ISO rating for photo paper

Has anyone used photo paper for negatives in your 4x5 film holders.

I want to shoot onto Agfa MCD 310 RC and make negs to set up in a

Civil War reenactment. I will then use the negs to contact print onto

fiber paper and tone in sepia toner.

 

My question is what ISO to set meter too? someone told me it was rated

at 5 or 7.<div></div>

I suggest you look through threads on pinhole photography as paper negs are often used there, or even better run a series of tests - here in the UK 10x8 paper will give you 4 negs for 20p (5p each - say 7c-8c)so testing to get an exact speed for the neg/dev/paper combination and your own preferences is cheap enough to do.

According to the datasheets on agfaphoto.com, MCP 310 RC has an ISO sensitivity of 400 when exposed to white light. I believe the low figures or around 6 were relevant for Ilfochrome papers?

Ah, he means photo "PAPER." I thought for a minute that some daring company had the guts to bring out a new film these days and were calling it Photo Pager. In any event, 5 should be about right.

I was looking for reversal processing on MCP 310 RC (no luck so fare)

This way will by possible to eliminate scanning and reversing on the PS to got positive ??

Any ideas?

Best jp

I shoot a lot of paper negatives, and it can be a very very tricky process. Its difficult to find the ISO for "in camera" exposure on papers these days, instead you get a Paper ISO which is different than negative ISO. So..... if your paper says its ISO 5000 that doesn not mean that will work in camera.

The best way to determine this is to load a lot of holders and label each holder with a different ISO. And then just go through the bunch, develop them and see what you get. Start at about ISO 6 and then go up.

 

Next comes the developer. I use Dektol, but some people prefer to use negative developer for their paper negs. Its your choice.

 

I use Ilford MG RC paper. No ISO rating, I just wing it. You never know what you will get. Most of my exposures are about 5 seconds in good light. Then (the funny part) about 3 to 5 seconds in some Dektol and IMMEDIATE stop.

 

I get some pretty wild stuff.

 

I hope my info helps.

Having done some pinhole and lens-based paper negative shooting, I normally start with EI 5 exposures.

 

I've found graded RC paper gives better contrast than multigrade, as the color temperature of your subject's light will effect the resulting paper negative contrast in unpredictable ways.

 

I like grade 2 RC from Arista, but really only because I have a 100 sheet box of it, and the price is right.

 

As for development, I like Agfa Neutol WA, but Dektol is fine. I've never had good luck with shortened developing times, although I understand you need a water bath nearby to quickly quench it, and use a high dilution of developer.

 

I've also had some good luck in enlarging 4x5 paper negatives on a condensor enlarger. It seems to give contrast similar to a diffusion setup. And paper negatives scan easily, too.

I was doing some testing of paper negatives today with Ilford Multigrade IV RC. Under floods I

found that the best ISO rating on my meter was 2. I haven't taken it outside yet but 5 might

work OK. Rule of thumb: divide the paper ISO P rating by 80 or 100. Of course, testing is

best.

It is 6.

<p>as others suggeste it's about 6. But still you need some experiments, use of multigrade filters (behind or in front of the lens) to control the contrast. <br>

I have also done some reversal processing, it's tricky though, you need to overexpose, and get the exposure right, it's like shooting slides :)</p><div></div>