Quality b&w fb papers/film?

[eli griggs]

I am slowly returning to photography after a break of nearly 16 years. To do so I have been putting together a small knockdown darkroom, built around a Durst m600 enlarger and while the darkroom hardware and cameras/lens are the same as before, I have no real feel for what current papers are suitable for fine art photography. When last I worked in the darkroom, Oriental and Ilford Galerie were the fb papers I knew and loved. What, if anything, has changed and are Bergger papers worth the extra expense.

I am also seeing a numbers of films I have no experience with, having used Kodak and Ilford b&w materials in the main, so any tips on what is liked/disliked and why would be a help too. I will have to bulk load for a while to keep on budget so that is a factor in ordering supplies.

Looking here and at other sites has been a help, but having questions and answers posed directly really assists in cutting through the bull.

Cheers,
Eli

 

[Louis Nargi]

The Ilford papers are very good,I don't use them because they don't selenium tone well. I have been using Forte' paper for a few years and like it very much, it tones well and it has a great tonal scale. the paper double weight, but not as heavy as the Kodak papers. I use Forte' Elegance polygrade V FB.

 

[Ole]

I use Forte or Bergger, depending on what tone/curve/whatever I want - or which one I have in the size I want.

It's worth it to do a "test" by printing the same negative on several different papers. I did this a while ago, and got (1) a nice little sample stack I can use to select the paper for each image, and (2) an exposure/tone table for each paper relative to my EM-10 meter

 

[Fotohuis]

The use of a typical brand of photopaper is very personally. Ilford is OK but in the mean time very expensive.
Alternatives: Foma: Fomatone classic (baryt) 131,132 warmtone papers or the new (alsmost Agfa MCC compatible) Fomabrom Variant baryt paper 111, 112. Both baryt papers are M.G. papers.

best regards,

Robert

 

[JHannon]

I am going to try Kentmere papers for both contact prints and enlarging. I have heard good things about the product. I also use and support the Ilford films like FP4+.

 

[Dave Miller]

Ilford warmtone and Kentmere papers tone well, and give good results.

 

[Les McLean]

The Ilford papers are very good,I don't use them because they don't selenium tone well. I have been using Forte' paper for a few years and like it very much, it tones well and it has a great tonal scale. the paper double weight, but not as heavy as the Kodak papers. I use Forte' Elegance polygrade V FB.

Have you tried Ilford Warmtone Fibre, it was designed for toning and responds very well to all types of toning and split toning.

 

[juanito]

I like ILFORD MG FB glossy.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I like J&C Exposition Graded. This paper has also been sold as Cachet Expo, Maco Expo, and Efke Emaks. It tones nicely and responds well to amidol.

The best thing to do really, though, is to buy a bunch of 25-packs of the premium papers and try them all out. Make the best print you can from one neg on each paper, then try another neg with a different tonal range. Label them and file them for future reference, and pick the one you like the most for the work you do. They're all capable of excellent results, and which you prefer is largely a matter of taste.

 

[Louis Nargi]

Have you tried Ilford Warmtone Fibre, it was designed for toning and responds very well to all types of toning and split toning.

No I haven't Les, it seems I have always went for the cold or neutral tone papers.I'v tryed the Forte' warmtone paper and thought it was nice but always went back to the neutral tone,but I'll give it a try. Always looking to improve.