Ilford filters

[richard_wick]

<p>I am just renewing my darkroom after a 30 year hiatus...(kids grown up and retirement...yahoo!). In the old days, I used 35mm and medium format, Tri-X, D-76, Dextol with fiber-based Kodabromide, mostly #2 and #3. Well, the old Kowa and Pentax are still working well, Tri-X, D-76 and Dextol are still available, but, Kodabromide is a thing of the past. I did buy some Ilford multigrade and soon discovered that filters are required. I did buy a set of multigrade Ilford filters and experimented with #2, 2 1/2 and # 3 with varying results. My enlarger is a Durst 606. Any advice, suggestions on the use of these filters would be appreciated...my old Kodabromide "didn't need no stinkin' filters!"....<br>

Thanks for your input...<br>

Rich</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Ilford does make graded papers, if you don't want variable-contrast paper. Ilfospeed RC is graded resin coated paper, currently made in grades 1, 2, and 3, although Ilford states that there's remaining stock of grades 0, 4, and 5 (discontinued). Ilfobrom Galerie FB is their premium graded fiber base paper, grades 2 and 3 only.<br>

There's quite a few other graded papers available from Freestyle Photo, both house brands and name brands.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>http://www.freestylephoto.biz/c504-Black-and-White-Paper-Fiber-Based-Graded</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Richard, It's all the same thing. Graded paper versus filters. It's pretty simple really. It's the future man. VC papers are very good, and some papers are just excellent. Check out the Ilford papers, and I've been using the Adox MC-110 paper and have been very impressed.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>I was using VC and graded papers way back in the early 70's The future and the Past are still together.... :) Sometimes though graded just feels better.</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>It did feel better, but the darkroom inventory costs today would be a depressing.</p>

<p> </p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Not really take inflation in and the fact that many things we use are now made in former Eastern Europe and it has kept prices down. Even China has kept prices down for what we use to wet process. though most of the films they make are Lomo quality. :) The ERA film is the exception in China and there are many Dark room people still in Japan and China.</p>

[rick_jones5]

<p>Rich - MG filters aren't really required with MG papers but they sure open a lot of options not available with graded papers. You could certainly tune your exposure and development such that many of your negatives could be printed with no filter at all. But when contrast is not exactly what you would like it is awfully handy to be able to bump the contrast up or down in half grade increments. Then again, many swear by a system called split grading where every print is made with a soft and a hard filter in proportion to the needed contrast. I like to keep things as simple as possible so normally print with single filters (or none). Another advantage with MG papers is that you can burn and dodge with different filters to alter contrast in different sections of your print. MG papers just have too many advantages to be ignored. I do a lot of printing on Ilford MG IV RC perle (I don't care for the glossy surface) then move to their fiber based paper when I have a print to mount and display. Welcome back to the dark side!</p>