Adox MCP 310 - Durst Gradation Filtering

sewarion · Jul 21, 2011

hi there,

i just recently switched from printing on kentmere select VC to adox MCP 310. while i like the sharpness and tonality of the latter (though it seems to be a bit slower), i can't get my head around how to filter half-grades. the tech sheet only provides dual filter settings for full grades (0-5) which work fine, yet i would get along much better with 0.5 steps.

what i found out so far:

1. adox paper requires harder filtering (grade 2, kentmere: 45Y/24M, adox: 32Y/40M).

2. kentmere's filter values are identical to durst standard filter values, and there seems to be a quite linear transition. by this i mean that it's always about the same amount of -Y/+M from one grade to the next (towards the hard end), in particular between grade 0 and 4.5. the values provided by adox (can't post links yet, but the data sheet is easy to google) seem to 'jump' more from one grade to the next, and it is not as 'linear' as what i am used to from kentmere. so i have no idea to calculate it or so.

my question is: does anyone have experience or noted down half-grade values for adox, using a durst color head? or any particular ideas how to determine the half-grades myself without having to use any complex measurement equipment?

being able to keep exposure time constant while changing grades is an important part of my workflow, so integrating half-grades into my adox process is just the final thing i am missing. enlarger is a durst 605 color (130 max.), btw.

any answer truly appreciated!

cheers,
sewarion

pentaxuser · Jul 21, 2011

I have a 605 colour(130 max) and use Ralph Lambrecht's dual filtration settings for Agfa MCP for Jessops paper which when it we was made was based on Afga paper. As I understand it, the new ADOX paper is the same as the old Aga MCP. Have a look at Ralph's Darkroom Magic website. I am almost certain I got my settings there. He gives half grade settings

I hope this helps

pentaxuser

sewarion · Jul 21, 2011

you mean the 'Agfa Multicontrast-RC' file? got it, looks great! exposure compensation table seems to be defined for MCP 312 (semi-matte). but as the emulsion is the same and only the surface differs, are the values translatable to MCP 310 as well?

thanks for the help!

cheers,
sewarion

sewarion · Jul 21, 2011

edit: ah, just got the maths wrong. so it seems to be about half a grade difference, quite interesting. thanks again.

pentaxuser · Jul 21, 2011

I must admit that I just slavishly follow Ralph's settings. He is very good at these sorts of things. Yes if you look at his settings for both Agfa and Ilford there is a kind of link whereby for any middle grade Agfa only needs the Ilford settings for the next grade up.

The settings won't give you exactly the same exposure for the next grade but Ralph comes to the rescue again with a table for the amount of compensation in fractions of a stop needed.

His book Way Beyond Monochrome(2nd edition) is well worth buying. It is a treasure trove of information about all matters photographic and darkroom.

pentaxuser

sewarion · Jul 21, 2011

i have heard a lot of WBM and already read excerpts of it on his homepage (which i already knew, but i totally forgot about the grade tables, even though i printed out the enlarger height compensation scale only a week ago ). for about a year, i'm looking for a reasonably priced used first version of WBM, as i am not into hybrid/digital at all and not planning to do so. the guy selling the photo stuff here in austria ( http://fotofachversand.at ) seems to know him in person and is full of compliments every time he mentions him. his homepage and the excerpts are awesome as well. good guy, obviously

cheers,
sewarion

pentaxuser · Jul 21, 2011

Fine if you can find the first edition but as I understand it there were some things in the first edition that needed minor corrections which were done in the 2nd. Very little of the 2nd edition is about hybrid/ digital and certainly what there is has not been included at the expense of analogue.

Yes you are right the difference was about half a grade.

pentaxuser

ic-racer · Jul 21, 2011

sewarion said:
hi there,

i just recently switched from printing on kentmere select VC to adox MCP 310. while i like the sharpness and tonality of the latter (though it seems to be a bit slower), i can't get my head around how to filter half-grades. the tech sheet only provides dual filter settings for full grades (0-5) which work fine, yet i would get along much better with 0.5 steps.

what i found out so far:

1. adox paper requires harder filtering (grade 2, kentmere: 45Y/24M, adox: 32Y/40M).

2. kentmere's filter values are identical to durst standard filter values, and there seems to be a quite linear transition. by this i mean that it's always about the same amount of -Y/+M from one grade to the next (towards the hard end), in particular between grade 0 and 4.5. the values provided by adox (can't post links yet, but the data sheet is easy to google) seem to 'jump' more from one grade to the next, and it is not as 'linear' as what i am used to from kentmere. so i have no idea to calculate it or so.

my question is: does anyone have experience or noted down half-grade values for adox, using a durst color head? or any particular ideas how to determine the half-grades myself without having to use any complex measurement equipment?

being able to keep exposure time constant while changing grades is an important part of my workflow, so integrating half-grades into my adox process is just the final thing i am missing. enlarger is a durst 605 color (130 max.), btw.

any answer truly appreciated!

cheers,
sewarion

If no one has made a table you may have to make one yourself: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

sewarion · Jul 21, 2011

ic-racer said:
If no one has made a table you may have to make one yourself: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

looks interesting, definitely. i'll start with ralph's tables, but as soon as i find the time i will try to get into the process you describe. thanks!

cheers,
sewarion

piu58 · Jul 23, 2011

I used some packages of Kentmere some years ago, It is nearly one grade harder unfiltered. But you cannot get it as contrasty as MCP if you use a grad 5 filter (or equivalent setting on the colour head).

Adox MCP 310 - Durst Gradation Filtering

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