Film specifications#
- Manufacturer
- ORWO
- Film
- NK 16
- Speed
- 32
- Process
- ORWO 5165
- Formats
- 120
- Base
- Triacetate
- Made in
- GDR
- Status
- Discontinued — replaced by ORWOCOLOR NC 17 MASK
Character & history#
First masked color negative film from VEB Filmfabrik Wolfen. Balanced for artificial light.
Description adapted from Wikipedia’s “List of discontinued photographic films” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Exposure guide at ISO 32#
Sunny 16 for this film: f/16 at 1/30 s in bright sun. Negative film tolerates 2–3 stops of overexposure; slide film needs accuracy within about ⅓–½ stop.
| Light | f/2 | f/4 | f/8 | f/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV 16 · Snow / beach, bright sun | — | 1/1250 s | 1/320 s | 1/80 s |
| EV 15 · Bright sun | 1/2500 s | 1/640 s | 1/160 s | 1/40 s |
| EV 14 · Hazy sun | 1/1250 s | 1/320 s | 1/80 s | 1/20 s |
| EV 13 · Cloudy-bright | 1/640 s | 1/160 s | 1/40 s | 1/10 s |
| EV 12 · Overcast / open shade | 1/320 s | 1/80 s | 1/20 s | 1/5 s |
| EV 10 · Sunset | 1/80 s | 1/20 s | 1/5 s | 0.8 s |
| EV 8 · Bright interior | 1/20 s | 1/5 s | 0.8 s | 3.2 s |
| EV 5 · Home interior at night | 0.4 s | 1.6 s | 6 s | 25 s |
| EV 3 · City street at night | 1.6 s | 6 s | 25 s | > 1 min |
Push & pull options#
Tell your lab how many stops you pushed or pulled so development is adjusted for the whole roll.
| Adjustment | Rate the film at | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Pull 1 stop | EI 16 | Lower contrast, finer grain |
| Push 1 stop | EI 64 | More contrast and grain |
| Push 2 stops | EI 128 | Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows |
| Push 3 stops | EI 256 | Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows |
Long exposures#
Most films suffer reciprocity failure beyond about 1 second: they need more exposure than the meter says. As a rule of thumb add ⅓–1 stop for 1–10 s and 1–2 stops beyond 10 s for older emulsions; modern T-grain films (and Fuji Acros) need much less. Check the manufacturer's datasheet.
Similar films#
Other color negative film around ISO 32.
- Agfa Agfacolor Negativfilm K ISO 32 · disc.
- Foma Fomacolor Negativ ISO 32 · disc.
- Foton Fotoncolor NS ISO 32 · disc.
- Fujifilm Fujicolor Negative ISO 32 · disc.
- Fujifilm Fujicolor Negative Film Type L ISO 32 · disc.
- Ilford Colorprint ISO 32 · disc.
- Ilford Ilfocolor ISO 32 · disc.
- ORWO NC 16 ISO 32 · disc.
- ADOX NC 17 ISO 40 · disc.
- Agfa Agfacolor CN17 ISO 40 · disc.
- Agfa Agfacolor CN17M ISO 40 · disc.
- Agfa Agfacolor CN17S ISO 40 · disc.
- Agfa Negativfilm Ultra K ISO 40 · disc.
- Agfa Negativfilm Ultra T ISO 40 · disc.
- Ferrania Ferraniacolor N27 ISO 40 · disc.
- Foma Fomacolor N 17 / Fomacolor ND 17 ISO 40 · disc.
- Foma Fomacolor NU 17 ISO 40 · disc.
- Forte Fortecolor ISO 40 · disc.
More ORWO films#
Frequently asked questions#
What ISO is ORWO NK 16?
32 — set your meter to ISO 32 for box speed.
Is ORWO NK 16 still made?
No, it has been discontinued (1964–1965).
How do I develop ORWO NK 16?
ORWO 5165 process.
Is ORWO NK 16 available in 35mm?
Not according to our data — formats: 120.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: List of discontinued photographic films — CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources