Ilford Delta in Perceptol

[DREW WILEY]

pentaxuser - I already hinted how Delta 100 shot at 50 is the poor man's TMax100. But for a high speed product for 120 usage, if it were me and unable to afford TMY400 roll film, I'd just just jump to Delta 3200 and rate it at 800. It's official speed is around 1000 as given in the "fine print" on the spec sheet; but for sake of pyro development, I shoot it at 800 instead.

 

[pentaxuser]

pentaxuser - I already hinted how Delta 100 shot at 50 is the poor man's TMax100. But for a high speed product for 120 usage, if it were me and unable to afford TMY400 roll film, I'd just just jump to Delta 3200 and rate it at 800. It's official speed is around 1000 as given in the "fine print" on the spec sheet; but for sake of pyro development, I shoot it at 800 instead.

Interesting So does that mean that D3200 at 800 in pyro is really a better bet than D400. I take it that while no mention is made of D400 in your above quote, it is D400 to which you are referring? I think that is what you are saying. I have to say that my experience with both D3200 and D400 is that the latter produces a much better negative especially in terms of grain than D3200 which has always seemed a fallback film when the conditions demand that you need to use D3200

pentaxuser

 

[DREW WILEY]

It's not a matter of "better". I'm just stating my own mode of thought and preference. My hunch is that Delta 400 was designed to fill a journalistic niche with a relatively forgiving low-light film having a pronounced S-curve. This accounts for why D400 tends to render a bland look under certain circumstances - it captures a wide range, but only the central portion of the curve has decent textural separation. Those who gravitate to its use no doubt do so because they are working with kinds of subject matter and lighting favorable to this particular film. I just don't like its look in print fashion.

But I do love what D3200 can often do, plus you get at least a full stop or speed EV boost above Delta 400 by rating it at 800. Rated much higher than that, however, then you're liable to coast way down on the toe, and potentially end up with the same shadow blandness as you got with Delta 400. One needs to keep in mind that "3200" is a marketing speed, not the official speed. You can shoot it at higher speeds than 800 or 1000 - you'll bag "something"; but what will be the quality of those nether regions of the tonal scale, comparatively?

 

[pentaxuser]

OK Drew I seem to be constantly misinterpreting what you actually are saying in your replies Best I stop asking questions I feel

pentaxuser