"Thats very positive! Makes me want to order some. It just seemed odd to me that there is very little discussion about this paper. Maybe it is a best kept "secret" paper that many of you love?"
I don't think it is a secret. It is one of the most loved papers of all time.
But it definitely is just an opinion the way I think about it. Others would say the same about MGFB, which I stated I do not like (mostly due to the tone and the look of the shadows). Everybody's negs are different. We all shoot different subjects in different parts of the world in different qualities of light. For what I shoot, and how I like to print it, the Oriental is almost perfect out of the box, without having to adjust my negs. If I wanted to print on MGFB, I'd need to do some testing and adjustments in the way I do things. However, MGFB might be just the same for many people as Oriental is for me. Like anything, you need to try it yourself before buying into what others say about it. The 25-sheet box of 8x10 VC for $21 from Freestyle would be the most economical way for you to try it out, since 8x10 appears to be the smallest size available. You could cut it down into 5x7s and have twice as many chances to experiment, plus lots of 1" thin test strips.
G looks similar to VC, but seems easier to burn and dodge, and looks a little bit more rich, delicate, and sharp (whatever that means). However, using VC will give you a very good idea of what to expect from G.
