Delta 3200 and Dektol: minimising grain?

Marco Buonocore · Jul 8, 2013

I'm shooting Delta 3200 in my Olympus Pen F, and developing in Dektol. The combination seems quite grainy. What can I do to solve this problem? I've heard that adding whole wheat flour to the Dektol might help, but haven't done the tests yet. Any ideas welcome.

Darkroom317 · Jul 8, 2013

Why Dektol in the first place if it is so grainy?

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 8, 2013

Marco Buonocore said:
I'm shooting Delta 3200 in my Olympus Pen F, and developing in Dektol. The combination seems quite grainy. What can I do to solve this problem? I've heard that adding whole wheat flour to the Dektol might help, but haven't done the tests yet. Any ideas welcome.

You should try using a film developer instead of a print developer first. Ilfotec DD-X is quite good with Delta 3200. It keeps the grain honest while giving wonderfully printable negatives. Another good choice is Kodak Xtol.
Or, embrace the fact that the film is grainy, and develop it in Rodinal 1+25 and print it big. It's beautiful!

Mike Crawford · Jul 8, 2013

Wow. Have always used Dektol or PQ specifically to increase grain. It was marvelous for making Kodak Recording Film as gritty as er....grit. And with a half frame? Ilfosol is quite good for not being too excessive though good idea to rate around 1000 and test different dev times. I bought an Olympus half frame a few years ago inspired by Ray K Metzker but have never worked out a good rating/ exposure method with it's limited settings.

Like the work on your website Marco.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 8, 2013

Dektol does nothing BUT emphasize grain in film. Without a doubt, switch developers! I think this would be a really good case for using a pyro developer which has grain-masking effects from the pyro stain. In any case, use something that can be diluted down without losing activity.

Chris Lange · Jul 8, 2013

No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong. I use a half frame cam to expose 35mm Delta 3200, which, after processing in rodinal 1:25, gets contact printed onto another roll of Delta 3200, which is then processed in Dektol at 105 degrees.

I swear, sometimes I think it rivals CMS20 and Tech Pan...

Chris Lange · Jul 8, 2013

Here are my results, I dare anyone to do better...

Mike Crawford · Jul 8, 2013

Chris
To quote Prince, you got the look!

removed account4 · Jul 8, 2013

what time and dilution are you using ?
i would still use dektol, without flour
but increase your dilution to 1:10 for around 10minutes .. @ around 68º

i have been processing film in dektol's first cousin, ansco 130 ( or something like it )
for the better part of 13-14 years ... and my film is not excessively grainy
and grain is not emphasized ... dektol was originally formulated for both film(+plates) and paper.

good luck !
john

K-G · Jul 8, 2013

Delta 3200 has recently been discussed in this thread ( link below ).

Karl-Gustaf

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

darkosaric · Jul 8, 2013

Marco Buonocore said:
I'm shooting Delta 3200 in my Olympus Pen F, and developing in Dektol. The combination seems quite grainy. What can I do to solve this problem? I've heard that adding whole wheat flour to the Dektol might help, but haven't done the tests yet. Any ideas welcome.

It is stronger than me - I must joke a little:

To minimise the grain use Adox CMS 20 developed in Adotech - and use Rolleiflex with planar lens, not Pen F

jim appleyard · Jul 8, 2013

Whole wheat flour? Are you trying to make gravy?

markbarendt · Jul 8, 2013

Me thinks a leg is being pulled.

Truzi · Jul 8, 2013

Wouldn't wheat flour add "grain?" Sorry, that just jumped out at me.

polyglot · Jul 8, 2013

I find a presoak with constant agitation in granular silicon carbide does wonders for smoothing out this combination.

Or failing that, the smoothest results involve use of a ferricyanide or EDTA-based developers. Not a grain in sight!

Mike Crawford · Jul 9, 2013

markbarendt said:
Me thinks a leg is being pulled.

Ah! Did overlook the bit about the whole grain flour.
Next thing they'll be saying you can process film in coffee!

markbarendt · Jul 9, 2013

Mike Crawford said:
Ah! Did overlook the bit about the whole grain flour.
Next thing they'll be saying you can process film in coffee!

Or vitamin C

markbarendt · Jul 9, 2013

Another thing I've experimented with (accidentally) is processing normal B&W film in a normal C41 process. Absolutely grainless.

(My autocorrect actually suggested brainless instead of grainless. )

Terry Christian · Jul 9, 2013

Use cake flour instead. It gives a much lighter grain.

Chris Lange · Jul 12, 2013

Personally, I like adding ice cream sprinkles.

TheToadMen · Jul 26, 2013

Chris Lange said:
Here are my results, I dare anyone to do better...

View attachment 71244

I've seen that before, but where ???
I think it was with cine film somewhere back in the 80's ...

TheToadMen · Jul 26, 2013

markbarendt said:
Me thinks a leg is being pulled.

No, no, this is push processing

Athiril · Jul 26, 2013

Shoot Delta 3200 @ 1600 and develop it in Perceptol.

Delta 3200 and Dektol: minimising grain?

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