Paper With the Slowest Speed?

[dancqu]

It is not so infrequent that a member is concerned with
exposure times too short. A recent thread brought up the
subject. As a help I suggested using a slower paper.
Now I'm wondering which are the slow projection
speed papers. Graded papers are my interest.
Some may be interested in VC papers.
Do any take the prize? Dan

 

[fschifano]

Forte warmtone papers are about the slowest I've used in recent years. But I wouldn't worry too much about paper speed, though I certainly understand a concern about overly short exposure times. It is easy enough to cut down the amount of light striking the paper by adding some neutral density filtration into the light path. Rosco makes some lighting gels that are very inexpensive and can be cut to any needed shape and size. Use the paper you like, then adjust your methods to make it work.

 

[Ole]

Bergger Art Contact - intended as a contact printing paper, but fast enough that it can be used for enlarging without resorting to special heads. It's about five stops slower than Ilford MG IV...

 

[dancqu]

Bergger Art Contact - intended as a contact printing
paper, but fast enough that it can be used for enlarging
without resorting to special heads. It's about five stops
slower than Ilford MG IV...

I doubt that paper is available here in the USA. A contact
speed paper other than Azo. Forte had one a few years ago.
Where is that latest 'Azo' comming from?

I gave some Arista branded Forte Polywarmtone a
run and found it to be close to a full stop slower than
Kentmere's Fineprint. All 5x7, handy cut to size. Good
for testing and proofs.

I'm going ALL Graded though and now shopping for paper.
Tempted by Oriental but may go Bergger. That Slavich paper
at Freestyle is Red light Only. As you've likely read more than
a few times I'm wedded to a very well lighted darkroom only
a blue sensitive Graded paper allows. Dan

 

[Ole]

Dan, Bergger lists the Art Contact on the US pages - unlike some other nice papers. http://www.bergger.com/us/neutral.html - right at the bottom. They give the sensitivity as ISO P20 - Ilford MG IV FB is ISO P500, so that's almost five full stops difference (I guessed correctly in my first post)!

I've found that it tones very well, with an almost immediate response to all kinds of toners. I had a test print (not a good one) lying around when I was toning some other prints in split blue and yellow (!), and put the Bergger Contact print in the blue toner at the end when I thought the toner had all but expired. The print turned the bluest I've ever seen in a split second!

 

[avandesande]

slavich unibrom is very very slow, at least in amidol

 

[Cecil]

I use EMAKS graded paper and it is very slow. I wish it were 4 times faster!

 

[c6h6o3]

Now I'm wondering which are the slow projection
speed papers. Graded papers are my interest.

Kentmere Kentona (available from Freestyle) is quite slow in relation to other enlarging papers. It only comes in one grade, but you can vary the contrast with a combination of water bath development (in amidol) and lengthening the development time.

 

[dancqu]

Dan, Bergger lists the Art Contact on the US pages
- unlike some other nice papers.
http://www.bergger.com/us/neutral.html
- right at the bottom.hbut expired.

And who carries the stuff. CB ART is as close
as we in the states are likely to come. Perhaps
the new 'Azo' is Bergger's Art Contact.

I see Bergger intends to open an on line store.
Also Bergger is interested in Forte. Dan

 

[Leon]

Fomatone MG is very slow - Multigrade though.

 

[ChuckP]

You could try Forte Fortezo. Graded and slow. B&H carries it. Warm tone paper on a white base. Still much faster than AZO.

 

[clayne]

I use EMAKS graded paper and it is very slow. I wish it were 4 times faster!

Huh? How fast do you want it? It's perfectly within reason for most normal density negatives and apertures. 5x7s I was doing the other night were done in 16s@f/5.6 (Rodenstock APO-N 50/2.8) with average density negatives. Would you prefer 2 seconds or something?

 

[naugastyle]

He doesn't want it anymore...he gave it all to me. Thanks, Cecil!

I often use f/4 with it, and have even had to use f/2.8. I don't mind, though.