Rera Pan 400 (127)

Rera Pan 400 in 127 launched in 2019 from Kawauso-Shoten in Japan, filling the gap that opened when the original Rera Pan 100 went out of production the year before. Kawauso, working through their EZOX manufacturing arm, cuts master film to 46mm width and spools it onto 127 backing paper. The same outfit handles agricultural equipment when they are not assembling film.

The base emulsion is almost certainly Rollei RPX 400, which Harman Technology coats in the UK for Maco in Germany. Identical development times and matching tonal behavior support the theory. Kawauso does not confirm the source on the label. The supply chain runs from a UK coating line to German bulk distribution to Japanese assembly and back out through Macodirect, Blue Moon Camera, and a handful of specialist 127 dealers.

The film behaves like RPX 400. Reasonably fine grain for the speed, slightly higher contrast than HP5+, good resolution the small 127 frame can use. Develop in any standard chemistry. Ilford ID-11 stock or 1:1 works cleanly. Rodinal 1:50 adds the grain character if you want it visible on the print. The film accepts a one-stop push to 800 without falling apart.

Compared to the Rera Pan 100 that preceded it, the 400 trades fine grain for speed you actually need. Most vintage 127 bodies max out at 1/300 second and f/3.5, and struggle to expose ISO 100 film handheld in anything but daylight. ISO 400 changes that math entirely.

Format is 127 only. Each roll gives you twelve 4x4cm or eight 4x6.5cm frames depending on the camera mask. No 35mm, 120, or sheet version exists; this is purely a vintage-camera revival product.

Reciprocity exponent is 1.31. Zone Light Meter applies the correction past one second. A metered 30-second exposure becomes about 90 seconds at the negative. The match to Tri-X and HP5+ reciprocity is useful if you carry a 127 body alongside a 35mm camera.