What do I do w/ Ilford Delta 100?

gone · May 14, 2021

In my life I've shot exactly one roll of this, but after printing one of those negs yesterday, I'm wondering why I didn't keep shooting it? It looks like a very sharp film. Any ideas on what ISO to shoot it at, or what it likes for a developer? I have several, but would like to use the D76 before it goes off, unless that's a poor choice. This 1 roll cost $11+ to buy and have delivered, which is pretty scary. I must say though, the box is very attractive!

Lachlan Young · May 14, 2021

It is very difficult to improve on ID-11/ D-76 with Delta 100 - the speed/ granularity/ tonality/ colour sensitivity/ sharpness balance is extremely good - it is one of the (if not the) sharpest films on the market currently. Start at EI 100 and see how the shadows fare.

Auer · May 14, 2021

Echoing everyone else so far, shoot at stock, dev in D76 1:1

Reach Out by Eric Auer, on Flickr

Helge · May 14, 2021

I’d love for them to get rid of that stupid, pointless Harman strip at the bottom.
Ilfords packaging was perfection before that.

I don’t care about Harman or what they are (I know exactly what they are).
The brand I care about is Ilford.
Why do they feel the need to push two brands?
Are they planning on doing something with the Harman brand?
Seems schizophrenic.

And oh yeah. Delta is great in XTOL 1:1, Rodinal 50 and D76.
I really have a hard time telling them apart.
Just amazing film. Quite different from its competitor TMX too.

removedacct1 · May 14, 2021

The Delta films in D-76 1:1 are a great combination. I use both D100 and D400, and expose them at 64ASA and 250 ASA, respectively.

jimjm · May 14, 2021

I've been shooting Delta 100 in 8x10 this year and have been very happy with the results in HC-110 Dil:B.
I usually make 2 exposures per scene, in case of dust on one of the negatives - one @100 and one @50. So far both ratings have given me perfectly printable negatives in the darkroom, although I usually prefer a denser negative myself.
This is a contact print from a negative that has more than enough range in both the shadows and highlights, so that I can emphasize either one as I need to without any loss of detail.

MatthewDunn · May 14, 2021

It's not necessarily the cheapest solution (although I don't think it is as expensive in practice), but, as someone above mentioned, anything Delta just shines in DDX.

Helge · May 14, 2021

Old Gregg said:
Not really. The way they teach branding in a marketing class goes like:

- ILFORD is an established premium brand.
- You want to launch a new budget brand: Kentmere.
- You need to boost it somehow
- Can't print "By ILFORD" on the packaging. This will cheapen the premium brand
- Use an umbrella brand linking the two together

That would be an exceptionally naïve approach to umbrella branding.
Harman has practically no clout with consumers, and it is exceptionally easy to dilute your good, main brand with association with second and third rung products.
Umbrella branding can work under certain very specific and controlled circumstances.
But it can also backfire horribly.

jimjm · May 14, 2021

Old Gregg said:
@jimjm I never tried large format, and keep forgetting to ask: why do you guys ever bother with slow films? I mean their primary advantage is small grain, but do you really care about grain at 8x10? Thanks!

Actually, the grain is never a concern for me as I only contact-print the 8x10 negatives, and for 4x5 I never print larger than 11x14. Since I have to use a tripod anyway, film speed isn't much of a factor.
I mostly go by the results I get for the type of printing I do. I also use TMAX100 and 400 films, and have been very happy with them. I also shoot J Lane dry plates in 5x7 and 8x10, and those are available in ISO 2 or ISO 25 "Speed" plates. Trying to meter a scene at ISO 2 can certainly be a challenge.
Since 8x10 film is not cheap, I first tried this Delta 100 only because it was on sale at Freestyle. I really like the results, so I'll definitely keep using it.

gone · May 14, 2021

Great. Thanks! This will be easy then. Now to figure out how to get up at 4 AM. Summer comes quickly here in Tucson, and already by 8 or 9 AM the good light is long gone.

Just watched a video on youtube, and the guy shot this at 50. I might try that.

I can only imagine the detail you must be getting from this film at 8x10 jim. Your photo above has some very smooth tones.

Helge · May 14, 2021

Old Gregg said:
Works perfectly in this case. I am inclined to believe that people at Harman are more qualified to run branding for photographic products than Helge or Old-Gregg on Photrio

They are mostly still coasting on fumes.
Very little budget is put into branding compared to the eighties.
Kodak graphics design could seriously do with an overhaul.

MattKing · May 14, 2021

Harman Technology Ltd. is the entity that has the license to use the Ilford name for some products.
The Ilford entity is a bankrupt. The bankrupt estate owns other rights, besides the ones that Harman can use.
I guess it might be possible to re-open the bankruptcy and buy more from it, in order to totally become Ilford again.
But why bother, when you have managed to attract cachet from Ilford, Kentmere and Paterson to the Harman name.
(Harman distributes Paterson products in parts of the world).

Helge · May 14, 2021

MattKing said:
Harman Technology Ltd. is the entity that has the license to use the Ilford name for some products.
The Ilford entity is a bankrupt. The bankrupt estate owns other rights, besides the ones that Harman can use.
I guess it might be possible to re-open the bankruptcy and buy more from it, in order to totally become Ilford again.
But why bother, when you have managed to attract cachet from Ilford, Kentmere and Paterson to the Harman name.
(Harman distributes Paterson products in parts of the world).

I know all that.
That doesn’t explain the audacity and gall to think you have the competence or right to haphazardly second guess and alter first class graphic design from the heyday of that disciplines capability.

Ilford is a name. Harman not. It’s usually the other way around that umbrella brands are smaller, often newly invented brands under the main one.

Ilford is some intellectual property, but it’s is also to a very large degree the people and the locations with all the tacit knowledge in that.
That is to a large degree the same as before the bankruptcy.

Helge · May 14, 2021

Old Gregg said:
Wrong again. Stop embarrassing yourself trying to pretend to be a branding expert.

I am a branding expert.

Kodachromeguy · May 14, 2021

Here is an example of Ilford Delta 100. I like it but have not used much recently (for no particular reasons). As I recall, I exposed at EI=80. This is from a Rolleiflex 3.5E Xenotar with a green filter, tripod-mounted. Location: Topton, North Carolina, USA.

Agulliver · May 15, 2021

Not my favourite film as I find it "too perfect", if that makes sense. But when I have used it, ID-11 and box speed as others say.

Regarding Harman branding....as I understand it, Harman leases the Ilford name. Perhaps they are hedging their bets *just in case* there comes a time in the future when they're no longer permitted to use it? If people are gradually introduced to the Harman name it will become more familiar with consumers.

I don't understand the anger at the Harman sub-branding. Reminds me a bit of Radio Shack in their prime. IN the end though, it takes nothing away from the Ilford or even Kentmere names.

pentaxuser · May 15, 2021

Kodachromeguy said:
Here is an example of Ilford Delta 100. I like it but have not used much recently (for no particular reasons). As I recall, I exposed at EI=80. This is from a Rolleiflex 3.5E Xenotar with a green filter, tripod-mounted. Location: Topton, North Carolina, USA.

View attachment 274533

If I may say so, good use of the green filter for the trees which may have been too dark and otherwise spoiled the balance. It is the sort of scene that the need for a green might have escaped my attention. A useful reminder for me, thanks

pentaxuser

Andrew O'Neill · May 15, 2021

When I used it regularly, EI 64. Xtol 1+1or D-76 1+1.

relistan · May 15, 2021

XTOL stock

destroya · May 15, 2021

I use pyro-M for my delta 100. gets me great results for both scanning and wet printing. for 4x5 and 120 I shoot at 100 and develop using steve sherman's extreme min agitation method. gives me great highlights, sharp tight grain and a balanced contrast, not to much, not to thin, just right

john

relistan · May 15, 2021

Helge said:
I am a branding expert.

Well, you can probably understand this is more than branding, then. Harman can make the films and sell them without the Ilford name. They have a limited license on the name. I believe this use of the Harman name is hedging against a future situation where they can no longer use the Ilford name, or no longer afford to license it. Given what happened to Ilford the company, however, I would guess that this is no longer a concern. They have, however, built up a brand recognition of their own by doing so, and that means they are in a better position to negotiate their license in the future when it's up for renewal.

Kodachromeguy · May 15, 2021

pentaxuser said:
If I may say so, good use of the green filter for the trees which may have been too dark and otherwise spoiled the balance. It is the sort of scene that the need for a green might have escaped my attention. A useful reminder for me, thanks

pentaxuser

Thank you. I use green or yellow-green filters often. Here in the US South, the forest (jungle) pretty much dominates the landscape, and I try to get some texture in the foliage.

M Carter · May 15, 2021

Just a note on the cost of (the fabulous) DD-X - mix it 1+9 and extend your development times. Unlike, say, Rodinal, I find no tonality differences with dilution and DD-X. I develop at 24° vs. 20° at that dilution, it does speed things up but keeps me around 8 minute times vs. 14.

I do 4x5, two sheets at a time, in a rotary processor with DD-X 1+9, in fact I have Delta 100 4x5 negs drying right now. With rotary, I use 12ml of DD-X and 120ml of water. I really get a lot of use from one bottle - yep, 12ml for 2 sheets.

When DD-X passes 6 mos. or so on the shelf, it will discolor with a bit of tint - mine in use today was a bit yellowed, but I didn't have to extend my times or anything. The shelf life is longer than Ilford claims, but do a test if the stuff seems to be aging. Absolutely fab developer in my book.

MattKing · May 15, 2021

relistan said:
Well, you can probably understand this is more than branding, then. Harman can make the films and sell them without the Ilford name. They have a limited license on the name. I believe this use of the Harman name is hedging against a future situation where they can no longer use the Ilford name, or no longer afford to license it. Given what happened to Ilford the company, however, I would guess that this is no longer a concern. They have, however, built up a brand recognition of their own by doing so, and that means they are in a better position to negotiate their license in the future when it's up for renewal.

Not to mention the fact that they do sell products with the Harman name - the direct positive paper and the line of inkjet papers.

mark · May 15, 2021

Delta 100 in pyro-cat HD is amazing. Delta in anything fine grained really. Been shooting it since the middle 90s. I regularly printed 35mm at 11x14 and unless you print sniffed the sharpness was amazing and the grain was damn near nonexistent.

What do I do w/ Ilford Delta 100?

gone

Lachlan Young

Auer

Helge

removedacct1

jimjm

MatthewDunn

Helge

jimjm

gone

Helge

MattKing

Moderator

Helge

Helge

Kodachromeguy

Agulliver

pentaxuser

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

relistan

destroya

relistan

Kodachromeguy

M Carter

MattKing

Moderator

mark

What do I do w/ Ilford Delta 100?

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency