The Best Paper

adamlugi · Aug 24, 2017

Hi,

I have 70 rolls of film.
I would ask you about the best paper ( deep color, contrast, etc)

Jos Segers · Aug 24, 2017

Do you mean color negatives or black and white?

adamlugi · Aug 24, 2017

Color

pentaxuser · Aug 24, 2017

There is only Fuji or Kodak but the Kodak comes in rolls only except, as far as I know, a stockist in Germany who sells cut Kodak sheets. Unless you can get Kodak cut sheets there is only Fuji. That only leaves different surfaces so I am not sure there is a meaningful "best" paper.

Both Fuji and Kodak will produce decent prints

pentaxuser

dE fENDER · Aug 24, 2017

If you need maximum contrast & color prints (it doesn't mean "the best") - perhaps Kodak Metallic (Fuji Pearl is ok, but kodak metallic is uncomparable). If you need only non-metallic base - try to find Fuji Pro-G. Or maybe you will find Fujiflex suitable for your purpose - you can order some examples of ra-4 prints in any large photolab (except Pro-G) and compare by yourself.
Except Kodak and Fuji there are still at least Lucky, Arista and Tura.

adamlugi · Aug 25, 2017

Thank You ,Guys.

pentaxuser · Aug 25, 2017

dE fENDER said:
If you need maximum contrast & color prints (it doesn't mean "the best") - perhaps Kodak Metallic (Fuji Pearl is ok, but kodak metallic is uncomparable). If you need only non-metallic base - try to find Fuji Pro-G. Or maybe you will find Fujiflex suitable for your purpose - you can order some examples of ra-4 prints in any large photolab (except Pro-G) and compare by yourself.
Except Kodak and Fuji there are still at least Lucky, Arista and Tura.

Does Lucky, Arista and Tura make their own RA4 paper or have either Fuji or Kodak make it for them and if so is the paper made to each of the three companies' own "confection". If it is can you say how each differs from Kodak or Fuji?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Ed Sawyer · Aug 25, 2017

properly stored Kodak cut-sheet endura is still a viable choice, and widely considered the best at the time. Now some of it has yellowed in the base a bit but it may not be that noticeable, if at all, assuming proper cold storage.

dE fENDER · Aug 25, 2017

pentaxuser said:
Does Lucky, Arista and Tura make their own RA4 paper or have either Fuji or Kodak make it for them and if so is the paper made to each of the three companies' own "confection". If it is can you say how each differs from Kodak or Fuji?

Thanks

pentaxuser

The main difference is the price. Lucky and Tura cheaper than fuji/kodak by 2-3 times. The other difference - is quality.
I know nothing about Arista, it can be really repackaged Kodak paper.

Tura is bright green. They maybe do not produce paper by himselfs, but order it in another china factory:

Lucky is really similar to Kodak, but the price is tells its own tale

Another china paper - AOLIDE

Fuji is usually light blue, like this, but it is possible that just another china paper on the photo:

DREW WILEY · Aug 27, 2017

Don't confuse re-branded or private label products with primary manufacturers. RA4 papers for color neg film are better than ever. I use several varieties of Fuji Crystal Archive paper.

twelvetone12 · Aug 28, 2017

Where do you get the Chinese Lucky and Tura? I never saw them anywhere.
I use Endura and Crystal Archive, bot excellent and quite cheap even in cut sheets.

dE fENDER · Aug 28, 2017

twelvetone12 said:
Where do you get the Chinese Lucky and Tura? I never saw them anywhere.
I use Endura and Crystal Archive, bot excellent and quite cheap even in cut sheets.

From local distributors. Not sure how this information helps you, but, for example: fuji-mig.com - I didn't buy from them, but they state that they have both Tura and Lucky paper.

pentaxuser · Aug 28, 2017

dE fENDER, Thanks for the reply. If I can try and sum up what you have said: 1. You think but cannot be certain that Lucky and Tura is made in a factory in China. The papers have different colours, as you have shown so you think that maybe they are in different factories and maybe by two different manufacturers?
2. They are both about 2 or 3 times cheaper than the equivalent Kodak or Fuji paper.
3. The quality is different and I presume is lower quality

You show rolls of the Lucky and Tura paper. Does that mean that you can only buy in rolls and cannot buy as cut sheets?

Can you describe how the lower quality shows up. Is it in poorer colours, thinner paper or in other ways. I have never seen any Lucky or Tura RA4 paper in the U.K. If the paper is cheaper than Fuji/Kodak by 2 to 3 times I am surprised that they have not tried to break into the U.S. EU and U.K. markets. Who are these local distributors? Are they local to you so are Russian distributors who do not sell outside of Russia.

Thanks

pentaxuser

BMbikerider · Aug 29, 2017

A friend of mine has just converted to Kodak paper in rolls and showed me two identical prints, one made on Fuji paper and the other on Kodak. Apart from slight colour differences it was obvious to me that Kodak gave a slightly more saturated image and was also slightly more contrasty. Personally I cannot get on with Fuji paper. I find the base to be too thin and kinks easily and the green tones all seem to be a bit on the artificial side, I too use the Kodak endure glossy in rolls and find that I can use the DUKA safelight at a higher level than if I were still using Fuji. The paper speed of Fuji is around 1/4 to 1/2 a stop more than Kodak so it makes for an easier time.

dE fENDER · Sep 1, 2017

pentaxuser said:
dE fENDER, Thanks for the reply. If I can try and sum up what you have said: 1. You think but cannot be certain that Lucky and Tura is made in a factory in China. The papers have different colours, as you have shown so you think that maybe they are in different factories and maybe by two different manufacturers?
2. They are both about 2 or 3 times cheaper than the equivalent Kodak or Fuji paper.
3. The quality is different and I presume is lower quality

You show rolls of the Lucky and Tura paper. Does that mean that you can only buy in rolls and cannot buy as cut sheets?

Can you describe how the lower quality shows up. Is it in poorer colours, thinner paper or in other ways. I have never seen any Lucky or Tura RA4 paper in the U.K. If the paper is cheaper than Fuji/Kodak by 2 to 3 times I am surprised that they have not tried to break into the U.S. EU and U.K. markets. Who are these local distributors? Are they local to you so are Russian distributors who do not sell outside of Russia.

Thanks

pentaxuser

Yes, I cannot prove that it's china paper. Tura states at it's site that it is german paper and boxes are marked as it "Made in EU". About quality - I didn't use the densitometer, but I cannot get natural colors on it. My local distributors are small firms even without websites, which are trading minilab chemistry and paper, and sometimes they offers a very cheap lots of fresh paper (well, it was about 30$ per box of Tura).

DREW WILEY · Sep 1, 2017

Since my personal interest is in making relatively few prints of optimum visual quality, rather than volume printing, I employ supplementary unsharp masking etc to either raise or lower contrast, or to selectively fine- tune saturation. If you are bothered by the thinness of Fuji CAII, try Fuji Super C. But I sometimes also use their polyester Fujiflex Supergloss media, which has a look similar to Cibachrome. Don't confuse this with "metallic" paper, which seems like a kitschy dept store ad display medium to me.

pentaxuser · Sep 1, 2017

Thanks for the reply dE fENDER

pentaxuser

adamlugi · Feb 1, 2018

Guys, FujiFlex is the Best!!!

twelvetone12 · Feb 1, 2018

Do you cut your own?

NJH · Feb 1, 2018

I had some scans from Velvia and Provia100f printed recently onto FujiFlex by AG Photolab here in the UK. The depth of colour is really stunning, the deep tones of those slides translated into the print much better than I had expected, therefore I agree this is an awesome material. I would love to try optically printing Ektar onto that stuff.

pentaxuser · Feb 1, 2018

After about 6 months considering our replies the OP has come to a decision on his paper choice today in post 18. He appears to have chosen stuff that not one of us have mentioned No doubt Fujiflex is good material and more importantly it is HIS choice. That concludes the thread, doesn't it?

We could of course continue the debate in the same way that the Earps could have still gone to the O.K. coral and fired their guns even though the Clantons had left Tombstone

pentaxuser

The Best Paper

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