idea I might stand a chance of finding out what, if anything, the film was good for.

I then developed the film in Fomadon R09 (Rodinal) 1+25 for the recommended 9 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised at the results, it turns out to be a sharp film with obvious but fine grain and diffusion that is present but not too over-powering, though maybe a bit too much for 35mm.

I like Ilford Ortho+ orthochromatic film, but not Rollei Ortho25 which is neither sharp nor has an attractive grain structure, this film would make an interesting alternative. As an orthochromatic film I expected reds to show as blacks as with the flowers by the clock tower, though elsewhere a Royal Mail van came out grey, and it seems to darken greens more noticeably than other ortho. films. Overall if it was more readily available I would use it again.

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