Questions Re: Contact Printing Paper

[C. D. Keth]

So what exactly is meant by "contact speed" with regards to paper? Is there anything else different about a paper that's meant to be contact printed upon other than the speed?

I primarily want to contact print and I see no reason why I should confine myself to papers intended for that such as the lodima papers, or is there a significant reason to stick with them?

[Daniel Stone]

Chris,

Lodima has a different "look" than other papers. Its one of those things you have to see to understand. I like Lodima, but have been testing with Ilford MGWT to see if I can like it enough to use in place of it, simply b/c of cost. But frankly, Lodima + Amidol has a "look" that is hard, if not downright impossible for ME to replicate with other materials.

-Dan

[C. D. Keth]

Lodima is supposed to have a longer scale than normal silver papers. Is there anything else to it? Do you think it's worth all the hype?

I'm also wondering about exposure. What's a paper like lodima take to expose compared to normal silver papers?

[Pawlowski6132]

I've used lodima, azo, amidol; definitely more hype than substance. Use any paper and chemical combination you would for enlarging.

[chuck461]

I have not compared the speed of Lodima directly to my enlarging paper (Adox MCC 110) so I don't know the difference exactly, but I would guess that the Lodima is about 1/10th the speed. The slow speed (brighter light) makes it easier to see when you dodge and burn. I use a 100w bare bulb at about 3 ft and get exposures of about 30 seconds.

Is it worth it? Only you can decide. I like it. I'm glad I have it. I'm not sure that I will buy more when I run out.

It is definitely possible to make excellent contact prints on enlarging paper.

I hope you find this helpful.

Chuck

[Thebes]

IMHO the Lodima / Azo look is more about using an amidol (or similar) developer, often in conjunction with a water bath, than it is about the tonal range of the paper.
I do think the tonal range is longer, but thats true of many alt processes too and they don't have the same look.
Of course contact printing an original neg also contributes to the look, both in terms of sharpness / detail and in terms of the physics of any shallowness in the DOF (lack of enlargement ratio / rate of change in size of the airy disc if I'm using the term right).