Re: B&W Paper dissapearing

Kodak discontinued manufacturing of all b&w paper, except one that
uses RA-4 process. AGFA is no more.

I think we have Fuji, Oriental, Forte, Foma Bohemia, Ilford, Kentmere
in b&w paper field. Does Maco actually manufacture paper? Chinese
Lucky is supposed to be manufacturing enlarging papers, both color and
b&w but I've never seen them available in the US. Konica makes color
paper (at least) in US but they'll shut the plant down
soon. Mitsubishi Electric Imaging makes enlarging paper but I think
they now make laser scanning exposure paper only.

On the day Konica Minolta announced to discontinue imaging business,
Fuji made an official announcement that they would continue their
silver photo business. But they don't want to trade their paper with
US beef, and for that matter they probably don't want to trade with
cows from any America... but you might try to trade with your finest
Nicholas Catena or something...

One thing I never understood is that, Argentinian wine is getting
expensive (the kind of stuff that I got 3 bottles for $6 in 1990 is
now $20 each!), and papers made in Eastern Europe are also expensive,
even when compared to the finest products of Agfa-Gevaert.

From: Agustin Barrutia <abarrutia@gmail.com>
Subject: B&W Paper dissapearing
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:49:46 -0300

> Hello list.
> I know this is an Alt processes list, but I think you´ll understand my
> reason to post these questions.
> Today I went to my usual darkroom supplier here in argentina to buy some
> B&W paper and chemicals and found that there is no Agfa nor Kodak paper
> available in the country (they told me no one is importing their papers)
> and that leave us Ilford as the only option (+2 times more expensive than
> the other two!), and that they stopped importing the Agfa chemicals too. I
> used to print with Kodak FineArt FB or the Agfa FB papers with Neutol and
> Agefix chemicals. Now I´m stucked with Ilford paper (extremely expensive
> here! 1 pound=5,5 pesos argentinos) and Kodak chemicals. I´ll use Dektol
> for paper (good option?) and I´ll make my own fixer.
>
> I knew this would come sooner or later, but it seems pretty soon to me!!
> What are the economic and reliable options regarding papers abroad?. I
> think I´ll have to depend on friends travelling and buying boxes of paper
> for me in B&H... Did Agfa and Kodak really stop production of their B&W
> papers?
>
> We used to get only those brands. Agfa, Ilford and Kodak.
> Some years ago I thought that due to the upcoming digital revolution, the
> big brands would stop producing their films and photograhpic chemicals and
> papers and new small brands would come to light with their artesanal
> ++++expensive products. But I think they took me by surprise!
>
> Thanks for the income!
>
>
> Agustin Barrutia
> Buenos Aires, Argentina.
>
Received on Tue Jan 24 00:29:23 2006