These tests were shot w/my last lens acquisition, the mighty F1.5, 5 inch Taylor-Hobson Projection lens.   Weighing approx. 8-9 pounds, it would not fit on my SpeedGraphic, but thankfully the 2 front groups from the lens does.   My very crude calculations put the 2 front groups at a FL of 8-9 inches and approx. F2. 

I'm entering a different phase of my photographic life, I've got enough lenses to last the rest of my life, and I want to explore those lenses in depth.   Thankfully Jim Galli is around and I can still enjoy the results of his tests, but I want to shoot more and air all these lenses out.

I smoked for 26yrs. and became sensitive to darkroom chemicals during that same period, and doctors had me sware off cigarettes and the darkroom, and so I got into the habit of taking my film to the lab.  Nowadays, an 8x10 sheet of Ilford FP4-HP5 was running me $10.00 a sheet to process and this was becoming intolerable, and having all these tests to do, I had to figure another way to go.

I didn't have to figure long, Jim Galli suggested I shoot some paper positives, and at the same time I came across Efke Direct Positive paper and Daniel Buck's shots with the Efke paper, and all of the above factors spurred me on to decide to experiment w/the Efke paper and processing it myself.   I figured this would also get me some practice for developing my own film, and later contact printing my Centennial POP. 

Daniel Bucks great stuff brought up the issue of contrast, so I bought some Rollei Low Contrast dev. from Freestyle, and Ansco/Formulary 130 dev. from Formulary.  After cutting down the paper(which is slightly too wide and too long for both my 4x5 and 8x10 filmholders), I loaded up some 4x5 and shot a 4 expsure test.  I'm not going to bother testing this paper w/the Ansco/Formulary 130.

Regarding the tests, metering my subject matter gave me a reading of F2@8 seconds.  I went ahead and bracketed, shooting at F2 with 4 exposures at 4,8,16, and 30 seconds.   Bellows extension and reciprocity factors sucked up quite a bit of exposure since it was the 30 second exp. gave me the image I wanted.  I then set up the Rollei dev., diluting to the working solution per the instructions on the bottle and put the working solution in Air-Evac bottles, since the dev. is oxygen sensitive.  I set up the dev., a tray of tapwater, fixer, and Hypo.

Development was for 6 minutes @75 degrees and a 30 second agitation for the first shot which was way underexposed, and I shortened the dev. time to 5 minutes for the shot you see here.   After the dev. time was up, I dunked the paper in water, then for 2 minutes in the fixer, and then for a minute or 2 in my hypo then washed the print.

In terms of the issue of contrast, you have to make up your own mind after you view the print, this j-peg pretty much duplicates the general look of the print although the print is much more lustrous and detailed.  It also possible because of the nature of the lighting and the subject matter that the contrast is less apparent than what really is there.  But just on feel, it looks good to me, and I think you'll be able to play with dev. time and dilution to tame any contrast issues w/this paper.  You guys are going to have to tell me what you think.

I've included an example of the same shot done w/Fujifilm FP-100C45 instant film which is the top shot,  the Efke shot is at the bottom.   I love this paper and it very much reminds me of Ilford FP4 even though it isn't an exact duplication of a print where the subject matter was originally shot on FP4.  It does however have the 'classic feel' that I like from FP4 and HP5.

Well, there you go.

Take care