BW Papers for RA4?

[dbonamo]

I have done BW print processing in the past and now looking at doing color, in fact I had the chance to purchase a 5 year Colenta RA4 processor. I was wondering if there is any paper on the market for BW that can be processed using RA4? If I am remembering correctly Kodak used to make a line of BW papers that could be process RA4.

Thanks

David

 

[keithwms]

oriental hyper seagull
ilford rc digital

 

[Mike Wilde]

kodak in the past, but regular RC can work too

I have a roll of portra B&W or something like that that processes in RA-4.

I run a Fujimoto roller RA-4 unit. I don't store the chems in the unit; they oxides there faster than I use them

When I have a big B&W job I fill the first tank with Dektol 1:2, second tank with superfix/TF-4, and the third tank with water so the prints are not all hypo'd when they roll out.

I have sucessfully run b&W regular RC paper this way; I can vary the roller speed, so usually I wind the speed up to where the whites don't go grey, and I still get full blacks. TF-4 when warm fixes in a flash.

The other approach is to leave the roller speed fixed, and cut the heater set poitns. For me, if I run the machine with no heaters the motor and pumps leave the chems at about 23C after an hour or so. I unplug the heater drive circuit, and run at 45' per tank.

I have even done FB, wet first, to stick onto RC wasted prints used as a 'backer'. They go through the machine just fine. Second fix the FB, then wash as usual. Briefly wash the RC carriers so that fix carry over doesn't contaminate the developer when you recycle them.

 

[jim appleyard]

IIRC, Fuji makes an RA-4 b/w paper, but I'm not sure if it's available in the US; doesn't help out much, but thought I'd mention it. Perhaps a special order thru someone, if you were going to use enough of it???

 

[Photo Engineer]

I think there may be a fine point we are missing here.

If you want to put B&W chemistry into an RA4 processor, then almost any combination of paper chemistry and B&W paper will work.

If you are using RA4 chemistry, then I am not aware of any real B&W paper that will go through the "real" RA4 chemistry. Some of the suggestions above might work, IDK, but AFAIK, no one made a B&W paper for RA4.

PE

 

[dbonamo]

I think there may be a fine point we are missing here.

If you want to put B&W chemistry into an RA4 processor, then almost any combination of paper chemistry and B&W paper will work.

If you are using RA4 chemistry, then I am not aware of any real B&W paper that will go through the "real" RA4 chemistry. Some of the suggestions above might work, IDK, but AFAIK, no one made a B&W paper for RA4.

PE

Thanks, But I thought KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA Black & White Paper was for RA4 process, at least that is what I read on there site. Although discontinue now.

 

[Ian Grant]

That was the paper for printing Chromogenic B&W films with a minilab RA-4 processor.

Ian

 

[Photo Engineer]

Sorry, I thought it had been discontinued. I was confusing it with Panalure which was discontinued. It was a B&W paper intended for making prints from color negatives using a B&W process.

Thanks Ian.

PE

 

[Simon R Galley]

No Black and White paper for RA4 process exists: The only ever product was the KODAK one.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[dbonamo]

Thanks to all for your input.

 

[2F/2F]

Simon,

http://www.orientalphotousa.com/hyperseagull.htm

This paper existed in very recent memory. I almost bought some from B and H a few months ago.

It has been discontinued according to B and H.

Perhaps it was repackaged Kodak stock.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

Kodak DID make a b/w RC panchromatic paper for processing in RA-4 chemistry. I know, I still have a partial box. It was intended for the same purpose as Kodak Panalure, that is to make good quality b/w images from color negatives. Used to be a big business in this supplying b/w bridals and engagement images to newspapers. The photographer would only shoot color film, so the bride could order color prints, and provide b/w prints to the newspapers. I found the paper "finickey". If the chemistry was only a tiny bit "off" the b/w image would not be a true b/w. To my eyes, the older Panalure paper looked better, but perhaps that was just my processing. In any case the Panalure, and the later RC RA-4 Chromogenic paper had to be exposed and processed in virtual darkness. The safelight recommendations did not provide much light at all. Neither of these papers were intended for making good b/w prints from b/w negatives, as their response was tailored to the orange masked C-41 color negative.