Ferrania has released a new orthochromatic black and white film called Orto, available in Italy now and coming worldwide over the remaining days of April.

Orto is the second product created by the revived factory in Cairo Montenotte, Italy, and follows in the footsteps of the classic panchromatic P30. Ferrania says Orto features a similar high silver content, strong contrast, and low grain. The film shoots similarly to P30, recommended at the box speed of 50 ISO, a statement supported by both the factory team and the community of testers. (Source: Film Ferrania Press Team)

Film Ferrania Orto Film Product Shot on White Background
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania

Home development and scanning is recommended for Orto. With the film’s formula being unique on the market, Ferrania noted in their results that standard lab scanning could produce “blocked-up hyper-contrasty” images. Being chemically similar to P30, the company recommends development practices as detailed in their guide, available on their website here.

Cat sitting indoors next to a piano
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania – Photographer: Stephen Schaub
Photograph of a bike leaning against a tall cement wall
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania – Photographer: Gianni Giovinni

Intrigued about the decision to produce an orthochromatic film, I asked Ferrania to share a “behind the scenes” glimpse of the process that brought Orto to life.

When considering a new film to make, we have a lot to work with already. FILM Ferrania has a deep, rich history of inspiration, as proven by the 60+ pallets full of books and documents and blueprints we inherited from the old company. And of course Ferrania’s cinema roots assert themselves in our decision-making process quite a bit.

In the case of Orto, we “discovered” it years ago during the process of creating P30 Alpha. The clear connection to the earliest days of cinema made Orto a slam-dunk for us to produce. We have had it on a “back burner” since then, awaiting the day when we could sustain Orto production without adversely affecting continuous P30 production. That day came earlier this year! – Film Ferrania Press Team

To find more information about Orto and Ferrania, head on over to their website here. They include a preferred sellers (retailers/distributors) section on their website here to check where the film is available in different regions.

Image of a leafy plant taken on Ferrania Orto
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania – Photographer: Chris Fillier

Portrait taken on Ferrania Orto
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania – Photographer: Arely Catalina

Photograph of a fence outdoors on Orto
Image courtesy of Film Ferrania – Photographer: Scott Micciche

Ferrania also let me in on a piece of news that will excite medium-format shooters. 120 film is the next move!

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