Recommend a new B&W paper for me

[jeroldharter]

I think Kentmere FP VC FB would fit the bill except that it is about a stop faster than Forte. It is certainly not a warm toned paper. I like Kentmere FP. It is easy to work with: responds well to selenium toner and dries flat. Certainly not warm-toned though.

If you want a white base with a more deep-chocolate black, and don't need sizes larger than 11x14, check out Zone VI paper at Calumet.

[pentaxuser]

Lee. Just as a matter of interest is this the 100 sheets in a box size? I found Ilford Warmtone FB in 11x14( unusual in the U.K.) and it was the equivalent of $100 a box. Given the recent drop of $ against the £, I'd say that at $100 a box this still represents good value by U.K. standards. If you visit the U.K., there little chance of a suntan and it sounds as if there's every chance of losing the tan you've got if you were to examine U.K. photographic prices.

You could shop around if you had a car but at $10 a gallon, it's expensive.

pentaxuser

[Dave Miller]

I think they could call it "reconstituted Oriental"

I have heard it's not quite the same stuff, but I have no experience to verify that. I'm not sure of the actual story. Perhaps someone who has used the "new" and old could chime in.

It's here:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_pro...at_id=&pid=453

If it's half as good as the original, it should be magic. Wonder when we will get it here.

[Dave Miller]

I think Kentmere FP VC FB would fit the bill except that it is about a stop faster than Forte. It is certainly not a warm toned paper. I like Kentmere FP. It is easy to work with: responds well to selenium toner and dries flat. Certainly not warm-toned though.

If you want a white base with a more deep-chocolate black, and don't need sizes larger than 11x14, check out Zone VI paper at Calumet.

You are quite right Jerold about it not being warm tone, but it is so responsive to toning that you can make warm tone images that sit very well on it's white base.

An example:
http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...74&ppuser=1223

[Trevor Crone]

Which paper is that?

Not sure how Adox are coming along with the Polywarmtone replacement, but something close would be superb!

http://www.adox.de/english/ADOX_Pape...lywarmton.html

From your link:

"Coated on a new 280g oxygene bleached support the new ADOX Fine Print Polygrade Warmtone paper is even more brilliant than the predator Classic Polywarmtone."

Retrophotographic did stock it and listed it as Adox Polywarmtone but when I received the item it was marked up as 'polygrade'. Very warm on a white base.

[Gary Holliday]

That's what happens when I scan-read :rolleyes:

[dpurdy]

I think they could call it "reconstituted Oriental"

I have heard it's not quite the same stuff, but I have no experience to verify that. I'm not sure of the actual story. Perhaps someone who has used the "new" and old could chime in.

It's here:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_pro...at_id=&pid=453

I was unaware of the new/old issue. I have been trying it out off and on for a couple of years as I was using Ilford WT and looking for something better. At one point I liked the Ilford better because it was warmer but then it seemed to me that the Ilford changed and became less warm and at that point it seemed like the Oriental and the Ilford were virtually the same paper.

In this last year I have been trying several papers becase I knew I wanted to buy a large batch and I was less satisfied with the Forte as it seemed to have changed and in the end the choice was down to two papers: Oriental WT or Foma WT. They are very similar except that in my warm tone developer (that I don't often use) the Foma took on kind of an unpleasent lemon yellow color and then Foma became more expensive.

So still not ready to make a decision I got a box of 11x14 Oriental from B&H about 3 months ago and it printed very well.. not as warm as I like but nothing is quite the color I like anymore. So I used that up and last week just got a large batch of 8x10 and 11x14 Oriental from Free Style. All the same emulsion. per size. I opened it right up and printed those images I posted on the delta 3200 priase thread and it looks good to me. I am very happy with the very smooth (though not quite) surface, the warmth (more noticable when next to neutral tone prints) the depth of the tonality (nothing compares to the early 80s portriga). And I am probably going to increase the size of my holds of this paper before the year is done.
Dennis

[JBrunner]

I was unaware of the new/old issue. I have been trying it out off and on for a couple of years as I was using Ilford WT and looking for something better. At one point I liked the Ilford better because it was warmer but then it seemed to me that the Ilford changed and became less warm and at that point it seemed like the Oriental and the Ilford were virtually the same paper.

In this last year I have been trying several papers becase I knew I wanted to buy a large batch and I was less satisfied with the Forte as it seemed to have changed and in the end the choice was down to two papers: Oriental WT or Foma WT. They are very similar except that in my warm tone developer (that I don't often use) the Foma took on kind of an unpleasent lemon yellow color and then Foma became more expensive.

So still not ready to make a decision I got a box of 11x14 Oriental from B&H about 3 months ago and it printed very well.. not as warm as I like but nothing is quite the color I like anymore. So I used that up and last week just got a large batch of 8x10 and 11x14 Oriental from Free Style. All the same emulsion. per size. I opened it right up and printed those images I posted on the delta 3200 priase thread and it looks good to me. I am very happy with the very smooth (though not quite) surface, the warmth (more noticable when next to neutral tone prints) the depth of the tonality (nothing compares to the early 80s portriga). And I am probably going to increase the size of my holds of this paper before the year is done.
Dennis

As I said, I'm not sure of the exact story. It very well could be the same. All I know is that it dissapeared for a while, and somewhere, upon its re-emergence I read something about how it was different. Perhaps better? IDK.

[Black Dog]

I've used Forte since 1999 and I still have a fair bit left, but I'm trying ADOX Fineprint Vario Classic [very nice, though not as warm-will try some different devs] and Fomatone MG [also nice , but too early to really form an opinion on it so far]. After maxing out my Visa card buying more Fortezo/PWT it looks like MGWT is the best option-John Blakemore mentions it in his B+W Workshop book.

[dpurdy]

Ok I just did a bit more research and a print test. I found the previous 50 sheet 11x14 Oriental WT FC FB empty box and paper work and I actually bought it from freestyle in early June and it is the same emulsion that I just got from them last week. so no news there

However I have a small amount of fresh Ilford WT VC FB on hand. I mixed fresh cold tone developer and set up a negative in the enlarger and made a print on half a sheet of Oriental WT and half a sheet of Ilford WT. I exposed them at the same time and processed them together and I swear to you that there is no difference. Same exact speed, same exact color, same exact contrast, and even the same exact surface. the only difference I did find was when turning the prints over and looking just at the paper the Oriental was just a tiny tad bit less bright. On the print side I could see no difference between the whites.

So I don't know the meaning of that but I see no advantage to paying more for Ilford.