ORWO Wolfen P400: First Impressions
A little-known German film with plenty of character and a raw street vibe
We black-and-white lovers are always on an endless quest for the perfect roll—the one that matches our style and leaves us fully satisfied.
On this leg of the journey, it was time to try out ORWO Wolfen P400. A roll with a cool name, made in Germany, and one I had never even heard of before. I found it by pure chance at my go-to lab—it was the last one left, so I took it home.
Whenever I don't know (or can’t remember) what a roll looks like, I head straight to the Lomography website to check out the sample shots. What I saw from this Wolfen roll got me excited. It looked different—and full of character.
As soon as the weekend arrived, I loaded it into my trusty Nikon F3 and hit the streets of the wonderful Mexico City to put it to the test. A few hours later, I developed the film and let it dry overnight, ready to scan it on the good old Plustek and see what it had to offer.

The Results








Technical Details
Camera: Nikon F3
Lens: Voigtländer 40mm ƒ/2.0 ULTRON
Film: ORWO Wolfen P400
Developer: Kodak HC-110
Scanner: Plustek Opticfilm 8100
Thoughts on the Wolfen P400
The Wolfen has a very distinctive style. It reminds me of the old photographs you'd find in vintage newspapers. The grays have that newsprint feel, and the grain—while giving it tons of personality—is noticeable and really enhances that raw, street-style aesthetic.
I'm not sure this will become a regular in my cameras, but it's definitely not the last time I shoot it. My personal favorite remains Kodak Tri-X pushed to 800–1600, which delivers those delicious blacks I haven’t seen in any other roll.
Coming Up Next…
Still haven’t decided—but I’d love your help.
I recently shot a roll of Shanghai GP3 100 that honestly surprised me, and I’m itching to write about it.
But, I also got my hands on a Canon Selphy CP1500 printer, which has given a whole new meaning to my photography—and I want to review it.
Which one should I publish first?
Dude, these shots are great and I love that newsprint feel, I feel like I’d shoot newspaper style photography if I got my hands on a roll. Definitely gonna keep my eyes peeled for it after seeing your results.
I’m really digging the tones of this film. I have never heard of it before. Makes me want to try and find a roll to check out. Leica came out with their own film a couple of days ago, want to give that a shot as well. Great pics!