Replacement for Adorama paper

[pschauss]

It's been more than 6 months since Adorama discontinued its house brand paper. Has anyone found good substitute which is as good a value for the money.? I have tried Freestyle's Arista EDU Ultra (VC/RC) but I find that it is thinner, tends to curl more, and is almost a stop slower. I can live with the slower speed, but the curl and the lighter weight bother me a bit.

 

[fschifano]

Yeah, I hear you about the Arista.EDU Ultra. It's not terrible, but not as good as the old Adorama house branded papers. I've heard that the Arista II papers are a good replacement. The prices are in line with the old Adorama prices, and it is advertised as being fast. Rumor had it that the Adorama paper was Ilford stock, but I'm inclined to think that wasn't true. It does appear that Arista II might be rebadged Kentmere stock and that Adorama's house brand was the same. In any case, I have a box of it sitting around that I haven't opened yet. I should get around to it one of these days.

 

[jim appleyard]

When Ilford stopped re-branding things for other companies, Adorama's paper disappeared. It would seem that Ilford was the make, although I cannot confirm that.

I didn't much care for the EDU paper either, but I quite like Aritsta's Private Reserve paper. It's heavier thatn the EDU and gives me an image much like the Adorama brand.

I did have to cover half of my safelight (the red tubes covering flourescent ones) with black plastic to use the PR paper, but no biggie, I still have plenty of light to work with.

I live in upstate NY and Adorama products reached me in 3 working days; Freestyle takes 7. I just have to plan and order sooner.

 

[Alex Hawley]

Too bad. I liked the Adorama paper, especially the warm tone version. I've been using the Adox Vario G from J&C. Its as near to Kodak Polymax Fine Art FB that I've found and sells for the same price as the Adorama brand. No warm tone version though.

 

[jim appleyard]

Not all of Adorama's papers are gone. If you go to their site:Dead Link Removed, you can find a fair selection still, especially FB.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

I like the Arista II as well as Freestyle Private Reserve. The Private Reserve is going to be gone at some point, it is Agfa, and I don't know how much of the stuff remains. The Arista II is indeed Kentmere. I have always heard the Adorama was Ilford and it did go away when Ilford stopped selling to repackagers, so I personally suspect that's what it was.

 

[pschauss]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. WRT Adorama's stock of their housebrand paper, my experience has been that the information on their web page does not always reflect what they actually have in stock.