Washi R

The Washi R is a black and white film. The film is sold under the brand “Washi” by the French supplier.

The Washi R is not a classic black and white film, but is made from a special material. Inside the cartridge is photo paper for photo machines / passport photo machines.

For use in a 35mm camera, the RC paper was perforated and then threaded into a 35mm cartridge. The paper features a pearl surface with soft contrasts. It must be exposed from ISO 100, which should be followed precisely since the film does not allow much latitude in exposure. The spectral sensitivity is a maximum of 640 nm.

Developing the film

The film can be loaded normally into a classic developing coil in a developing can. However, you need special chemistry for black and white slides to develop the film. Corresponding kits are available from the companies Foma and Rollei, among others. Unlike normal photo paper, full darkness is necessary during the development of the material.

Formats

The Washi R is so far only available for 35 mm cameras. Depending on the camera, around twenty-four images fit on one roll. There is no DX encoding on the cartridge.

Since it is a special material, it cannot be used in every camera without further ado. Especially fragile cameras or models with automatic film transport might have problems with the thick photo paper. Therefore, it is best to use a robust camera for this film, such as a manual SLR camera.