Are We Really Stuck With Ilford MGFB? Where Are the Magic Papers of the Past?

[Chromium VI]

That's more expensive than what I can buy Ilford for locally on a like for like basis ( size, number of sheets), before shipping is added.

Yes that is true. But if you are into Bromoil that's the stuff you want...

 

[Craig]

But we were told it was the alternative to Ilford price gouging and soooo much cheaper. Guess not.

 

[bedrof]

I asked before and I'll ask again, where can someone buy Slavich paper currently?
(and legally, i.e. not breaking trade embargos or risk having the paper seized by customs)

The embargo is set the other way around - film and paper going into Russia from EU/US will be confiscated by their customs. But there are multiple ways of bypassing this.

 

[John Wiegerink]

The embargo is set the other way around - film and paper going into Russia from EU/US will be confiscated by their customs. But there are multiple ways of bypassing this.

Yes, it's called "bribes"!

 

[bedrof]

Yes, it's called "bribes"!

Incorrect. I can hardly imagine a situation when an american or EU legal entity bribes a respective customs for the benefit of some photography hobbyist.
One possible answer is a huge chinese market for locals, which can be reached by foreigners with just a tiny bit of an extra effort.

 

[GregY]

But we were told it was the alternative to Ilford price gouging and soooo much cheaper. Guess not.

Absolutely..... those are serious prices. 400€ for 100 sheets of roughly 12x16......& then shipping.
I'm still on the elbows up team.

 

[Yezishu]

Incorrect. I can hardly imagine a situation when an american or EU legal entity bribes a respective customs for the benefit of some photography hobbyist.
One possible answer is a huge chinese market for locals, which can be reached by foreigners with just a tiny bit of an extra effort.

A real american or EU legal entity.
Often they sell goods to disposable shell companies, which then conduct gray import and export transactions.
For example, bringing several rolls of 1,000-foot expired film from Hong Kong into mainland China without tax. Sometimes they appear on Amazon as repackaged, unbranded film rolls.

 

[arnie k]

Quite the discussion. I have a question. What developer works best with the Ilford Multigrade Classic. I had been using PF130 but they seem to have problems with glycin. The last couple of batches were very dark and it is now backordered. I have tried PLD but that resulted in a greenish tone. Thanks

 

[Craig]

Quite the discussion. I have a question. What developer works best with the Ilford Multigrade Classic.

If you look at "The great paper developer shootout" by Bruce Barlow here: https://bwbarlow.wordpress.com/articles/

It seems that Ilford Multigrade developer actually does quite well in blind tests. One takeaway was that developing time does have an effect on the final tone.

 

[chuckroast]

Quite the discussion. I have a question. What developer works best with the Ilford Multigrade Classic. I had been using PF130 but they seem to have problems with glycin. The last couple of batches were very dark and it is now backordered. I have tried PLD but that resulted in a greenish tone. Thanks

I spoke to PF this week. They told me the hold up has been one of the component chems for making glycin and this was expected any day. They expect glycin to be available within a couple weeks and there is a waiting list to which you can have them add your name.

 

[miha]

Ilford’s best print developer is Ilford Bromophen, by their own admission.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Ilford’s best print developer is Ilford Bromophen, by their own admission.

I have never used Bromophen and I just now read the description on Ilford's site. When they say, "long shelf life" what are we when it comes to keeping quality? I just received my first batch of Foma Fomatone Classic paper and Bromophen might just be a good developer for it.

 

[miha]

From my own experience, when it’s kept in glass bottles filled right up to the brim, it easily exceeds 1 year.

 

[snusmumriken]

Ilford’s best print developer is Ilford Bromophen, by their own admission.

I’m intrigued. Where do they say that, and what do they mean by ‘best’?

 

[John Wiegerink]

From my own experience, when it’s kept in glass bottles filled right up to the brim, it easily exceeds 1 year.

 

[bernard_L]

When they say, "long shelf life" what are we when it comes to keeping quality?

Any paper developer from any supplier has:

• Outstanding shelf life
• sparkling whites
• superb separation of mid-tones
• extremely deep blacks
• 

 

[John Wiegerink]

Any paper developer from any supplier has:

• Outstanding shelf life
• sparkling whites
• superb separation of mid-tones
• extremely deep blacks
• 

 

[miha]

I’m intrigued. Where do they say that, and what do they mean by ‘best’?

There is plenty of evidence pointing in that direction. Not every claim has to come from a single line explicitly written in a brochure or manual. Sometimes it’s an interpretation based on how a company positions a product in its range and how it’s used in practice.

Also, if one looks at older Ilford/Harman documentation and discussions rather than just recent bulletins, the picture becomes clearer. For instance: https://www.emsdiasum.com/docs/tech...4SeuogUoZTJ-f5btutRs6PbAn6yW-GDiz8aXJPDBSagy7

BROMOPHEN is a premium quality powder developer that produces superb results with all types of photographic printing papers. Use BROMOPHEN when the utmost in exhibition quality is desired.

And

MULTIGRADE developer is an economical developer

 

[brian steinberger]

I just bought some Bromophen to try out. Never used it. I do prefer PQ developers and have been using LPD forever but wanted to try something new.

 

[Craig]

I don't like Bromophen because it's a warmer tone developer and I prefer cool tones.

I have found the print capacity of Multigrade mixed 1:9 to be larger than Bromophen, I have exhausted a tray of Bromophen before and I have never done that with Multigrade.

 

[miha]

That’s interesting. My experience with Bromophen has been quite the opposite, it lasts and lasts. I use 2L in a 12x16 tray.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Okay, which one of you guys is fibbing? Graig or miha??? The reason I want to try it is because it is a warmer developer. Coupled with Foma Fomatone Classic it should be the cats meow. If it's not to my liking I'll use ID-62 or ID-78.

 

[snusmumriken]

I just bought some Bromophen to try out. Never used it.

I've been quite happy with Multigrade developer, but now I suppose I'm going to have to try Bromophen, otherwise I'll always feel I'm missing something.

That’s interesting. My experience with Bromophen has been quite the opposite, it lasts and lasts. I use 2L in a 12x16 tray.

I use 1 litre of Multigrade 1+9 in a 12x16 tray, and I find Ilford's estimate of capacity to be pretty accurate, plenty for a day's printing session in my case. Maybe your satisfaction with the capacity of Bromophen is because you are using twice as much chemical. Perhaps that's why Ilford describe Multigrade developer as economical?

 

[miha]

John, you be the judge, see if it’s the cats meow!

 

[miha]

I use 1 litre of Multigrade 1+9 in a 12x16 tray, and I find Ilford's estimate of capacity to be pretty accurate, plenty for a day's printing session in my case. Maybe your satisfaction with the capacity of Bromophen is because you are using twice as much chemical. Perhaps that's why Ilford describe Multigrade developer as economical?

Hardly. You get 10 L of working solution from 1 L of Multigrade (1+9), but 5 L of Bromophen 1+3 makes 20 L of working sol. They cost about the same.