New vs. Legacy papers

[Sparky]

Okay - let me just background this by saying that I've been printing B&W FB paper since about 1984 (this is not to say "yeah, man... I'm really experienced" - nor is it to say "whoa... I'm really OOOOLLLLLD" - but simply so that my point of comparison can HOPEFULLY be referenced by someone).

I was just perusing freestyle's site (clicked on the banner) - and freestyle CONVENIENTLY is just about TWO blocks away from where I live. Anyway - so I noticed that they have oriental seagull and ilford galerie FB in grades... and, having my first darkroom in AEONS nearly set up... I'm wondering what I should expect from these editions of these legacy papers - are they anything/exactly like the ones I used to use way back then...?

aside: I have to admit though - I was more of a fan of galerie than seagull. there was just something a bit less intimate about my seagull prints. I'm sure it's just me - but whatever works, right? But hell - I'd take the oriental over RC. or even MG fb.

 

[Sparky]

oops!

also - I SHOULDA mentioned... I DO remember SEEING this topic broached in the past - but cannot now find it for the life of me... so if someone could please humour me... it'd be great. thanks again.

 

[Mike-D]

For what it's worth, in the late '70s or early '80s, the price of sliver went through the roof due to a couple of guys trying to corner the sliver market. In response - so it was rumored - paper manufacturers, seeing a huge rise in raw-material cost, reduced the amount of silver in their papers. Also the early RC papers were not that good. In response they came out with premium papers like Galerie.

While I never used Galerie I was a big fan of the old Agfa Brovira. Lately I find that the Kentmere bromide, a graded paper, seems to be every bit as good as the old Brovira. The flip side of this is that I don't think that it is significantly better than the good VC paper like Forte.

It will be interesting to hear how people think the Galerie compares.

Mike D

 

[Jim Noel]

You will find Oriental verysimilar in tonal range as the paper with the same name from the 80's. I see a little bit of difference in print surface. Actually I have in my freezer 3 generations of Oriental paper and like them all.

Ilford MG has changed during the past 20 years. I find it more contrasty.

My suggestionis that you buy a small package of eachand decide which you like best with your negatives.

 

[eddym]

I used Galerie when it first came out, and loved it. Then I fell under the influence of Fred Picker and switched to his Brilliant. Then when Brilliant became unavailable for a while, I panicked for a few days, then settled down and tried Galerie again and also Seagull (the older version, not the current one). Using Galerie was like meeting an old friend again, and I don't know why I ever left it. It's wonderful! Seagull was nice, but Galerie was and still is my favorite paper.

That said, I also used to use Agfa Portriga for portraits, and still have a few sheets left. I tried Bergger warm tone graded paper, and it is just wonderful. Even better than Portriga, and at least as good as the old Ektalure.

 

[Sparky]

thanks for the input thus far.

good to note all these things... yes - the darkroom is a few scant months away from completion... and I'm excited to try out all the new papers. Galerie was totally a friend to me... nice paper. I made the best prints on that and Portriga... though the portriga much later - RIGHT before it went out of production. Seagull was DECENT - but I had a hard time coaxing any soul out of that or Brilliant. Don't know why. Perhaps because of my devs. I used to two-bath it - dektol and selectol-soft (whatever happened to THAT stuff BTW...?)

 

[Peter Schrager]

Selecto; soft

Sparky-I'm not sure if the selectol soft is still available but a far superior mix is
Ansco 120. Make sure you get the right formulation and if you can't find it shoot me a PM. Right now for graded paper I'm using Amidol and a waterbath. Making some of the best prints I ever have and it's just so simple....there is also a WT developer listed in the Formula section here as ID78. Made with Phenidine it also makes very nice prints with Gallerie. Try it and see for yourself.
Best, Peter