TheFlyingCamera
Membership Council
Well, I just got my first packs of Kentmere and Foma to try against my current house standard, Bergger. Initial notes - the Foma that I tried, the Chamois finish triple-weight semi-gloss vc fiber paper is quite nice. It has a real deep cream finish to the paper, and the paper stock has a pronounced tooth to it. The paper base itself is very warm, but the image is somewhat neutral, somewhat like an albumen print. It is a VERY slow paper - with a standard negative, I got a good exposure at 80 seconds at f32 for an 8x10 print.
The Kentmere, on the other hand, is a bright white baryta base, with a neutral-to-cold tone. It is a much faster paper - 35 seconds at f45 for the same size print from the same negative. The paper base is very smooth and bright, but noticeably thinner than the Foma, and even a bit thinner than the Bergger, but still a double-weight.
I'll post scans after the prints are dry - they're still washing away at the moment. I think the Foma chamois finish will have a place in my inventory, for limited usages. There will be times when I'll want that albumen-print look without the hassle of actually coating my own. The cold/neutral tone of the Kentmere doesn't do it for me, so I dont think I'll be using it to replace my Bergger.
The Kentmere, on the other hand, is a bright white baryta base, with a neutral-to-cold tone. It is a much faster paper - 35 seconds at f45 for the same size print from the same negative. The paper base is very smooth and bright, but noticeably thinner than the Foma, and even a bit thinner than the Bergger, but still a double-weight.
I'll post scans after the prints are dry - they're still washing away at the moment. I think the Foma chamois finish will have a place in my inventory, for limited usages. There will be times when I'll want that albumen-print look without the hassle of actually coating my own. The cold/neutral tone of the Kentmere doesn't do it for me, so I dont think I'll be using it to replace my Bergger.