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New black and white fibre-based papers from Ilford

Roger Cole

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Awesome awesome awesome news! Yay!

I've been clamoring for a true cool tone paper in FB. Now if only it is available in 16x20, which the RC version is not, we'll be set with warm, neutral and cool papers from Ilford.

I am getting SO tempted to go 100% Ilford just because of their support of us, not to mention the quality of their products. I'd miss Across, Tri-X, TMY-2 and MCC 110, but aside from also wanting to support Adox I'm not sure what the latter would offer that I couldn't get with Ilford papers. I'm seriously thinking of going 100% Ilford at least in the darkroom, with a few other films thrown in. (I like the response of Tri-X in Diafine too much to go to HP-5 but I might ought to reconsider that too. That was based on older Tri-X which got a reliable 1600. Now I only get that in daylight where it isn't really needed. It's more like 800-1000 under tungsten light ... maybe I should compare to HP5 in similar light, hummm.)
 

Dave Krueger

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Interesting. The speed difference for the higher grade filters is much closer to the speed at the lower grade filters. That's been an annoyance with my Zonemaster II because it calculates the exposure at filter 3.5 by averaging the exposures from filters 3 and 4. The actual exposure for filter 3.5 is much closer to 3. With these papers having a much smaller difference, that interpolation might become much more accurate. As it is, I usually just use the exposure value measures at filter 3 for exposures made through a 3.5 filter.

So... Who is going to be the first to calibrate their Zonemaster for the new papers and publish the results for us lazy bastards to copy?
 

Dave Krueger

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Just from looking at the data sheets, the Dmax doesn't look much different from the original MGIV. Whatever they do to get the nice Dmax of MGWT, I wish they could do the same for their neutral toned papers. Maybe they are referring to the Dmax being higher after toning since the new papers apparently tone much more readily than the old.
 

Dave Krueger

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The curve for the lower contrast grades looks straighter on the new than the old. If so, I consider that a significant improvement all by itself. I'd like to know the details of how that was accomplished. I thought the wavy shape was unavoidable for a triple emulsion VC paper.
 
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Stoo Batchelor

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Mmmm!

I think I will hold back on the "whoop, whooping" Ilford Mg4 is such a beautiful paper and I will be sad to see it go. I actually like the fact that it doesn't go crazy in selenium, unlike the Warmtone, which I have never been able to tame. I have also spent many, many hours 'learning' MG4, and finally found a tone in the paper that I loved after many years of printing, and that no other paper could give me. I shall be wearing a black arm band for the rest of the week.

All that said, I do hope that I will be eating my words when I get round to testing the new paper.

Stoo
 

HARMAN Marketing

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New MULTIGRADE FB COOLTONE is available in 16x20 and 20x24 plus wider rolls
 

JLP

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Very exiting news. Ilford WT is pretty much my standard paper now apart from old stock that slowly get depleted from the fridge. i wish that the WT paper would keep it's tone as it ages (unexposed) but it does not which makes it impossible to stock up on this paper.

I rarely need or want cooltone but for a wintery snow scene WT just does not look good so i will certainly give this new paper a try.
 

Thomas Bertilsson

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I'll be getting into cool tone FB as soon as I burn through my stash of regular FB, which will take a while... Available in matt surface too! Yes! I am going to relish this.
 

pentaxuser

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I see we have our first post from Harman Marketing. In the past it was always Simon Galley in person on all things Harman. I wonder how the role of these two Harman sources will change?

Will Harman Marketing be purely marketing as in new announcements etc and Simon continue to handle other queries and complaints etc?

pentaxuser
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Always good to see new B&W traditional products!
 

baachitraka

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Curves are rather very impressive for 'CoolTone'...I am trying to compare with MCC 110.
 

Shawn Dougherty

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Michael R 1974 said:
My goodness! And the characteristic curves for MGIV classic show no mid-tone compression even at grade 00.

I will be ordering this pronto and testing over the holidays. Happy holidays to me!!!!!
Click to expand...

=) I hope you report your findings. I love my Ilford Warmtone but occasionally want a neutral image tone. I was never a fan of MGIV, hopefully I'll be able to use all Ilford papers now.
 

pstake

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Awesome. I'm particularly excited about the Cooltone but will def. try the Classic as well.

Large size availability is great, too!

Thanks, Ilford!
 

Oren Grad

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baachitraka said:
Curves are rather very impressive for 'CoolTone'...I am trying to compare with MCC 110.
Click to expand...

Yes, to the extent one can tell from published curves, the FB CT looks much more Tri-X-friendly than the existing MG IV FB or the new MG FB Classic. If that pans out, it will be good news indeed. I'll eagerly look forward to trying it.
 

JW PHOTO

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All fine and dandy as long as the price stays in the MGIV price range. I get a little edgy when a company comes out with a "NEW & IMPROVED" product and then dumps the old, well established, well liked old one. Almost always a little upping of the price goes with it too. Remember when Coca-Cola stopped making classic coke for that "NEW & IMPROVED" junk they put out???? We'll see how it goes, but I do think Ilford is a little more classy then to do what Coca-Cola did. JohnW
 

Dave Krueger

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Cost is not a big criteria when I'm doing exhibition prints. The amount of darkroom work involved and the low volume (for me) swamp out the paper cost considerations. I'm probably going to use whatever paper I think looks the best.

But... The bulk of my printing is just meant for scanning to put on my website or flickr page. I do almost all the dodging, burning, and pre-flashing that I do for an exhibition print, but I don't tone them and I am not as concerned about squeezing that last tiny bit of Dmax out of them. For this stuff, I use budget paper. Usually RC, but sometimes FB.

I see these new products as something I would use for exhibition prints and I particularly like the straight curve with low contrast filters. I hope that finds its way into Ilford's RC papers at some point. I like the idea of being able to experiment on RC paper and then shift to FB for the final print. The more similar they are, the easier that is to do.
 

Rafal Lukawiecki

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I was in the darkroom, coaxing MGWT to (there was a url link here which no longer exists), and as soon as I got out I saw this lovely announcement! Cannot wait to test the new papers, I am very excited. Above all, what wonderful news to hear. Thank you, Harman/Ilford.
 
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