Galaxy Paper Hyper Speed Direct Positive (Reversal) RC Black & White Glossy Photo Paper, 8x10", 100 Sheets

2016-11-09T09:20:14

I bought this paper just starting out with large format photography and I started with a 4x5 pinhole camera. I chose it based upon the advertising of "easy peasy process", "direct positive", and a speed around 100-125 ISO. For someone with limited access to a darkroom who wanted prints direct from the camera, this seemed ideal. What I found however especially as an early buyer of this paper was that it requires special chemistry to process and initially that chemistry was unavailable though adorama does now carry a kit. Further, my initial expectation of regular B&W processing being what I consider "easy", this process takes a few more steps including bleaching and washing.... not a simple develop, stop bath, fix process... though admittedly quite doable with the first step being 3 minutes and all remaining steps being a minute. The other trouble I had with developing this paper was finding a place and someone that would do this process as it's not your conventional process. I ended up buying the chemistry and did via my local university photo department find a local pro lab that was open to trying the process. Most labs won't touch this process, especially with the bleach step. Pretty much If you're going to use this paper, count on doing it all yourself. Finally, My nievity in buying this paper has tought me much especially since I'm doing pinhole photography. I've learned way more than I ever wanted to know about reciprocity and reciprocity failure. This paper essentially goes vertical on the reciprocity curve past about a couple seconds of exposure. With my pinhole camera my minimum daylight exposure with iso 100 film meters to about 8 seconds. the one exposure that I got a really faint under exposed scene that I could barely tell was there and was still EXTREMELY dark, was exposed over a minute, 3 stops over exposed, which for my use makes this paper have an effective iso quickly approaching that of the ilford direct positive paper that processes normally in regular B&W chemistry and no reversal process. It's much easier to shoot B&W negative film and send it off for developing and contact printing with much less hassle. Even doing it myself I feel that it's much easier to shoot B&W negative film and print to paper. This Galaxy Direct positive (reversal process) paper has been a fun ($) experiment, but not one I will be repeating, even in my own darkroom to come where I'd be down in the range of ($) for the same 25 exposures. Even doing this yourself, it's not saving you much over the cost of simply shooting negative film and printing it, and it will cost you more than using the ilford direct positive paper due to the fact the Galaxy paper requires special and unique chemistry and processing. Would I buy this paper again, No I would not buy it again. Would I recommend it, No I would not. see above for my reasoning.

Eric F.

2016-10-24T08:46:15

This high speed paper makes great images... fun to burn

craig j.

2016-09-15T15:10:19

Must use with their chemicals to process. Very easy and good results. Need to watch video online on the procedure. Found the ISO to be a stop slower than 120

Thomas G.