Testing for Relative ISO Range Numbers

[CPorter]

Just curious. Did you get that chance to check for and hopefully eliminate safelight fogging as a variable?

Just reporting back that my paper did not show any safelight fogging.

[CPorter]

Maybe you answered earlier, but when projecting the step wedge did stray light come around the step wedge? If so, you ARE in control of that. When you print your negatives you have to have the same flare conditions as the paper test, otherwise you won't be able to match negative to paper the way you want.

So, yes you can't eliminate flare, but make sure the flare conditions are the same when doing the test as when printing a negative.

I did not detect any stray light coming from around the wedge; the flare conditions are the same with the test as when printing. Thanks.

[Ken Nadvornick]

Just reporting back that my paper did not show any safelight fogging.

I didn't think it would.

I didn't mention this earlier, but after seeing such low contrast in my tests I opened my originally sealed box of Oriental VC FB and removed a sheet from the middle of the stack while in total darkness. Then I performed an identical wedge exposure and processed the sample also in total darkness. No safelight illumination ever touched the sample. The results were the same.

So I'm not sure what's up with this paper. Maybe it got x-rayed somewhere along the line? If someone elsewhere has managed to coax a grade 4 or grade 5 out of this paper using an Aristo VCL light source, I really be interested in hearing about it.

Thanks for the follow-up info.

Ken

[Mahler_one]

Hi Ken: Interesting....a few months back I threw out an entire pack of Oriental VC RC paper because of low contrast. I thought that the paper had become fogged some how. Reading of your experience makes me wonder what the "story" really is!