Hi Stefan,
Unfortunately, panchromatic black-and-white paper is a thing of the past – at least, I’m not aware of any manufacturers producing it at the moment.
I was afraid of that. Well, I’ll just have to wait patiently and see if the “second-hand market” might turn up a pack or two of Panalure...
I’d try fixed-grade black-and-white paper – unfortunately, the colour film’s mask affects the grade of variable contrast papers. As colour film works ‘softly’, you’ll probably need at least grade 3 or 4.
Hmm... and that’s precisely where opinions seem to diverge: some recommend – as you do – fixed-grade paper to prevent the negative from having an unwanted influence on the gradient; others, on the other hand – and in my view not entirely without reason – believe that VC paper allows for a wider range of tonal values from the negative to be reproduced, as VC paper is sensitive to a broader spectral range. The flip side is that this extended sensitivity – as mentioned above – comes at the expense of accurate tonal gradation.
I think I’ll just have to give it a go. As the negatives I’m currently planning to use are wedding shots taken in a castle courtyard under grey skies anyway, I reckon there might not be quite as much to lose there as there would be with a colourful alpine meadow in bloom against a steel-blue sky.
Nevertheless, I’m always open to further tips and suggestions!
Many thanks and have a relaxing weekend,
Stefan
