Ilford Delta 3200 Question

[RattyMouse]

I shot my first roll of Delta 3200 today. I'm wondering if I exposed it the best way possible. Using my meter, I saw that if I set the ISO value to 1250, I was getting decent shutter speeds so that was the setting I used on the camera. I shot the whole roll at ISO 1250. I am going to send it off to the lab with instructions on how I exposed it, requesting T-Max developer.

Is this reasonable or could I have done better?

Thanks,

 

[Rudeofus]

What you did should work fine. You will have to use a higher gradation when enlarging the negs (or boost contrast if you go the hybrid route), but pics will be fine.

 

[markbarendt]

Your thought process in choosing 1250 was as good as it gets.

Delta 3200 is an ISO 1000 film so you actually shot at almost box speed but that doesn't matter that much, you can get reasonable results shot anywhere from 400-12500.

The closest times Ilford publishes are for 800 & 1600. 1600 is the closest so I'd instruct the lab to "develop for EI 1600".

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/201071394723115.pdf

 

[pentaxuser]

In TMax dev, 1250 is probably very close to its true speed so what Mark above has said

pentaxuser

 

[Shootar401]

if I don't need speed or I'm using a fast lens I almost always shoot it at 2000. and develop for 3200. I really like those results. I've never shot 3200 speed film with 35mm, but in 120 on a 6x7, it looks amazing!

 

[RattyMouse]

Should I tell the lab to process at 1250 or 1600? It sounds like 1250 is impossible if I understand right. I want to send the best instructions to the lab that are not confusing.

 

[markbarendt]

Should I tell the lab to process at 1250 or 1600? It sounds like 1250 is impossible if I understand right. I want to send the best instructions to the lab that are not confusing.

Developing at 1250 is not impossible.

The reason I suggested 1600 is that it is a number that Ilford provides info/directions for; 1250 doesn't.

There will be very little difference between developing for 1250 and 1600 anyway.

 

[RattyMouse]

Developing at 1250 is not impossible.

The reason I suggested 1600 is that it is a number that Ilford provides info/directions for; 1250 doesn't.

There will be very little difference between developing for 1250 and 1600 anyway.

OK thank you. I am keen to see these results from my first ever roll of such a high speed film.

 

[ntenny]

I've never shot 3200 speed film with 35mm, but in 120 on a 6x7, it looks amazing!

I've shot some D3200 at 3200 in 35mm (developed in HC-110, I think), and it looks pretty good. Lots of grain, of course, but that's to be expected. In MF I expect the grain would be quite unobtrusive. I've sort of converged on pushed Tri-X for that niche, but I wonder if I shouldn't go back and give D3200 another chance, maybe in a different developer.

-NT

 

[K-G]

Ilford Delta 3200 is an excelent film if handled in the right way. When it comes to developing, I have found for myself , and I have seen many others agree , that you get the best results if you develop for an ISO-number that is aproximately one f-stop higher than you exposed for. For example, if you expose for 1600 ISO you can try to develop for 3200 ISO. This method has given me good results. Good luck and Happy New Year !

Karl-Gustaf

 

[StoneNYC]

As an example above, everyone will have a different method and preference. Start with saying "develop for 1250" and follow that with "if you aren't able to because you don't have those numbers on your data sheet, develop for 1600"

You can also call the lab and ask them what Exposure Index numbers they have for 3200 speed films ya know...

But with stuff like this, it's best to start out with developing at the shot speed so you have a baseline of exposure and contrast. If the negative is too dark, you know you need to adjust exposure, if its too contrasty and you have blocked up shadows or everything looks flat, you need to adjust the developing times. It's all simple to figure out but you should start at baseline and adjust from there or you will find it harder to figure out what works best.


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GarageBoy]

Are you sure they're gonna use TMAX developer?

 

[Idonex]

I shot a few rolls of Delta 3200 over Christmas and i think i agree about developing it for 1 stop above what you shot it at. I shot all my rolls at 3200 and developed it at 3200 in HC-110 (B) and the negatives are not dense enough for what i think they should be. All rolls were shot in my F80 which has a pretty good meter yet most shots on the negative look way underexposed. I will definitely develop for the 6400 times next time i use it. I used Kodak's agitation recommendations for one roll (5 seconds every 30 seconds) and Ilford's D3200 agitation recommendations for another (10 seconds every minute), both for the same overall time.

Only other thing i'm trying to experiment with is controlling the grain. I accept it's a grainy film which is fine, but when i look at the negatives on the enlarger the grain looks like non uniform clumps of mud or popcorn, just doesn't look right..Not sure what's going wrong...I think i might try using DD-X to develop it in next.

 

[pentaxuser]

..I think i might try using DD-X to develop it in next.

I don't think Ilford recommend DDX for D3200 just to sell a few more containers of it. It really does a very good job with D3200

pentaxuser

 

[moviemaniac]

Just printed lots of photos for the family album (13x18cm) from Delta 3200@1600 souped in HC-110 - looking great. I've also shot it at box speed in the past, no problem. From my experience with this film, don't develop it at 1250, develop it for the times given for 1600, a bit of a push is never wrong for this film. For example if I shoot and develop it as 1600 I find myself needing to print on grade 4 (which is pretty high) for most scenes (depending on how contrasty the light was when I shot it, usually not that much when used in dark indoor situations), push-developing gives more separation in the negative and allows me to print at grades 2,5-3 which looks better, also grain-wise. However if you scan the film or have it scanned and don't print yourself in the darkroom it won't matter much anyway.

 

[Harry Lime]

I don't think Ilford recommend DDX for D3200 just to sell a few more containers of it. It really does a very good job with D3200

pentaxuser

I second that. DD-X is a really good match for D3200. I shoot it between 1250 and 1600. Rarely at 3200asa.

I have also developed a good amount of D3200 in Diafine, also rated at 1250-1600. Very nice highlights due to the 2-bath action.