laserlight papers suitable for traditional enlargers?

[game]

Hi,
In my quest for a polyester based paper for the ra4 process. I found that there are three brands that have a potential product in their range.
Fuji has the fujiflex/ fuji supergloss. Ilford the ilfoflex/ilfocolor. and kodak duraflex/endure metallic.
All the three are very hard ro get in europe, especially fuji and ilford. I maybe found an adress that sells ilfoflex, but there is one minor problem, which is the reason for this topic. The deliverer as well as the manufacturer state that ilfoflex nowadays is optimized for laserlight machines such as the durst lambda. Ilfoflex was used to be called ilfoflex2000 but now they cal it ilfoflex digital. Ilford has a pdf on this product:

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/v2/pdf/IlfoflexDigital.pdf

The deliverer said that using ilfoflex with traditional enlargers such as my durst m805 could cause colour shifts and other problems.
The pdf by ilford says that the paper is suitable for traditional enlargers but does not behave the same as with laserlight enlargers.

Off course my dillema is, should I buy this product. I contacted ilford with this same question, but have not yet received an answer. I was wondering if any of you guys have experience with this issue. Any input is more than welcome!

thanks and all the best - Sam

 

[Neal]

Dear game,

The Kodak product has been discontinued but according the the data sheet it can be exposed optically. It is likely that the Fuji product can also be exposed optically.

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/e4014/e4014.jhtml

Good hunting.

Neal Wydra

 

[Bob Carnie]

I use the papers you are describing in my Lambda laser printer and as well optically under an enlarger with not problems.

 

[game]

I use the papers you are describing in my Lambda laser printer and as well optically under an enlarger with not problems.

Thanks for your post.
Is it the ilford paper you are talking about? And does enlarging with the optical enlarger gives any colour shift, are does it behaves perfectly normal?

Thanks again - Sam

 

[Bob Carnie]

We just finished a few projects with fuji flex and prints were sampled as both.I find the new papers colour are much faster than when I used them even 10 years ago.
I now will accustom my eyes for the darkness for a minute or so when printing optically so the image shows on the easel for my dodge and burn.

Unless stated otherwise the Ilford colourlux is good under an enlarger. It was my paper of choice for years.

 

[game]

Thanks for your info Bob. (why did you switch to fuji btw?)

If anyone else has experience with the recent ilfoflex under optical enlargers, I'd love to hear about it.

All the best Sam

 

[Bob Carnie]

I have an account with Fuji and all colour product is in town and I can get orders easily produced over night.
I do use Ilford Cibachrome and am a huge fan of Ilfords black and white products.
I was under the impression that ilfocolour was discontinued and I think I am wrong. It is a wonderful product but so is the Fuji Flex.
As a lab it is a good practice for us to use a couple of reliable suppliers of material * Fuji and Ilford* and try to use certain product lines to help the regional managers predict product consumption by us for when they order from the Factory.
This is the case with most labs and I think the manufactures like a continuity over a market that is switching product every 3 months.
I do not think one product in the colour market is better than the other , just your personal preference , which is subjective.