Pushing Delta 400 and developing in 510 Pyro

[Ian Leake]

I have had pleasing results pushing Ilford HP5+ to EI 1600 using 510 pyro with semi-stand agitation (45 minutes at 23ºC).

Has anyone done anything similar with Delta 400? If so, what development did you use? Ideally with 510 Pyro, but I expect any pyro developer to be a useful starting point for testing.

Thanks in advance,

Ian

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I'm no expert because I've used D400 occasionally, only. But I've read and heard for many years D400 was not designed for pushing. Of course it can be pushed, but its reason to exist, is, apart from its different tone, grain and spectral sensitivity compared to HP5+, offering an outstanding ISO400 tool when it's treated the most precise way, from EI200 to EI400.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

If I remember well, when I used Pyro, I couldn't get high speed with it, but I don't know which film it was...
Possibly it was D400, because you say HP5+ pushes well in it.
I think the best uses for D400 are @400 in DD-X and @ 200 in Perceptol.
For EI1600, HP5+ and D3200 are better options.
Or TMY and TMZ in TMaxDev for sharp grain and acutance.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

D400 can be pushed, just as well as HP5 (as my tests indicated with Xtol-R). I have been experimenting with 510-Pyro and HP5. I am planning a push test with that film, as well as D400. I'll hopefully have the video completed in a little over a week.

 

[Moose22]

I haven't done it in pyro. I've pushed Delta400 to 800 in xtol a few times and it works great. Retains that pleasing Delta grain nicely. I haven't gone to 1600 though.

I'll be interested when you're done Andrew. HP5 pushed is better, to my eye. I regularly use it at 800 or 1600. Love to hear your opinion in pyro.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

D400 can be pushed, just as well as HP5 (as my tests indicated with Xtol-R). I have been experimenting with 510-Pyro and HP5. I am planning a push test with that film, as well as D400. I'll hopefully have the video completed in a little over a week.

It would be great to see wet prints' scans from pushed D400, no matter the developer.
Even in Xtol it would be good information.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It would be great to see wet prints' scans from pushed D400, no matter the developer.
Even in Xtol it would be good information.

To make a wet print with D400, I would have to convert it to a digital negative, and print it in the alt processes I like to use...or I could just contact print D400 negative directly but it's a bit on the small side...

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

That's fine: contacts are enough!
Have a good night, Andrew!

 

[250swb]

510 Pyro has become my standard developer for all B&W films (with the exception of CMS20) and you don't lose any film speed, but in the context of the OP's question for increasing the box speed of Delta 400 I'd use Ilford DD-X. I think there are many people who can make 510 Pyro work some of the time in high dilutions and for pushing films, but I think ultimately it becomes unreliable pushed to the limit. Stick with the box speed, 1+100 dilution, 20c, and it will work like a dream, just don't use a stop bath, only rinse before fixing.

 

[250swb]

Do you recommend standard agitation or semi-stand?

If looking at my notes I feel the need to add a bit more development time to bring shadows up I'll opt for semi stand, 30 seconds then agitation only on alternate minutes, otherwise standard agitation of 30 seconds then ten seconds on the minute. I've been using it for many years, long before you could buy it off the shelf, and it has always been a very benign developer and easy to use if you keep it simple. As I said before the only time I've had problems is with high dilutions and trying full stand development, not that it can't work like that, but life is too short and there are too many film combinations to constantly experiment with. It doesn't achieve even better results over 'keeping it simple' by using high dilutions and more extreme stand techniques anyway.

 

[Ian Leake]

I developed two rolls of 120 Delta 400 exposed at EI1600. Like the HP5+ I used 510 Pyro 1+100 at 23ºC for 45 minutes; semi stand with one inversion every 5 minutes. One roll looks very printable, although I think I over-exposed the other so perhaps harder to print. Let's see.

I hope to do some printing at the weekend. If possible I'll upload some print scans to show the grain structure HP5+ versus Delta 400.

One other thought: all these experiments (HP5+ and Delta 400) were with a model under studio lights, so a low contrast subject. Therefore the development also gives some N+ expansion. If you're using these experiments as a base for higher contrast subjects, then less time may be appropriate.

 

[Ian Leake]

I've made some prints - same model, same lighting and same enlargement. Both HP5+ and Delta 400 have pronounced grain, but the HP5+ grain is much nicer. The Delta 400 grain is stronger and more intrusive, especially in the skin tones. (Obviously this is a subjective assessment, and your opinion may differ.) My next test will be to make some bigger HP5+ prints to see when its grain becomes unbearable.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I've made some prints... Both HP5+ and Delta 400 have pronounced grain, but the HP5+ grain is much nicer. The Delta 400 grain is stronger and more intrusive...

This echoes the usual comments about D400 being sometimes close to the look of Tri-X.
Yes, a more modern look, different spectral sensitivity, and different tone, but it seems it offers the possibility of present grain as Tri-X does.
I guess it can give lots of different looks at several EIs, from solvent/staining/tanning developers, to acutance ones, not to mention speed enhancing ones with or without pushing.

 

[faberryman]

I guess it can give lots of different looks at several EIs, from solvent/staining/tanning developers, to acutance ones, not to mention speed enhancing ones with or without pushing.

No surprise there.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

The surprise I implied, I guess you understood, was it seems it gets very little use.