Best Paper/Devel Combo

[David Hall]

What's the best paper and paper developer for portraits? Since mine would be Agfa Portriga, I guess I should say what's the best of CURRENTLY AVAILABLE products?

dgh

 

[bmac]

It really depends on what you are looking for... for soft portraits I like Ilford MG fiber with Neutol WA. For warm creamy portraits I like Forte Polywarmtone Fiber in Ilford PQ... It all depends...

 

[Les McLean]

I often use 2 bath development with two home made developers: Gaevert G253 as the soft bath and OD 62 as the hard. G253 is probably the best soft developer that I have ever used.

 

[David Hall]

Wow, Les, split grade printing in split developing? Now that's a level I had not even contemplated.

Can you tell me more about these developers. You say home made...does that mean mixing this and that from existing chemistries, or are you grinding new agents yourself?

And I KNEW you'd come in to this thread with something this cool!

dgh

 

[Bruce Osgood]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Les McLean @ Mar 3 2003, 08:27 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Gaevert G253 as the soft bath and OD 62 as the hard. G253 is probably the best soft developer that I have ever used.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Hi Les,

Can you tell me what the difference is between G.262 and G.253? I have the formula for G.262 but can't find the G.253. I'd like to try the G.253 since you recommend so highly. Also, what is the OD in OD 62?

 

[Les McLean]

Bruce,

I don't have a Gevaert G262 but do have a G252 which is a contact paper cold tone developer. G252 is a very soft portrait developer the formula is as follows.
Water 700ml: Metol 3gr: Sodium Sulphite 20gr: Sodium Carbonate 23gr: Bromide 1gr: Water to 1 litre: Dilution 1 to 1 although I prefer 1 part dev to 2 parts water. For warmer tones you can increase the bromide but be careful for you can introduce a green cast with too much bromide.

OD62 is a formula that I picked up from the first box of Oriental Seagull paper that I purchased nearly 20 years ago. I think the OD is an abbreviation of Oriental Developer. The formula is as follows;
Water 700ml: Metal 2.5gr: Sodium Sulphite 50gr: Hydroquinone 12gr: Sodium Carbonate 60gr: Pot bromide 10% sol'n 5ml. water to 1 litre. Dilution 1 part dev to 3 parts water. I prefer 1 part dev to 1 part water. You should get quite warm tones especially with a designated warm tone paper.

I tend to prefer very dilute soft bath in combination with a strong hard bath and find that this gives me excellent control of both shadows and highlights. I have explained my method in the article on two bath development that Sean loaded at the weekend. Using these dilutions I can achieve the richest of blacks after 15 to 30 seconds in the hard bath first, the remainder of the development time is taken in the very dilute soft bath.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Les McLean @ Mar 4 2003, 05:56 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>snip
.... but do have a G252 which is a contact paper cold tone developer. G252 is a very soft portrait developer the formula is as follows.

snip
.....OD62 is a formula that I picked up from the first box of Oriental Seagull paper that I purchased nearly 20 years ago. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Thank you Les,

I take it the G252 does not work well with enlarging? Maybe I'm missing your point. Is it meant as a contact paper cold tone developer that you use as a soft portrait developer when enlarging from a 35mm or MF neg?

OD 62....... You still got the box?

Thanks for the formulas, I'll try them soon; at any rate they appear to be an important part of the arsnel. Can't have too many options can you?

 

[Les McLean]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Bruce (Camclicker) @ Mar 5 2003, 04:36 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I take it the G252 does not work well with enlarging? Maybe I'm missing your point. Is it meant as a contact paper cold tone developer that you use as a soft portrait developer when enlarging from a 35mm or MF neg?

OD 62....... You still got the box?

</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
It is meant to be a contact paper cold tone developer but can be used as a regular hard developer, it is not a soft working developer that one is G353.

I still have the Oriental Seagull box but it's full of finished unmounted prints, sadly the paper is long gone. I'm a compulsive hoarder and as we are moving house in 4 weeks time my wife is trying to persuade me to get rid of a lot of what she describes as junk. It's a traumatic time, not the move, the prospect of ditching some of my precious stuff that I've not looked at for years.

 

[Robert]

You know the minute you toss it you'll need it. It's not junk it's just waiting for a need-))

 

[Aggie]

Don't toss Les, just organize. You would be surprised how well that works, and not as many things seem to make it to the garbage bin.

 

[ken s]

Hello, I have found several nice portrait papers. The Agfa Classic is a bit warm and many of my clients use the 118 surface for hand coloring. Also the Ilford MG Warm is good. Try selectol soft developer. The Agfa Classic 118 when toned in Kodak Brown Toner is just gorgeous. Good luck, Ken

 

[David Hall]

Ken,

What are the differences between Agfa Classic and 118?

dgh

 

[ken s]

David, The 118 is Agfas matte surface number. Glossy is 111 I believe. Ken