rollfilm

Rollfilm is a term for photographic film that is wound in a continuous strip and used in cameras designed to expose frames sequentially. Unlike sheet film, which is loaded as individual sheets, rollfilm provides multiple exposures per loading and is typically housed in a light-tight cartridge or on an open spool within the camera.

Rollfilm has been produced in a wide range of formats. The 35-millimeter format, commonly known as 135 film, became the dominant standard for still photography in the 20th century and remains widespread in compact and SLR cameras. Medium-format rollfilm includes formats such as 120 and 220, which yield larger image sizes and are used in twin-lens reflex and larger single-lens reflex systems. Other rollfilm formats include smaller cartridge systems such as 110 and 126, which were popular in consumer point-and-shoot and pocket cameras. Rollfilm supports both color and black-and-white emulsions.

Exposure and processing technologies have varied over time. Color negative rollfilm typically uses the C-41 process, while color reversal (slide) film uses the E-6 process. Black-and-white rollfilm is processed in conventional black-and-white chemistry. The choice of film stock determines characteristics such as grain, dynamic range, and color rendition, and different formats are associated with different image sizes and camera designs.

In modern photography, rollfilm usage declined with the rise of digital imaging, but it remains in use among film enthusiasts, boutique labs, and certain professional workflows. Among these formats, 135 film and various medium-format rollfilms continue to be produced and processed by specialized suppliers.