Your thoughts and info on Ektalure

[Elox]

I received several boxes of Kodak Ektalure 8x10 paper, about a year ago, when I purchased some other darkroom items. I just tried it out tonight and I wasn't expecting it to be good, but it seems to be OK. What little bit I have found states that this is a single contrast paper. My questions are:

1. The contrast grade is about 2?

2. I would assume this is primarily designed for printing studio portraits with fairly controlled lighting?

3. What do you like/dislike about this paper?

4. Stored under refrigeration, how much longer would you expect this paper to last?

Thanks.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Ektalure was an outstanding paper that produced rich blacks and had a nice texture. Consider yourself fortunate to have some. I believe it was discontinued when Kodak stopped using cadmium in their papers due to environmental regulations.

 

[George Papantoniou]

I received several boxes of Kodak Ektalure 8x10 paper, about a year ago, when I purchased some other darkroom items. I just tried it out tonight and I wasn't expecting it to be good, but it seems to be OK. What little bit I have found states that this is a single contrast paper. My questions are:

1. The contrast grade is about 2?

2. I would assume this is primarily designed for printing studio portraits with fairly controlled lighting?

3. What do you like/dislike about this paper?

4. Stored under refrigeration, how much longer would you expect this paper to last?

Thanks.

1. yes. In Dektol, a bit higher, in Selectol-soft a bit lower.

2. yes. But can do other tricks, too.

3. Great tonality. Great highlight contrast. Smooth gradation. Superb handling in developer. Very flexible. Reacts well to toning. Charming surface and off-white base. Thick paper base.

4. My only guess can be that since it has made it up to now, it will make it for a while longer...

Congratulations for your luck having it, I must say that I envy you...

 

[Elox]

Maybe I should start auctioning off single sheets..... But it has gone to the fridge for more careful storage. I really like the look of the final print.

Actually, I never expected it to be good so I did a quick & dirty print from a fairly high contrast 35mm negative (The neg is really just a snapshot that I had never printed). I was very suprised how well the Ektalure handled the contrast.

 

[Monophoto]

One additional comment on the qualities of the late, lamented Ektalure - - - in its naked form, it had a slight greenish cast. But when toned in highly dilute selenium, it produced some wonderful warmish neutral tones.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

Repackage in smaller quantities, squeese out the air. seal well, and freeze it. Take out small quantities as you need it.

Contrast can be varied by starting in selectol soft and finishing varying amounts of time in Dektol.

 

[fparnold]

No productive suggestions on use, but it was a lovely paper. I only had it in the G surface, and did some extremely nice environmental portraits on it. It had a warm faintly greenish color when untoned, which when combined with the cream base, is very pleasing. I'lll admit that I had to look at a print under bright daylight to agree with green, as I just thought of it as an organic black, over a very pleasing cream base.

One of the few cases where to prefer the Kodak over the Agfa product. Ektalure was gently warm, whereas Portriga was brown.

Finally, maybe you should consider selling it in single sheets. It was truly a loss when it was discontinued.

 

[Elox]

Repackage in smaller quantities, squeese out the air. seal well, and freeze it. Take out small quantities as you need it.

Contrast can be varied by starting in selectol soft and finishing varying amounts of time in Dektol.

OK, where would I find more info on this? Any starting recommendations?

Also, I'm attaching a quick scan og the print I did. Film was APX100, exposed in Canon GIII QL17 (vacation snaps) on Auto exposure. Handheld exposure, holding the camera above the fop that was in front of me at the Texas RenFair and it was a typical bright day. Print is about a 14x enlargement of the central portion, printed on the Ektalure and processed in generic Dektol (don't ask). The actual print looks a bit more cream and less green than the scan.

 

[George Papantoniou]

Is it really so yellow ??? It looks like a toned print to me... My Ektalure prints have never been so yellow !

This is a toned (light selenium) print, so it is not green at all. But you can see that the paper base is just light cream, not yellow.

Made on 8x10 APX, contact printed on Ektalure G surface in Selectol Soft, then Dektol and finally Kodak Rapid Selenium 1+20.

 

[Elox]

Is it really so yellow ??? It looks like a toned print to me... My Ektalure prints have never been so yellow !

No. For some reason, my scanner doesn't scan this paper well. It wants to make either too blue, yellow, or green.