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What fiber based B/W paper are you using?

Dupont Varilour. Sterling VC. Ektalure. Supplies are dwindling, but the freezer is full of other stuff.
 
Thanks all,

I guess one of the new realities is to really stock up when you find something you like.

I am an old Tri-X kind of guy and recently tested out some Neopan 400 that gave me pretty nice results and was really cheap, then three weeks later it is announced they have discontinued it in 120. Darn ! ! ! !
 
found out the dev we use at school is "Super Black", thats all i found out. seems to work great, i get rich blacks and bright whites from every paper ive tried except arista.
 
Might be Edwal...I had some Edwal that I was sure was "Super Black" and I agree, it is a good developer.
 
Picked up a sample pack of MCC 110 and a small pack of Varycon 5x7 at Freestyle yesterday to try some of ones I have been meaning to try. I have used Varycon, but it has been a while. Very excited about MCC, though. I need something cheaper than Oriental, and I hope this does the trick. If Varycon looks just like a VC version of Emaks, it will probably replace Ilford warmtone for me, which has simply become TOO BLOODY EXPENSIVE for me to afford! I love Emaks, but I want a VC paper as my standard paper for hand held shooting.
 
My favorite paper by far is Ilford warmtone currently being developed in LPD 1:4. I'm currently on the hunt for a neutral paper, as I'm not crazy about MGIV. I too have some MCC 110 on the way from Freestyle that I'm excited about trying, and also have some Oriental VC coming from B&H to try as well. I hear good things about both!
 
If Adox would only reissue Portiga Rapid as well.........

Hopefully they will, if the other reissued Agfa emulsions sell well enough.
 

Try Emaks K-888 #2/#3 in Selectol Soft or equivalent. I have a feeling some of your stuff may really shine with it. MCC is a solid VC paper, always good results.
 
Emaks is lovely (one of my four standard papers that I listed in my first post in the thread), but it is slightly on the warm side IME (Dektol, Ilford PQ, Ilford Multigrade).

The Oriental that Brian ordered will be closer to what he is looking for (and probably the MCC as well, based solely on the examples on the wall at Freestyle, not on my own printing with it).
 
2F/2F said:
Emaks is lovely (one of my four standard papers that I listed in my first post in the thread), but it is slightly on the warm side IME (Dektol, Ilford PQ, Ilford Multigrade).
Click to expand...

Yeah this is probably why you're getting warm results. Try a mainly metol based developer. However, I usually follow it with Selenium 1+20 and at utility toning times it's pretty neutral. MCC ends up looking warmer in my experience.
 

2F/2F, how do you feel Oriental and MCC 110 compare to Ilford MGIV?

clayne, Emaks sound interesting, though I prefer working with VC papers.
 
Hi,

Just like you, Ilford MG IV FB does nothing for me! It works, it is OK, etc., but I always found it hard to print and that almost every other paper I tried was "better" in my eyes.

Oriental is what I settled on when Ilford did not work out for me.

As for MCC 110, I bought my first sample yesterday, and I will see soon. I blindly picked my favorite samples off of the wall at Freestyle, and both of them were on MCC 110. Of all the other samples, it reminded me the most of Oriental, but it is cheaper, and the shadows seem to look a bit different. However, that is just based on a few prints, and I have no idea what the shooter intended, or how the negs were exposed, so we shall see.

Due to prices, I intend to see if Varycon will work to replace Ilford MGWT for me, and if MCC will work to replace Oriental for me. I got a sample of each yesterday, and will compare the same negs printed on each. I need to make a decision son, as I need to buy a large batch of paper in the coming weeks. I may, in fact, end up getting a 42 inch by 33 foot roll and cutting it down into boxes to save even more money.

The MCC examples on the wall at Freestyle were anything but warm.
 
2F/2F said:
The MCC examples on the wall at Freestyle were anything but warm.
Click to expand...

Well I have used both papers, and with similar workflow and toning the MCC is warmer. Additionally, were the example prints on the wall at FS toned or untoned? I would think it would be in their best interest to tone.
 
Examples of toning would be nice (and there are some there), but if I were going in blind to pick a photo paper, I'd want to see all the examples untoned rather than toned, as it is representative of a more standard paper processing procedure. I don't tone often, and I don't think most people do either.
 

I *highly* recommend you look into incorporating Selenium toning into your work-flow. It's very easy to do once a print has been fixed and rinsed, requires no heavy washing, and is very predictable with almost always beneficial results such as removing developer casts, deepening blacks (this is real measurable effect), and adding typically pleasing tones and depth to a print.

One bottle of KRST, dilute and stored as two separate mixes: 1+10 and 1+20. Use at end of everything before final wash. Very easy to batch, time, and control. Solution lasts a VERY long time.
 
I know all about selenium toning, I have many bottles of the stuff (of all ages and varieties), and I use it when I want to use it. However, it is most decidedly not part of my standard processing regimen. I know what its effects are with each paper I use, I use it when I want these effects, and that is it. I much more often use it for negatives. When I do use it on prints, it is almost always when using graded paper.
 
I also atleast selenium tone all my final prints. When looking at new papers I am interested in how they appear without toning, but am even more interested in how they appear after toning, particularity selenium toning. Once I start playing around with the new MC 110 and Oriental I will ultimately make my decision on which paper I will settle on after selenium toning final prints at different strengths and times.
 
Kentmere Bromide in home-brewed Ansco 130 followed by selenium. Been a fan of this look since the earliest days of Zone VI Brilliant. Cold tones, deep blacks.

I've also been known to microwave damp prints to boost the surface texture "glistening" factor with this paper. Looks very much like how I've heard that "steamed" prints appear. A wet-like glisten, but dry to the touch. Looks marvelous when carefully dry mounted to preserve the effect. Feels like you can reach right into the shadows.

Not sure about any long-term negative effects of this approach. Thankfully, however, I'm not famous...

Ken
 

Just grab a single pack of Emaks on my recommendation and see how it works out for you, Brian. You'll appreciate it's simplicity, response to toners, and quality. You may prefer VC papers, but not all negatives need VC papers by any means. K-888 is a great paper at a steal of a price.

You will enjoy MCC. I find it's response to toners somewhat slow, but it's a great paper.
 
Ken, steamed prints...sounds delicious! Might give that a try though, could be interesting, I have long given up on getting a decent glaze. Back to the OP, I am back to using Ilford Gallerie and Kentmere FB VC. I also have Emaks, very nice, but very sloooow, I'm just too old to expose it all!
I must be the only one that hasn't tried the "new" Adox MCC, rectify that soon.
 
Kentmere FPVC (Glossy).

Not too expensive yet very good quality. Exemplary behaviour with selenium toner.

I do want to try the new Adox MCC110, however (here) it's twice the price of Kentmere. Also, I don't like the sizes of packaging (too few sheets/packaging)- not the prime hurdle but a consideration nonetheless.
 
Hmmm, Just got my first darkroom going after a thirty five years give or take hiatus. I am trying whatever warm tone, fiber, double weight variable contrast paper I can grab. Ilford warm tone paper, Oriental warm tone, Berrger warmotone... all good. Can't say any have blown me away, but I seem to be able to bet workable results with everything I have tried so far. I have tried Ilford Warmtone developer and a small amount of Edwal Super Black and seem OK with both. No definite preferences yet.
 

clayne, will do next time I order from Freesyle. I know what you mean about not all negatives needing VC paper. A while ago I tried and actually enjoyed printing on Slavich graded paper, and it responded well to selenium.
 
Now using Ilford Multigrade. Back in the day (1960's) my
favourite was Kodak Kodabromide Double Weight in Dektol.
Best regards,
/Clay
 
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