Kodak Portra Endura Vs Ultra Vs Supra?

[amellice]

What's the difference between these 3 Kodak RA-4 paper?

 

[mnemosyne]

The only currently available RA4 paper from Kodak for some years now is Endura Premier. I would not recommend purchasing any old stock of discontinued varities from Ebay or other sources, as modern RA4 papers do not keep very well.

 

[David Lyga]

This is a sad admission, but an accurate caveat from mnemosyne.

If you can test a bit of a sheet first, there, at the buying location, do it. Last November, at Berry & Homer (major past processor of color in Philadelphia) I was able to do just this in their darkroom on seven 100 sheet boxes of Fujicolor paper and my tests proved that the paper, although about eight years old, was still 90% perfect. Restrainer will complete the job, but how to store this paper for the future is a conundrum.

Unfortunately, unlike with B&W papers, ability to get white from older stock is very limited with restrainer in the color developer and absolutely nonexsistent from attempting a post-blix Farmer's reducer, as there is no silver left to reduce! When the white starts turning (first, yellowish) you have limited ability to turn that back to white. (How I would LOVE to find a chemical that would reduce that base density back to white, evenly throughout!)

Again, unfortunately, our eyes tend to 'get accustomed' and forgiving towards that yellowing, but, when a superior print is placed alongside, the revelatory difference manfests. Some would incorrectly posit that we simply use a bit more yellow in the filtration in order to combat that tendency. But that is false advice, since when we NEED WHITE in the print, NOTHING will bring that about. A general lowering of print contrast is the result.

Bad color paper is best used for either proofing (even that will mislead color correctness ability, though), or 'artistically creative' attempts. Sometimes a 'noir' print can be effective. Think, try, experiment: Sometimes using what we have leads to creativity far outreaching that obtained with 'perfect' materials. The human mind is multifaceted and needs to be challenged, (even with one as old as I am). - David Lyga

 

[DREW WILEY]

Current Fuji papers seem to keep quite well, at least in my own circumstances of mild climate. But I'm speaking in terms of several years, not
decades. I haven't used any of the recent Kodak papers, so can't comment on them.

 

[geirtbr]

But

What IS the difference between portra, supra, and ultra originally? Contrast?

 

[mklw1954]

This has some information:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/e4021/e4021.pdf

 

[ericdan]

In Japan Endura paper is being sold repackaged and pre-cut but only in glossy.
here
Does anybody know if this is still being made in matt or satin?

 

[Beau_House]

Rayko photo in San Francisco sells repackaged Kodak Endura Paper cut from rolls in glossy, semi-matte, and metallic. At the moment their site only lists boxes of 11x14", but they've offered 8x10" as well in the past.

 

[MattKing]

Rayko photo in San Francisco sells repackaged Kodak Endura Paper cut from rolls in glossy, semi-matte, and metallic. At the moment their site only lists boxes of 11x14", but they've offered 8x10" as well in the past.

Thank you.

Any relation to Beau Photo .

 

[Beau_House]

Thank you.

Any relation to Beau Photo .

The similarity is just a happy coincidence.

 

[mnemosyne]

In Japan Endura paper is being sold repackaged and pre-cut but only in glossy.
here
Does anybody know if this is still being made in matt or satin?

"ENDURA Premier Paper is available in E (fine-grained,
lustre), F (glossy), N (smooth matt), and Y (silk) surfaces
in roll formats. E and Y surfaces are backprinted with
"KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Do Not Copy" for
visible copyright protection. F and N surfaces are available
with and without backprint, varying by region. Surfaces,
formats, and catalog numbers may differ from country to
country"

From the Kodak Tech publication found here