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  #21  
Old 1st January 2018, 09:35 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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I've posted the print scans in the albums section of the forum. I would like to add that this test was carried out using Fomaspeed Variant 311 RC glossy and not Ilford (WT) FB paper.
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...hp?albumid=613

My observations are that there is no discernable difference in contrast between the print made with the Ilford 00 MG filter (f16 @ 10.1 sec.) and the Rosco Supergel 389 Chroma Green (f22 @14.3 sec.). The Rosco Supergel 389 Chroma Green is approximately +1 stop faster.
There is a discernable difference in contrast between the print made with the Ilford 5 MG filter (f16 @ 20.2 sec.) and the Rosco Supergel 74 Night Blue (f11 @20.2 sec.). The Rosco Supergel 74 Night Blue has approximately ½ grade less contrast -1 stop slower.

My early conclusions are that unless the fibre based papers offer a drastically different result than those already indicated it's really not worth using anything else for contrast filtration other than Ilford MG filters which offer a range of grades and are speed matched. (Colour and Variable contrast heads etc. excluded)
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  #22  
Old 1st January 2018, 10:36 PM
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But the point is when working with black & white materials, if you are exposing the negative correctly for a given lighting contrast and then developing the negative for desired contrast relative to the type of enlarger you are using, you should not need any contrast filtration to produce the desired image contrast when printing.
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  #23  
Old 2nd January 2018, 09:17 AM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cliveh View Post
But the point is when working with black & white materials, if you are exposing the negative correctly for a given lighting contrast and then developing the negative for desired contrast relative to the type of enlarger you are using, you should not need any contrast filtration to produce the desired image contrast when printing.
And in this ideal world you are describing Clive, Laithwaites will send me a free box of wine every week, Tesco will knock a pound a litre off the price of petrol, Ilford will give away free film to anyone who asks for it, and every time I go up onto the North York Moors to take photographs, I will be blessed with wonderful hazy sunshine. Oh yes, and my friend Tony Miller will carry all my photography kit around for me....

Alan
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  #24  
Old 2nd January 2018, 02:35 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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You Yorkshire tykes are lucky people, Alan. In contrast(no pun intended) I will have to put up with no SPL games for a few weeks.

Mike
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  #25  
Old 2nd January 2018, 03:27 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
You Yorkshire tykes are lucky people, Alan. In contrast(no pun intended) I will have to put up with no SPL games for a few weeks.

Mike
Hi Mike,
They play football in Scotland? I never knew that....

Alan

Only joking. I remember those jokes about Scottish goalkeepers
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  #26  
Old 3rd January 2018, 08:27 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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as my Scottish mate used to call them fruit bowlers ..I have to admit that I try not to use multigrade filters I can get most films to the contrast I want and I use a condenser enlarger and I get the contrast I want and I get the print I want and this is my style ,but that's how I do it other people do it differently ,there is no right or wrong way of making a print ,the secret is to make a print that pleases you and if others like it that's a bonus ,I think that if you can put film in a camera take a picture develop the film and make a print ,then you know the secret of this wonderful craft ..



www.essexcockney.com
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  #27  
Old 7th January 2018, 12:18 PM
NJHrs NJHrs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyNL View Post
And I don't know about anyone else's experience but whenever I've had to resort to the 'more extreme' higher and lower grade filters, it's usually been a clear sign that my exposure and/or processing was off. And invariably any subsequent prints bore the scars of a salvaged print.

Nevertheless, I'm curious to see if I can add a new string to my bow.
Try burning in sky with a 00 filter, you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is not to have that corona like effect where the sky meets the land, let whatever it is you use to mask the rest of the print feather over the edge of the land and let all the light all the time onto the sky (more or less). The result is barely any change to the land but with a much more even set of sky tones that doesn't look obviously burned in by leaving a brighter band near where the sky meets the land.

I am doing this fairly often now but not for the reasons of starting with a dense negative, more that I also found that printing the land at a much higher contrast brings out all the details there and gives a greater impression of sharpness or pop (or whatever the term is) but of course then puts a bright sky way out of range requiring it to be burned in. I like split grade for these reasons, find the contrast to make the main subject pop then deal with the rest of the print. I like contrast though it has to be said, especially vignettes and other burns to draw the eye into the subject.
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