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Adox Fine Print Vario Classic-Opinions?

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Mike Crawford

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Hello

As I'm hoping to print a new folio soon, I've been considering which paper to use. Certainly something on the colder side. Have been trying out Adox Fine Print Vario Classic and really like it, especially in strong Dektol. Quite a cold tone, clean base, good blacks and a very good tonal range, though the grades probably only go up to 4. 1+20 Selenium makes it even better. However, I couldn't find many posts about it on APUG and am curious if anyone else are fans of this paper. I've only used the gloss. Is the Matt as good?

Thanks
Mike
 
Have you tried the Bergger papers as well? I love their warm toned gloss.....
Steve
 
I recently did a comparison of the current Oriental Seagull, Adox Vario and Arista EDU Ultra (rebranded FOMA). All VC fiber papers. I find all three to be quite neutral to cold in Dektol with perhaps a slight edge to ADOX for cold image tone.

To my eye the ADOX compresses tones slightly, requiring about 1 grade less filtration to get a similar print to Oriental or the Arista. I found I can get some nice tones using light bleach-sepia-selenium.

However, for midtones Oriental and the Arista have the edge and for non-toned prints (other than selenium) I like either of these the best.
 
I assume you have tried Kentmere VC FB? I meets your goals.
 
I have not used Kentmere recently, but I am going to purchase a 25 sheet package of the Freestyle rebranded Kentmere next time I place an order. I am going to work through all the current VC fiber papers and then the graded ones, making a master set of prints for comparison. It's something I did some years ago with Ilford, Forte, Agfa, Kodak and original Oriental.
 
Jim Chinn said:
I have not used Kentmere recently, but I am going to purchase a 25 sheet package of the Freestyle rebranded Kentmere next time I place an order. I am going to work through all the current VC fiber papers and then the graded ones, making a master set of prints for comparison. It's something I did some years ago with Ilford, Forte, Agfa, Kodak and original Oriental.
Click to expand...

Jim: You have embarked on a very ambitious project which will certainly help many of us. I hope you will be able to post some of your findings here when your portfolio is completed.

Ed
 
Jim Chinn said:
I am going to work through all the current VC fiber papers and then the graded ones, making a master set of prints for comparison. It's something I did some years ago with Ilford, Forte, Agfa, Kodak and original Oriental.
Click to expand...

Hasn't this been done by an APUG member already? I remember that the comparisons were very well presented as step wedges and that they were published so as to allow the user to select the various step wedges side by side to compare the various papers & toning sequences. I had seen this link posted here a couple of months ago.
It would make sense to keep on adding and complement this existing project.

Has anybody got the link to this webpage that I am talking about?
 
It's in the Articles section Delphine. The article is (there was a url link here which no longer exists). The actual test results are here.
 
That article is a nice overview of those specific papers, but it is hard to make judgements and comparisons from a computer monitor. Comparing step wedges is one way to compare absolute range of a paper, but how paper works with a negative varies due to type of light source, developer etc. Still better to make comparisons between papers in the darkroom.
 
Tom Kershaw said:
The problem I've had with Kentmere VC FB is its tendency to go towards purple very quickly in selenium toner.

Tom
Click to expand...

Kentmere FP VC is very responsive to selenium. I use a dilute solution (I can't even remember exactly - it is written on my greaseboard) of about 1:29 and tone for just about 1-2 minutes. I always to a test for time before toning a series of prints to make sure I don't go overboard.
 
Isn't Adox FP Vario Classic = Efke Varicon?
 
Mike Crawford said:
Hello

Have been trying out Adox Fine Print Vario Classic and really like it, especially in strong Dektol.

Quite a cold tone, clean base, good blacks and a very good tonal range, though the grades probably only go up to 4. 1+20 Selenium makes it even better. However, I couldn't find many posts about it on APUG and am curious if anyone else are fans of this paper. I've only used the gloss. Is the Matt as good?

Thanks
Mike
Click to expand...

Mike, when you say "Strong Dektol", are you using the liquid concentrate version rather than the packaged powder-form product?
I haven`t tried Adox Fine Print Vario Classic, but it sounds like a good paper.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I use it and like it quite a lot. As Mike said, quite cold tone, good clean whites and dense blacks. Goes slightly colder in gold toner but not much colour change.
It does lith, but in my experience the results are disappointing (muddy brown-grey results). Keep it for normal developers.
Also it seems to dry quite flat. :smile:

Pete
 
Keith Tapscott. said:
Mike, when you say "Strong Dektol", are you using the liquid concentrate version rather than the packaged powder-form product?
I haven`t tried Adox Fine Print Vario Classic, but it sounds like a good paper.
Click to expand...

Usually 1+5 from the bottle though have been known to go up to 1+3. The description on Silverprint's website does stress the importance of full development.
http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1112

Agree with Pete's comments on Lith. It does react to lith developer but I didn't like the blotchy results. I'll stick to using it for cold straight prints. A bit of Benzatriazole can cool it down a bit more too.
 
Mike Crawford said:
Usually 1+5 from the bottle though have been known to go up to 1+3. The description on Silverprint's website does stress the importance of full development.
http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1112

I'll stick to using it for cold straight prints. A bit of Benzatriazole can cool it down a bit more too.
Click to expand...
Dektol Liquid as I thought. I was hoping that Ilford would make Multigrade Cool-Tone FB, so I might give this paper a try.
I will try Multigrade developer at 1+7 and start with 3 minutes.
As I am not fond of toned B&W prints, I will use Sistan instead.
I am almost out of Sistan, I will have to look for Adostab soon?
http://www.adox.de/english/ADOLUX/ADOLUX/ADOSTAB/page47.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Tom Kershaw said:
Keith,

I think Simon R Galley did mention Multigrade Cooltone FB at some point, but this has probably been sidetracked.

Tom
Click to expand...
I mostly use Multigrade IV RC and FB with occasional use of Galerie. I liked MG-Cooltone RC when I tried it. That gets processed in my Durst Printo.
 
Interesting thread - we have started stocking this paper and I was testing it myself on Sunday - I have to say, whilst I have heard people complain it doesn't dry glossy enough, I love the way it has dried .

For general purpose FB printing I am sure I will use this paper quite a bit - I say general purpose because I never seem to have the time to get on to the fine printing stage!

I was using Kodak Dektol liquid version. I haven't tried toning yet.

Matt
 
Tom Kershaw said:
From my thread on powered Dektol or D-72 compared to liquid Dektol, I understand that Kodak Dektol (liquid) should perform in a similar way to Fotospeed PD-5 or ILFORD PQ developer.

Tom
Click to expand...

I'm pretty certain liquid Dektol is a European product, probably made by Champion......unlike powdered Dektol which is made in the US. I would guess, but have no tests to prove, that they only share a name!

Matt
 
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