I'm fairly aggrevated, I had this nice long and thorough post, then hit the back button on my mouse by mistake... loosing it all. I'll type it again, just not as elegant.
In my opinion, Kentona is better than Nuance on every level. Assuming you're looking for a replacement to grade 3 azo. Donald, just go buy a box of 25 sheets 810 from freestyle for $19. You won't regret it. No need to wait for anyone else's prints.
Assuming most like warmer colors to their prints, Kentona wins hands down. If you're not so hot for warmer colors, develop the paper longer, which I find really cools it down. Kentmere touts the paper as being very responsive to toning, and lith printing, hence the name; so it isn't a suprise to me that longer developing times really alter its color.
In terms of sharpness, the Kentona makes Nuance look like a joke. No exaggeration. Jim said he thought the paper had more local contrast due to blacker blacks. I'm not sure of that; I think it has more local contrast due to being so much sharper. Donald, I hear you, local contrast is what really makes prints sing.
As far as which paper has blacker blacks, I don't know, didn't look for that specifically. But, the Kentona has much richer low values. Which in looking at prints is really of more importance. That is another characteristic Kentmere glorifies the paper with, dealing with low values very handsomely. I'd suspect in terms of densitometry, the dmax of Kentona is right on par with nuance. Like nuance, kentona's dmax is very responsive to selenium.
In comparing kentona to grade 3 azo (both kentona and nuance put grade 2 azo in the trash bin) I wouldn't say it's better or worse, but different. Greg, I think you asked which azo kentona is closer to, definately 3. Keep in mind I've only made 25 prints on Kentona, but so far, having it around makes me not miss grade 3 azo.
It's not as sharp as azo, but just a hair below. The difference isn't enough to get hung up on however. A stand type negative could do the trick; whereas there's just no hope for the j&c when it comes to competing for sharpness.
In comparing color, for me the Kentona has a much more satisfying color. In fact, comparing azo3 to kentona, taking their differences of sharpness and color, I would trade grade 3 azo's sharpness for kentona's color. At one minute dev time the kentona has a golden brown, at two mins a more of a dark chocolate brown.
Though the Kentona is supposed to be a grade two, or two and a half paper, I find it has more contrast (local and overall) than both nuances. I think it may have just as much contrast as grade 3 azo, though I've not made prints to really evalute the two papers on that level. It's really close however.
I know this post is all over the place and full of typos, I'll blame it on a very bad head cold.
In my opinion, Kentona is better than Nuance on every level. Assuming you're looking for a replacement to grade 3 azo. Donald, just go buy a box of 25 sheets 810 from freestyle for $19. You won't regret it. No need to wait for anyone else's prints.
Assuming most like warmer colors to their prints, Kentona wins hands down. If you're not so hot for warmer colors, develop the paper longer, which I find really cools it down. Kentmere touts the paper as being very responsive to toning, and lith printing, hence the name; so it isn't a suprise to me that longer developing times really alter its color.
In terms of sharpness, the Kentona makes Nuance look like a joke. No exaggeration. Jim said he thought the paper had more local contrast due to blacker blacks. I'm not sure of that; I think it has more local contrast due to being so much sharper. Donald, I hear you, local contrast is what really makes prints sing.
As far as which paper has blacker blacks, I don't know, didn't look for that specifically. But, the Kentona has much richer low values. Which in looking at prints is really of more importance. That is another characteristic Kentmere glorifies the paper with, dealing with low values very handsomely. I'd suspect in terms of densitometry, the dmax of Kentona is right on par with nuance. Like nuance, kentona's dmax is very responsive to selenium.
In comparing kentona to grade 3 azo (both kentona and nuance put grade 2 azo in the trash bin) I wouldn't say it's better or worse, but different. Greg, I think you asked which azo kentona is closer to, definately 3. Keep in mind I've only made 25 prints on Kentona, but so far, having it around makes me not miss grade 3 azo.
It's not as sharp as azo, but just a hair below. The difference isn't enough to get hung up on however. A stand type negative could do the trick; whereas there's just no hope for the j&c when it comes to competing for sharpness.
In comparing color, for me the Kentona has a much more satisfying color. In fact, comparing azo3 to kentona, taking their differences of sharpness and color, I would trade grade 3 azo's sharpness for kentona's color. At one minute dev time the kentona has a golden brown, at two mins a more of a dark chocolate brown.
Though the Kentona is supposed to be a grade two, or two and a half paper, I find it has more contrast (local and overall) than both nuances. I think it may have just as much contrast as grade 3 azo, though I've not made prints to really evalute the two papers on that level. It's really close however.
I know this post is all over the place and full of typos, I'll blame it on a very bad head cold.
