View Single Post
  #1  
Old 22nd March 2020, 12:08 PM
John King John King is online now
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Multigrade 4 and 5 comparisons

I have made two prints from the same negative which was using FP4+ 35mm film. The negative was more or less enlarged to A4 size The filtration on both was grade 3 on an LPL7700 enlarger with a colour head using the MG dual filter setting of 33y 56M for both prints which were developed in MG developer.

The exposure for the MG4 print was 51.5 seconds with the enlarging lens adjusted to F8. Developed at 68F for 90 seconds

The Multigrade 5 print was exposed for 40 seconds & Developed for the same time.

No dodging/burning was done on either print. The print with MG5 is also a pure neutral black/grey whilst the MG4 is quite warm in comparison. Possibly if I had gone up a grade with the MG4 the same result would have been more or less the same, but the exposure time, much longer.

It is more obvious in the originals the tonal separation of the mid greys especially on the rails (bottom right) is far better with G5. Likewise the blacks on the front of the locomotive boiler are more pronounced possibly a little more than I would have liked. (Am I being picky?) The most improved part is the contrast of the brickwork on the signal cabin which is far better.
The tone of the little bit of sky at the top is the same in both prints.

For me MG5 has it. With at least 20 years between changes as good as this, is well worth the wait. I did a smaller print of a portion of the same negative using Kentmere 'old' fibre based and the result is...…. well not as good as the MG5
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Multigrade 4.jpg
Views:	622
Size:	309.0 KB
ID:	3674   Click image for larger version

Name:	Multigrade 5.jpg
Views:	653
Size:	301.9 KB
ID:	3675  

Last edited by John King; 22nd March 2020 at 12:19 PM.
Reply With Quote