Acros is available in Japan in 8x10. Dont know about shipping but japanexposures will kick you JPY 13000 for 20 sheets: about US$160.
Comparison of TMX,TMY, Acros reciprocity is here at http://silvergrain.org/Photo-Tech/reciprocity.html. Things start to separate between 10 and 100 sec
Testing at http://home.earthlink.net/~kitathome...eciprocity.htm suggests no significant correction needed for acros if exposures are under 15 min.
I had a bunch of this in quickload which is nearly dead; shame they dont make in 5x7 (only half-plate I think).
Back to the OP question: I dont think it matters much.
Pick a film that you can easily get, a paper you can easily get (if doing silver-gelatin), use a standard developer you can easily get and go for it. As suggested above a standard film like FP4 or acros with d76 or xtol will get you a long way. Once you have made all the standard LF errors of the first hundred sheets and first 5 sheets after not doing it for a while, then think about more variables. FWIW my choice is HP5+ (i like the extra 2 stops and I cant get acros in 5x7) pyrocat-mc and toned cyanotype (until I get brave enough to try carbon).
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