Goetz
Now I’m going to set up my darkroom again; I’m creating a space for it in my basement. I still have some old Ilford black-and-white paper lying around that’s been frozen for 10 years. Can anyone tell me whether it’s worth defrosting it?
Thanks
Goetz
MirkoBoeddecker
Has it really been frozen in the freezer?
That must have been an expensive hobby for over 10 years :-)
If that’s the case, it should still be in tip-top condition.
That practically makes it a valuable rarity!
Old Ilford from the days of high quality, frozen for 10 years.
I’m sure there’s a fan out there who’d love it.
Best regards,
Mirko
Goetz
Well, I had the space, so I'll defrost something and see how it goes. Thanks for the quick reply
fotohuisrovo
Ilford MGIV should still be fine. Agfa MCP won’t be usable after 10 years. Neither will MCC!
Best regards,
Robert
Gast
Hi Robert,
Why wouldn’t the Agfa MCP last for 10 years in the freezer?
I’m actually thinking of freezing some down.
Patrick
heinrich
Hello,
I’d also be interested to know why Agfa MCC isn’t supposed to last 10 years in the freezer. Given current market trends, I’m really wondering how I can convince my wife that we need a freezer.
Does anyone know how long you can store variable-grade paper at minus 20 degrees? Has anyone ever tried this?
Best regards,
Heinrich
ultra8
Does anyone know how long you can store paper with variable density at minus 20 degrees? Has anyone ever tried this?
Regards
Heinrich
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How long does black-and-white paper actually last?
MirkoBoeddecker
Unfortunately, that’s a question that’s becoming increasingly difficult to answer.
The only reliable answer would be: until it starts to turn grey.
But unfortunately, no one can predict when that will happen, because there are too many factors at play.
And even once it has happened, you can, to a certain extent, trade speed for fogging agents in the developer and produce good prints again.
Back in the day, when there were still hundreds of batches of high-purity photographic gelatine produced each year and when manufacturers still synthesised their own stabilizers, it could last 5–10 years.
Today, without deep-freezing, I’d guess 2–4 years.
But it’s like a lottery: it could be 10 years or just 1.5 years.
Mirko
fotohuisrovo
See our post on the APUG forum:
http://www.apug.org/forums/showthread.php?t=20983
By the way, Foma is launching a new VC baryta film: Fomabrom Variant III. So the MCC gap is being filled a little bit!
Furthermore, Fomapan 100 film will also be available in 4x5" format shortly.
Yes, it’s a shame, of course, that some products are now being discontinued, and generally speaking, prices in this niche market will naturally rise somewhat. I don’t expect this to be a major problem for the general availability of ‘standard’ photographic products. Incidentally, we have a large stock of Agfa Photo Rodinal here in Holland. :lol: This gives us time to look for an alternative to R09 (Calbe/Foma) in proper, sensible packaging. Impex could also help us with this.
We wish you all a lovely weekend.
Robert
Gast
Robert,
That would make great packaging!
http://edkrebs.com/vintage/agfabottle.jpg
Roland
fotohuisrovo
Thanks a lot, Roland,
Could you set aside about 150 of these packs for us and send them down the Rhine to the Netherlands? :lol:
heinrich
Hello Robert,
So the Fomabrom Variant III would be a neutral to warm-toned paper, with the colour tone controllable via the developer, without the need for other tricks such as those used with some Kentmere papers (bleaching and re-developing), and with a speed of ~ISO P 400 and a gradient adjustable between 0 and 5. Is that about right? If so, when and where will the material be available?
Best regards,
Heinrich
MirkoBoeddecker
Fomabrom Variant will have a cool to neutral tone, similar to Fomabrom Fest but with a variable gradient.
At present, there aren’t even any samples available, and Foma hasn’t confirmed production until December, or possibly not until the start of next year.
We will, of course, test the paper thoroughly and list it as soon as it becomes available.
Mirko
heinrich
Hello,
For anyone who’s interested, you can find the Fomabrom Variant III data sheet at
http://www.foma.cz/Upload/foma/prilohy/F_brom_var_en.pdf
. The paper quality is certainly good.
Best regards,
Heinrich
cfb_de
Hello Heinrich,
Until the first roll comes off the machine and has been left to settle for a while, these data sheets remain nothing more than wishful thinking and are barely distinguishable from a copy of the specifications (the specifications document, not that piece of paper with the Rollei logo on it).
This isn’t just the case with Foma, but stems from the production methods used for paper and film, and from the fact that, to this day, nobody knows how to run this process through the machine in a defined manner. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any variations between two batches, nor the occasional ‘jumbo’ roll that ends up exclusively on the clearance market. This isn’t just the case with Foma; it’s also affected the L6 in the Rhineland, the #14 in Mobberley, and various machines bearing yellow company logos.
In that respect, Foma is currently peddling nothing but ‘vaporware’ on the market and, with its grandiose announcements, is putting itself on a par with various cults or wannabe programmers from Seattle.
I’m waiting for the first actual product and its description. If they plan to start production in December, they won’t be packaging the paper until late January at the earliest. Anything before that is just hot air and the garish glare of advertising. But I don’t need hot air or the garish glare of advertising in my darkroom. I’d much rather have functioning photographic paper to my liking.
Best regards,
Franz
heinrich
Hi Franz,
That’s why I mentioned the paper version. On the subject of specifications, have you ever heard of ‘reverse specification’? That’ll get you through any validation process :lol: .
Best regards,
Heinrich
