New Grade 3 Azo

[bmac]

Has anyone else got their box of GR3 yet? I am actually in the middle of my first session with it right now, and I am shocked at the difference between GR2 (new) and G3 (new). It looks like more of a jump between Grade 2 and Grade 4 or 5 to me. Anyone else experiencing this? FWIW I'm using Smith's Amidol TMY in Pyrocat 2:2:100

Brian

[Francesco]

Hi Brian, I have not received mine yet but if what you say it true (i.e. the difference is more like Grade 4 0r 5 in your opinion) then I am excited to get started with it.

[bmac]

Maybe I am just crazy, but please let me know when you get it and have a chance to try out. These were my first Pyrocat 2:2:100 negs (TMY) and they printed very very good with the GR2, but when going to GR3 to give them a little more punch, they looked like line art even after increasing exposure dramatically to compensate for the slower GR3.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I haven't experienced that with the new G3, but there could be a variety of causes associated with that. I'm usually printing Tri-X or Ektapan developed in ABC pyro on Azo, and I tend to use G3 more for older TMX negs that I made before I'd quite worked out how much density I needed for good prints on Azo.

If you're getting too much contrast with G3 but want more than G2, try using water bath development with G3.

[bmac]

Just to confirm, this is the Grade 3 that shipped out last week David?

[c6h6o3]

Brian-

How long are you developing it in Amidol?

[bmac]

1 min for Gr3, 2 mins for Gr2

[David A. Goldfarb]

I just checked--I still have old Gr3 and new Gr2. Nonetheless, trying water bath processing with Gr3 should give you something between Gr3 and Gr2.

[Michael A. Smith]

I printed with this newest Grade 3 (the first of it was shipped only in the last two weeks) and compared it other Grade 3 prints. It has exactly the same contrast. The reason it might seem like such a jump from Grade 2 is that the last batch of Grade 2 seemed softer than the previous Grade 2.

[Francesco]

Got my new G3 and have used some. I actually think that there is a slight improvement (contrast, general look and feel) over the old G3. I do not use Amidol however and I find no speed change from my old G3. I printed negatives using old G3 times and the results were enhanced colour, tone and local contrast. Thank you MS for keeping this paper going.