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G Benaim
14-Jul-2007, 00:55
Hi All,

I'm in the process of getting gear to strat contact printing 8x10. I've read several posts of people using Kentmere Bromide as a substitute for AZO for the time being, until LODIMA comes out. I'm guessing Kentmere grade 2 has more contrast than AZO 2 or even 3 or 4 (correct me as I go, as I have no experience w either paper.) Assuming this is true, how are people developing new negs for Kentmere which in the future they may want to print using a silver chloride paper (or Platinum, for that matter)? I guess intensifying the negs once such a paper comes out is an option, but was curious what others have thought about this. Thanks,

GB

Dan Schmidt
14-Jul-2007, 08:19
I think you should tune your negatives to the paper you currently have and then adjust for future materials in the future.

I'm currently working through my supply of Azo G2 (newer very soft paper). I suspect that the Lodima G2 will not be as soft, so when I get that I will adjust for that, but the silver chloride papers are reasonable adaptable, that i may be able to recreate soft Azo G2 with a water bath. In this manner, I suspect that your Kentmere tuned negs will print quite well in the eventual lodima G3.

But i'm mostly interested in getting the best prints out of my current negs with my current paper and that would be my reccomendation. I don't suspect i'll be interested in printing old negatives on new paper in the future since i am almost always most interested in new work rather than clinging to old work.

If there is a really choice negative that i'll reprint i'll have some old paper, just as you will have your Kentmere stash. I would ask myself if my time would be better directed to new negatives though.

-dan

Sal Santamaura
14-Jul-2007, 08:42
...I'm currently working through my supply of Azo G2 (newer very soft paper)...After extending developing time to 3-4 minutes with the final Azo G2 batch, I find it exhibits no less contrast than most enlarging papers of the same grade, such as Galerie, Kentmere Bromide and MGIV FB with appropriate filtration.