Fotokemika paper test -- results and question.

Rolleiflexible · Mar 11, 2007

I finally got around to testing Fotokemika papers today -- the VC Varycon, and Emaks in Grades 3 and 4.

The good news is that Grade 4 Emaks fits my negatives well. Until now I've been printing on Agfa MCC 111. The G4 Emaks, after a couple of minutes in a 1:3 KRST solution, gave nearly-indistinguishable results to Agfa MCC 111 printed with a 3 1/2 filter. The Emaks paper doesn't do quite as good a job as the Agfa in separating highlights, but I can live with it. It even has a slight warmth to it after a couple of minutes in the selenium, not unlike the Agfa paper. This makes me a very happy man indeed.

The Varycon puzzled me. I use Kodak VC filters on my Omega D2, with an Aristo cold light head and a modern V54 bulb. The Kodak filter set works fine with my MCC 111 and other VC papers. But printing Varycon with a #3 filter was like printing MCC 111 with a #5 filter. I had to drop down to a #1 filter to get an acceptable result from Varycon -- and even then it was a harder contrast than what I had gotten from the Grade 4 Emaks. So, my question:

Is there a filter set that one must use with Varycon to get appropriate contrast levels from the paper?

I love the Emaks, and am hoping the Varycon pleases as well ... if I can get the contrast right.

Sanders McNew

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 11, 2007

Try the Emaks in Michael Smith's amidol formula for enlarging papers. You should get richer blacks, and it will let you use waterbath development to reduce contrast about half of a grade.

JLP · Mar 11, 2007

Went to the darkroom tonight with the Varycon and the Ilford WT FB. it was a first for the Varycon and yes it is contrasty. i use Kodaks filters too and the varycon is about a 2 or 1.5 when the Ilford WT is at a 3
I use a Beseler 45 with a condenser head. Believe it takes a little work to use the Varycon but will also give it a try in MAS Amidol nest time, thanks David.

jan

JLP · Mar 11, 2007

Need to add that i used Agfa Neutol WA as dev.

Guillaume Zuili · Mar 11, 2007

Sanders,
I enjoy a lot the Varycon. Processed in BW65. My Aristo light VC4500 is set on 5 all the time, although more "punchy", it's a great paper that compares to MCC. Will bring some to NY next week.
I just got some Emak and will try it tomorrow.

JBrunner · Mar 11, 2007

I have had good results with varycon using split filtering,130 +krst, and quite like it. Another accomplished printer I know of, doesn't like it at all.

Rolleiflexible · Mar 11, 2007

JBrunner said:
I have had good results with varycon using split filtering,130 +krst, and quite like it. Another accomplished printer I know of, doesn't like it at all.

I can see that. I don't think I've mastered Varycon yet, so I can't speak to it. But when I first printed with Emaks Grade 4, I thought the blacks were weak and the overall look seemed a bit flat. Then I soaked it for 2+ minutes in the 1:3 KRST solution and that did a lot to deepen the blacks and give the image some punch. If I had stopped before toning, I would not have been keen on the results.

I'm developing in LPD, by the way.

Sanders

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 11, 2007

Your results with Varycon puzzles me because I had a tough time building contrast in the paper with both Ansco 130 and Dektol chemistry. I only tried it a couple of times so far, but now I'm intrigued to take it for another run.
I think Varycon looks a little rough in the matt emulsion, while the glossy is gorgeous to my eyes.

- Thom

Lachlan Young · Mar 11, 2007

Thomas Bertilsson said:
Your results with Varycon puzzles me because I had a tough time building contrast in the paper with both Ansco 130 and Dektol chemistry. I only tried it a couple of times so far, but now I'm intrigued to take it for another run.
I think Varycon looks a little rough in the matt emulsion, while the glossy is gorgeous to my eyes.

- Thom

Just make sure your safelight is a Kodak 1A

Have fun, its a great paper!

Lachlan

athanasius80 · Mar 11, 2007

Varycon is allegedly a descendent of Defender/Dupont's Varilour. Would it be worth trying out Varilour filters?

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 14, 2007

Lachlan, I knew about the safelight problem when I used the paper. I actually developed the prints by time in the dark, just to be safe. It actually raised the level of anticipation to do it that way.

Thanks for the tip. I will try it again after hearing these opinions.

- Thomas

Lachlan Young said:
Just make sure your safelight is a Kodak 1A

Have fun, its a great paper!

Lachlan

Rolleiflexible · Mar 14, 2007

It turns out that Fotokemika makes a Varycon filter set. I just ordered one from Freestyle, and will report back my results when I have a chance to try them out. Sanders.

timeUnit · Mar 14, 2007

One thing with EMAKS is that it is SLOOOOW and needs a lot of exposure, but it separates shadows in a great way. I expose at least two stops more with EMAKS, and still the shadows have detail. It looks very nice in lith as well. It's difficult to come by in Sweden these days though.

Lachlan Young · Mar 14, 2007

The great thing about this paper is its long tonal range and gorgeous look which it achieves best at lowish contrast settings - 1.5-2 on Ilford filtration.

Used with Don Cardwell's development method you should get a good print with Ilford filtration set to 2. Just give it lots of exposure. Even weak concentrations of selenium toner will have an effect adding to the 'look'.

I pretty much learnt to print FB on this paper and I find it ideal for my style of photography - YMMV.

Have fun!

Lachlan

RoBBo · Mar 16, 2007

Whats this about the 1A (Red?) Safelight for Varycon?
Is it sensitive to yellow light?

AlanC · Mar 16, 2007

Lachlan,

Where do I get these papers in the UK?

Alan Clark

PatFahey · Mar 16, 2007

Forget Thomas Duplex's

I tested the VC paper last night under a Thomas Duplex (DUB model). After 5 minutes (plus 2 more in the dev tray), it turned Z9 to Z6 or 7. Definitely not the right safelight for the new paper.

Also, two of the three sheets that I used had flaws (small, pure white blotches on the developed print). I've been through several boxes of PL25, both 4x5 & 8x10, with no QC problems at all.

I ordered some red filters today and will see how those actually work.

-Pat

Lachlan Young · Mar 17, 2007

AlanC said:
Lachlan,

Where do I get these papers in the UK?

Alan Clark

The place I get my paper from is Dead Link Removed
which sells the paper as 'Adox Fine Print Vario Classic' in a wide range of sizes.

Enjoy!

Lachlan

P.S. Please remember to follow the instructions to develop for at least three minutes and remember the paper is very slow!

AlanC · Mar 17, 2007

Thanks Lachlan.

It turns out that I have used this paper!
I wasn't impressed, but I think there was something wrong with it, and should have sent it back. Instead of bright white the highlights were a pale grey, including the borders. I think the paper was fogged. It was also cold in tone despite being described as neutral.

Alan Clark

timeUnit · Mar 18, 2007

I don't think Adox VarioClassic FB is Fotokemika Varycon, I'm quite sure of it. Varycon is much warmer in my experience. Adox Fine Print Classic Arts though, is Fotokemika EMAKS.

Lachlan Young · Mar 18, 2007

I think there are two VC papers that are made by Fotokemika that are based on two of Dupont's VC papers and that is where things may have got a little confused!

Alan, did you do a safelight test - the paper will almost certainly fog in anyhting less than Kodak 1A safelighting (red) - more modern designs of VC paper aren't as stringent.

Hope this helps,

Lachlan

Rolleiflexible · Mar 18, 2007

Varycon VC filters did not help.

So, I got the Varycon VC filters and used them last night. I am sad to report that they did not fix the contrast problems. To get Varycon to print where all other papers print around Grades 3-4, my batch of Varycon requires printing with a 0 to 1 filter.

Could this be a bad batch of paper? Or is this typical of the paper?

Sanders

Colin Graham · Mar 18, 2007

Odd. I just ran some side by sides with forte, MGIV, foma variant 111, varycon, (all on #3 filtration) emaks #3 and kentmere bromide #3 The only glaring oddity I noticed was that the emaks #3 was a stop and a half slower than everything else. The varycon seemed to print with similar contrast as the others & I noticed nothing peculiar about it, but it was a test very limited in scope and I ran no curves. This was on a dichro head.

(Lachlan, always good to run across another Captain Beefheart fan!)

JLP · Mar 18, 2007

My experience is pretty much the same as Sanders, the batch number i have is # 610635
To Timeunit, i have the Emaks Varycon and there is just nothing warm about it, not even developed in Agfa Neutol WA.
But, as Sanders eludes to, it could be a batch issue.

jan

Guillaume Zuili · Mar 18, 2007

I confirm that too. I'm afraid it change from batch to batch. I had this issue with my third box. Frustrating because it can be so beautiful.

Fotokemika paper test -- results and question.

Rolleiflexible

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Fotokemika paper test -- results and question.

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