As usual, Schnozz, your tips are really appreciated. My limited experience
with printing from C-41 negatives came from printing some Kodak Portra B&W
that I shot last winter. Maybe I don't understand the stuff, but I wasn't
impressed. I couldn't get the contrast right on Ilford Multigrade IV.
Like you, I use Ilford now almost exclusively and the Delta line is
wonderful. DD-X is predictable and reliable and a nice (but expensive)
break from using D-76.
I borrowed a Toyo 45CX from school and am going to shoot my first 4x5s on
Delta 100. Since I'll be developing these in a tray, I guess I'll have to
use D-76.
Your exposure times on printing are really quick, your Omega must really put
out some lumens.
Jamie
Fort Myers, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: "AG Schnozz" <agschnozz@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 1:05 AM
Subject: Re: [OM] old film, chromogenic film
> > >Do you have any problems printing C-41 on B&W VC paper? I
> > have tried it
> > >once or twice and couldn't get a good handle on the contrast.
> > Is there a
> > >secret?
>
> XP2 is relatively close to normal, as far as variable-contrast
> papers are concerned. However, it is about 1/2 stop off when
> printed on VC. I meter the projected image with my Zonemaster,
> adjust the dots on the grayscale to where I want them and then
> add 1/2 stop worth of time. Usually successful.
>
> XP2 is pretty close to Grade 2.5 as the "normal" paper-grade.
>
> Kodak T400CN is around 3.5 yet yields muddy blacks. Grade 4.5
> clears the blacks, but wrecks everything else. Split-grade
> printing is necessary to keep tonal seperations correct while
> clearing the blacks.
>
> Kodak BW also is a nominal grade 3.5, but the blacks are
> slightly better. Grade 4 makes the pictures snappier, but tonal
> gradients are stairstepped.
>
> Does the base color skew the contrast grade of the paper?
> Usually not. In the case of XP2, an underwashed neg will skew
> about +0.5 grade. Kodak's orange base will skew about -1.0
> grade depending on enlarger light source.
>
> Now compare all this to a properly exposed and developed Delta
> 100 or TMax 100 negative which will print full-range on grade
> 2.0 in about 1/3 of the exposure.
>
> Here is my "normal starting exposure" for my Omega colorhead
> enlarger when printing full-bleed 35mm 5x7 prints on Ilford
> Multigrade IV RC-pearl (processed in Multigrade):
>
> Ilford Delta 100/400 film developed in DD-X, no push/pull,
> properly exposed in OM system: 4.3 seconds, Grade 2.0. F8.
>
> Ilford XP2 shot at 200: 15 seconds, Grade 2.5. F8.
>
> Kodak BW at 200: 18.1 seconds, Grade 3.0. F5.6.
>
> Quite a bit of difference, eh? I did an 8x10 from Kodak BW
> which took 90 seconds at F5.6. Life is too short for this
> stuff. I'm so glad one of my clients shifted to XP2.
>
> AG-Schnozz
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
> http://shopping.yahoo.com
>
> < This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
> < For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
> < Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
>
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|