Single Weight Fiber Paper

[DanielStone]

hey all,

i just got home from a friends house, was pouring over his contact sheets from years past (he's 65 and i'm 21, we met at a geology class). I noticed that all of the contact sheets were made on single-weight fiber paper.

The richness of the tones and the general feel of the paper make me almost want to re-do most of my b/w contact sheets!

But I seem to remember that no one makes single-weight fiber paper commercially anymore, just double-weight.

If this is true, I can get over it, but in all honesty, this paper had enough latitude from his tri-x and pan-x negs that I feel would suffice for general printing too for me!

If anyone can confirm that s/w fiber paper is still available or unavailable, please let me know, cause I'd like to use it from now on for general printing and all my contact sheets!

Thanks

Dan


oh... if there are still some manufacturers out there making the stuff, which one is best IYO? thanks

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Well, there is single weight paper available from Slavich, the Russian paper manufacturer.
But the weight of the paper has nothing to do with its tonal range. At all.

 

[DanielStone]

Well, there is single weight paper available from Slavich, the Russian paper manufacturer.
But the weight of the paper has nothing to do with its tonal range. At all.

yes, i was just looking at that on freestyles' site . I do know that the weight doesn't affect the tonal range, but TBH, i prefer the thin qualities of the single-weight paper compared to double weight, just for the "in the hand" feel. I really like the ILFORD WT FB papers, and have contact printed some 4x5's with them to much succes. I've been recommended by someone here on APUG to look at the LODIMA papers from Michael and Paula, right now my students budget won't stretch that far , though I will try it sometime soon!

btw, is the LODIMA paper able to be used with standard dektol, or selectol-soft/dektol? or is a special developer to be used for "proper" results?


thanks

dan

 

[Allen Friday]

A single weight paper with a great tonal range? It sounds like the now discontinued Kodak Azo. Lomida is similar. For "proper" results, most photographers use either amidol (lomida is amidol spelled backwards) or Ansco 130. I use Ansco 130, which you can order in kit form from the Formulary. Note, however, Lomida is not single weight.

 

[brianmquinn]

Lomida was planned to be single weight at one time. I can only assume that it was not possible to find suitable single weight stock to coat it on.

 

[DanielStone]

also, since right now, I would prefer a paper that is suitable for contact printing(proper, nice proofsheets/as well as the 4x5 or 8x10 contact print) along with enlargement capabilities.

anyone have any experience with the Slavich Unibrom? i like g3 or so, sometimes a g4.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

The Unibrom is really cool toned and with good tonal range. Some folks here will say that Azo or Lodima is much better. I don't believe in better/worse as that is personal interpretation. I believe it is different.
I haven't used it for anything myself, but have seen some wonderful prints using it.

It's so cheap you should just try it. Can't go wrong.

- Thomas