Rollei film

The History of Rollei

Rollei, formally Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke, was founded in Germany in 1920 and became world famous for its twin-lens reflex cameras, most notably the Rolleiflex, alongside black and white roll film produced for its own cameras.

As digital photography took hold through the 2000s, Rollei's traditional camera business struggled, and the company went through bankruptcy in the mid-2010s. The Rollei name for film has continued under new ownership and licensing arrangements, notably through Maco Photo Products in Germany, which produces and distributes Rollei-branded film today, often based on emulsions manufactured by other established film makers including Harman Technology, the company behind Ilford. This means Rollei film today combines the brand's classic identity with production expertise from some of the film industry's most experienced manufacturers.

Rollei's Camera Film Ranges

The RPX range, in 25, 100 and 400 speeds, is a traditional black and white film known for sharpness and punchy contrast, a modern continuation of Rollei's classic monochrome heritage. Retro 80S and 400S are fine-grain black and white stocks designed for a classic, retro-leaning tonal character.

Superpan 200 offers extended red sensitivity, popular for dramatic skies and infrared-style effects when shot with a red filter, while Rollei Infrared 400 is a true infrared-sensitive film for striking, otherworldly monochrome results. Digibase CN200 is a colour negative film designed to scan cleanly for digital workflows.

Choosing the Right Rollei Film

For everyday sharp black and white, choose RPX 100 or 400. For classic retro tonality, go for Retro 80S or 400S. For creative red-filter or infrared effects, try Superpan 200 or Infrared 400, and for a colour film built around digital scanning, choose Digibase CN200. Compare Rollei film prices on Filmproof to find the best deal.