Replacement for Polykaltton PE

max · 2006-09-18T13:03:06+00:00

Moin, nachdem nun alle Leute geweint haben, was sie denn statt Agfa MCP nehmen sollen, mal eine ähnliche Frage: Gibts noch ein schönes Kalttonpapier wie da...

max

Hi there, Now that everyone’s been moaning about what to use instead of Agfa MCP, here’s a similar question: Is there still a nice cold-tone paper like the Forte/Classic Polykalt PE? I recently bought some Agfa MCP/RC out of necessity; it might have been suitable for working prints, but it just didn’t deliver that lovely (development-time-dependent) rendering of the highlights (I still have some residue of Polykalt as a reference). The density of the Polykalt, when used with Moersch Blue (sometimes with Finisher Blue), may not have been quite as high as it could be, but I always found the tone and, in particular, the light grey tones very pleasing. Regards Martin

RalphRogge

Hi Martin, ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC COOLTONE springs to mind. It’s a variable-grade, plastic-coated paper weighing 190 gsm, with a cool-white base and a neutral-cool image tone. It might not be widely stocked by most suppliers, but one supplier in the south has it in stock. The PE from Kentmere (VC Select) is also fine, though not quite as cool; you might be able to tweak it a little in that direction with Moersch Finisher Blue Additive. I haven’t tried the Blue Additive yet, though. Best regards and happy shooting! Ralph SILBERPHOTOGRAPHIE.DE

max

Hi Ralph, What a coincidence – I’d already thought of Ilford Cootone, especially after hearing somewhere that the lovely boxes with the Bavarian design (white and blue) contain Forte Polykaltton :) It looked strikingly similar to me in normal developer too, though I didn’t do the lith test (if it came out the same, I’d believe the rumour above). It’s just a shame that these can only be remaining stocks; Bon Image no longer lists Cooltone, nor does Hattingen. Let’s see where southern Germany is :unsure: Regards, Martin PS: By ‘Fein’ (Kentmere), you don’t mean ‘Feinkönig’, do you? I also liked the slightly ‘rough’ reproduction with Polykaltton.

RalphRogge

Hi Martin, Cooltone is still available, and it’s brand new with a HARMAN sleeve, though only in three or four sizes. Since you don’t really promote competitors on your forum :unsure:, have a look in your inbox here on the forum – you should find a PM there. By ‘fine’, I actually meant the fine Kentmere papers. VC Select is my absolute favourite for PE ‘cucumbers’ as a replacement for MCP, should my supplies ever run out. Almost just as crisp, but with a slightly cooler tone.

max

Thanks Ralph, "Not actually intended for the German market"... so that explains it. Apparently, it has a new emulsion, though. Given Ilford's prices, perhaps it's time for a comparison test with ADOX Easy Print... Gur? Martin