Ronald M
Veteran
Kodak came up with this in 1980`s to replace "low silver content" papers that were ruining monochrome at the time. It is double weight & more with crisp deep blacks, glossy surface that can be dried smooth, grades 1-4.
It was expensive, very expensive. Which is why my local Leica dealer had a close out sale which I took advantage of. Soon after, Color became easier to do at home with Leica V35, and heated slot processors. Elite went into the freezer at zero and there it remained until last week.
My son has become interested in darkroom and monochrome. I bought him a box of Ilford MG RC and some chemicals and reopened the darkroom. He learns fast.
I showed him my darkroom data guide that had all the old Kodak paper samples, Ektalure, Opal, Mural, Polycontrast, all in various surfaces and base tints. A world lost to the ages.
Anyway last night I cracked a box of #2 8x10, 100 sheets not knowing if it would fog or what.
Even after 30 years frozen, it printed without a problem. I have 6 boxes of 8x10 and lots of 11x14 all sealed in plastic and ready for use. My M6 is ready as are my recently acquired 4 Nikon F2 camera that can be had for cheap today. Lenses are AiS or Ai I sometimes used on digital. Another generation will enjoy.
I did make one improvement. I mark the inner plastic bag with tape. 2 strips for #2 etc. Paper cut for test strips is marked with pencil on the back multiple lines, 1 line for #1 etc. Mark B/4 cutting
The paper safe has shelves which also can be used for separation, Braumberger 11x14. I bought in the 1960`s or it was a gift.
I have to Hypo Clear and tone the prints as we ran out of time last evening.
It was expensive, very expensive. Which is why my local Leica dealer had a close out sale which I took advantage of. Soon after, Color became easier to do at home with Leica V35, and heated slot processors. Elite went into the freezer at zero and there it remained until last week.
My son has become interested in darkroom and monochrome. I bought him a box of Ilford MG RC and some chemicals and reopened the darkroom. He learns fast.
I showed him my darkroom data guide that had all the old Kodak paper samples, Ektalure, Opal, Mural, Polycontrast, all in various surfaces and base tints. A world lost to the ages.
Anyway last night I cracked a box of #2 8x10, 100 sheets not knowing if it would fog or what.
Even after 30 years frozen, it printed without a problem. I have 6 boxes of 8x10 and lots of 11x14 all sealed in plastic and ready for use. My M6 is ready as are my recently acquired 4 Nikon F2 camera that can be had for cheap today. Lenses are AiS or Ai I sometimes used on digital. Another generation will enjoy.
I did make one improvement. I mark the inner plastic bag with tape. 2 strips for #2 etc. Paper cut for test strips is marked with pencil on the back multiple lines, 1 line for #1 etc. Mark B/4 cutting
The paper safe has shelves which also can be used for separation, Braumberger 11x14. I bought in the 1960`s or it was a gift.
I have to Hypo Clear and tone the prints as we ran out of time last evening.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Elite came out when I was a new darkroom tech at Bambergers department store in Newark NJ. When we were in-between big catalog jobs my boss and I ran a lot of tests on Elite, we'd gotten several boxes of packs in each grade from the rep.
IIRC it was triple weight no?
Beautiful stuff. Much glossier than the other Kodak fiber papers, even glossier than the Seagull of the time. A real pleasure to handle too.
And graded papers! The real test of printing chops. I moved on to Agfa because I could get it cheaper, and printed on a lot of Brovira, Portriga and then really fell for Insignia. Did all my final prints on Insignia for years. Developed in Dektol/Selectol Soft blends or Amidol. Hard to fathom how I did so many prints like that these days. VC head and stunning VC papers from Adox, Bergger, Seagull – and now with Multigrade Classic a stunning VC paper from Ilford. Been printing through 5 years worth of accumulated negatives on the Classic in either Moersch Sepia1, or Compard Print NE or WA. Beautiful stuff.
Those data guides are really quite something too. All that old Kodak literature was such an inspiration to me when I was starting out.
IIRC it was triple weight no?
Beautiful stuff. Much glossier than the other Kodak fiber papers, even glossier than the Seagull of the time. A real pleasure to handle too.
And graded papers! The real test of printing chops. I moved on to Agfa because I could get it cheaper, and printed on a lot of Brovira, Portriga and then really fell for Insignia. Did all my final prints on Insignia for years. Developed in Dektol/Selectol Soft blends or Amidol. Hard to fathom how I did so many prints like that these days. VC head and stunning VC papers from Adox, Bergger, Seagull – and now with Multigrade Classic a stunning VC paper from Ilford. Been printing through 5 years worth of accumulated negatives on the Classic in either Moersch Sepia1, or Compard Print NE or WA. Beautiful stuff.
Those data guides are really quite something too. All that old Kodak literature was such an inspiration to me when I was starting out.
Tom R
Established
A fine paper (era) remembered ....
A fine paper (era) remembered ....
AS I read your post, I'm looking at some 11x14in prints that I made on that paper years ago. IIRC I used Ansco 130 and lightly selenium toned these particular prints (made from 35mm TriX negatives, created on early M's (M2 and M3)). I used this paper for prints that I knew would sell or personal work. I used Oriental Seagull (G2, G3 or G4) for everyday work ...
In brief: I agree. Simply beautiful and nice to process and handle ... used to dry these in a print washer and dry on blotters.
Of course, we live in a post-digital age and likely no one, outside of a handful of readers, appreciate or understand this thread!
TR
A fine paper (era) remembered ....
AS I read your post, I'm looking at some 11x14in prints that I made on that paper years ago. IIRC I used Ansco 130 and lightly selenium toned these particular prints (made from 35mm TriX negatives, created on early M's (M2 and M3)). I used this paper for prints that I knew would sell or personal work. I used Oriental Seagull (G2, G3 or G4) for everyday work ...
In brief: I agree. Simply beautiful and nice to process and handle ... used to dry these in a print washer and dry on blotters.
Of course, we live in a post-digital age and likely no one, outside of a handful of readers, appreciate or understand this thread!
TR
wes loder
Photographer/Historian
" Developed in Dektol/Selectol Soft blends or Amidol."
Amidol! Not many members in the brown-thumb club.
Amidol! Not many members in the brown-thumb club.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
" Developed in Dektol/Selectol Soft blends or Amidol."
Amidol! Not many members in the brown-thumb club.
Hah. Probably not. I had those goth fingernails and didn’t know it.
Ronald M
Veteran
Some other old-timers enjoyed this I hope.