Anybody have experience with the latest Oriental VC FB papers?

[aldevo]

From what I understand these were re-formulated sometime in 2005. I've even heard rumors that these are simply re-branded Ilford papers and that Oriental's production facility has been closed for good.

Does anybody have experience with the latest Oriental VC FB papers? If so, can you give me a general sense of their behavior?

Thanks

 

[firecracker]

From what I understand these were re-formulated sometime in 2005. I've even heard rumors that these are simply re-branded Ilford papers and that Oriental's production facility has been closed for good.

Does anybody have experience with the latest Oriental VC FB papers? If so, can you give me a general sense of their behavior?

Thanks

I always happen to respond this kind of question much faster than others, and I have to tell you this; please do a search here, and you will be able to find the older threads that also have comments on this paper.

I don't know about the rumor on this paper, but the current version of the Oriental paper doesn't show me any sign of the quality from the Ilford paper. At a glance, these two papers look similar, but when you actually use them to compare, you will know the difference; Oriental VC FB is neutral to cold-tone, as opposed to Ilford MG FB that is neutral to slightly warm in the use of Dektol.

But maybe to some people, this difference is so subtle that they might not recognize as much. If you're using tungsten light to check the prints, you cannot really tell.

Also, in sepia-toning, which I have tested with two products, Kodak Sepia Toner and Naniwa (Japanese) Sepia Toner, and the Oriental paper takes a lot longer to bleach and sepia-tone, produces a lot of blue, deep-blue cast, and it can hardly be called "sepia" in the end, compared to the result from the Ilford paper.

 

[Wayne]

There are quite a few posts on this here. The gist is some people like it but most think its inferior to older versions, of which there are at least 2: the old old Seagull of Brett Weston days, and a more recent version that was changed again in the last couple years to what we have now. I may have even missed another version, there have definitely been at least 3 altogether.

 

[Curt]

From what I understand these were re-formulated sometime in 2005. I've even heard rumors that these are simply re-branded Ilford papers and that Oriental's production facility has been closed for good.

Does anybody have experience with the latest Oriental VC FB papers? If so, can you give me a general sense of their behavior?

If it can be taken as new since some papers are off the market and a good look at Oriental Seagull might be welcomed. As a case in point I have used Oriental Seagull in the past to a great extent. I currently am/was using Nuance from JandC and now I am looking for a new paper again. I have tried Varicon and found that it is not very glossy, kind of dull. I am saving Ilford for last since it is $$$. I have a 25 sheet pack of Oriental new Seagull VC FBII sitting here and I am going to try it again.

It should be easy, I say should, to find out if it is re-branded Ilford. Simon, is it re-branded?

Is the Oriental production facility closed? Is it Cyber Graphics, Tokyo Japan?

If anyone is using it can you give us a general sense of the papers look?

 

[Kobin]

ORIENTAL PHOTO USA
945 West Hyde Park Blvd., Inglewood, California 90302, USA
tel: +1 800 999 1984 Ext 236 • fax: +1 310 673 5988
email: info@orientalphotousa.com
http://www.orientalphotousa.com
Mr. Sina also states B&H is their world-wide distributor.

K.

PS: I use the VCFB Warmtone II. I like it in Neutrol WA and in the PPPD soup Donald Miller listed here on APUG. Shoot, I like it in Harmon Ilford's Cooltone developer. I haven't use the new neutral toned papers, but I liked the last version of the VCRC.

 

[Kobin]

Here are some prints on Seagull VCFB Warmtone II. The first was developed in Donald Miller's PPPD; the second and third in Neutrol WA. The third is from an 8x10 pinhole.

K

 

[aldevo]

I don't think Cyber Graphics ever produced Oriental Seagull, per se. Rather, I believe they purchased Seagull's assets when they went bankrupt.

 

[firecracker]

I don't think Cyber Graphics ever produced Oriental Seagull, per se. Rather, I believe they purchased Seagull's assets when they went bankrupt.

So, what exactly was your original question about the paper?

 

[Curt]

Is it re-branded Ilford?

If anyone is using it can you give us a general sense of the papers look?
__________________

 

[JBrunner]

AFAIK Ilford ceased to allow rebranding of their papers upon the reorganization.

 

[firecracker]

Is the Oriental production facility closed? Is it Cyber Graphics, Tokyo Japan?[/B]

I can answer your question: No, it's not closed. It's still there and selling the same products from the year before.

 

[SuzanneR]

I've been working with the warm tone Oriental lately, and I really do not think it is rebranded Ilford. It has a similar subtle shift to warm as the Ilfrod WT, but the surface texture is different from the Ilford. Also, the dark (or shadow areas) of the print look richer to my eye than Ilford. I sometimes felt that the dark areas on Ilford got a little muddy.

I've been quite happy with this paper, but having never used the "original", I don't know what I am missing, I suppose. I've developed it in LPD, HQ warmtone, and Ilford WT.

 

[firecracker]

...but the surface texture is different from the Ilford.

Oh, the coating on the Oriental paper (I only know the neutral version) is pretty rough, and it chips off easily if you don't handle the paper gently.

 

[juan]

Simon has said several times that Ilford stopped rebranding with the reorganization.
juan

 

[PHOTOTONE]

Simon has said several times that Ilford stopped rebranding with the reorganization.
juan

And yet, two of the camera films sold under the Adox brand name are really FP4 and HP5+. Maybe the Ilford Statement only refers to paper?

 

[JBrunner]

And yet, two of the camera films sold under the Adox brand name are really FP4 and HP5+. Maybe the Ilford Statement only refers to paper?

I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, (at least with sheet film, where my experience with ADOX brands is) as the ADOX products are clearly not Ilford.

Perhaps at one time it was the case, and perhaps some rebranded product is still around, but the ADOX and Efke films I have on hand now have few similarities to Ilford products.

 

[JLP]

And yet, two of the camera films sold under the Adox brand name are really FP4 and HP5+. Maybe the Ilford Statement only refers to paper?

That is as far as i know no longer the case. Adox film today is not Ilford. I have a box of Adox/HP5+ in the freezer but that is from before Ilford got into trouble.


jan