Fuji Frontier or Kodak Machines Processing Delta 3200

Will they do it. Has anyone had any experience with it. I know I

will have to have them devlop it +1 for the grain I want. But are

the machine set up for this?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, the Fuji Frontiers are <I>printers</I>. They do not process film at all; another, separate machine does that.<P>

 

There are machines that process traditional B&W films like Delta 3200--just don't expect to find them at the local mini-lab.<P>

 

But I would not expect good results with typical machine processing of Delta 3200. Also, there really is no such thing as "+1" for this. Ilford says the ISO speed in ID-11 is 1000, so maybe you mean at the time for EI 2000? Or maybe you mean relative to the nominal EI of 3200, i.e., 6400? Basically, you're better off processing it yourself, unless you use a lab that hand-processes it (and charges you a fortune).<P>

 

Now if you get your Delta 3200 developed (by whatever means), yes, it can be printed on a minilab like a Frontier. I've had this done for quick-and-dirty proofs with HP5+. Just don't expect the best results.

NO!

 

They only process C-41 films. If by mistake they do process it, they will ruin your film, and the film of other customers. Don't even try.

 

Especially Delta 3200, you either want to process it yourself, or have a real custom lab process it. (But after a few rolls, you'll pay as much as it would cost to buy B&W processing gear on eBay. Tank/reel, graduate, changing bag.)

What if I have them developed by a friend in his studio and then printed on the Frontier would that be a problem. Since the negs would already be made they would never go through the C-41 Developer and their for would hurt the stuff or the machine. What do you think?

As long as the Frontier operator isn't named Special Ed, it will print fine.

Next time Jonathon shoot 1600 speed print film and have greyscale prints made off it.

 

Good luck getting decent prints from Delta 3200 and better luck getting it developed.

Delta 3200 is a film whose development and printing is frequently screwed up. If you want to play with fast films, learn to print and develop yourself.

I don't know how good the Frontier scanner is at scanning B&W negative and then printing as greyscale. It's really designed to scan color negative, with a secondary emphasis on color transparency. Yeah, the hardware could do it, but I don't know if there's a workflow through the software.

 

The primary design goal of the Frontier scanner is to scan C-41 well enough for a 4x6 print, very quickly. It does that well. All other considerations were secondary...

 

Certainly, I have seen that a Frontier can print from a B&W TIFF file, on Crystal Archive, and get a quite consistent grey scale. Very minimal coloration. So I'm perfectly willing to do B&W prints from (my) scans on one. I can't print a 4x6 inkjet print for 49 cents at home!

I just had a couple of rolls Delta 3200 developed and printed by a pro B/W Lab and the

results were excellent. And now I have a question as far cost is concerned. Developing one

roll including "handmade" layout prints with 2 versions on difficult shots (about 40 to 45

prints in all, per roll) cost me $20. Is this a decent price? Is it worth it for me to

start developing them myself, scan the negs I want and try and get good B/W prints from

my Epson 2200? I'll probably shoot about a 50 rolls this year, that's $1000 for my B/W

shots, not including enlargements. Sounds like a lot to me. But chemicals, developing

equipment, printing paper, toner, and a huge amount of time costs a lot as well. What

would the effective cost difference be? thanks for any advice.

I can develop and print myself the problem is I don't have the facilities, and my friend is kind a shy and protective of his dark room. But maybe if I pay him well I can develope a roll or to there. I just bought 8 rools of Delta 3200 for the purpose of using grain to make images stronger. See in my town all the pro-labs (we had 2,1 B&W, 1 Both) they both shut down like last year before I felt comfortable experamenting with film. We are a pretty big town couple hudred thousend people but not even a camera shop. I just am ansey to use the film, but if need be I can wait til I move to Portland in about a month. The have great labs that I have used when I lived their my freshmen year in college, good prints. Blue Moon is a great one.

The trouble we have found at our lab is that many people buy Delta 3200 and shoot it, expecting thier prints to be like Delta 100, only with faster speed. When we take in a roll of Delta 3200 we like to have a conversation that goes something like this:

 

What did you rate (shoot) the film at? 800, 1000, 1600, 3200 6400?

 

What are you looking for in the film? shadow detail, highlights, midtones, grain?

 

May we suggest {XTOL, DD-X, Microphen, Perceptol) ?

 

May we suggest (1:1, 1:2, 1:4) dilltion to get what you want?

 

If your lab handles Delta 3200 correctly, than yes $20 is fair. But, even though I own a lab, maybe you should get the gear and do it yourself. You will learn ALOT and finally have exact control over what you get. I can process my own stuff in our lab every day...but I still occasionally soup film at home with my son because I LOVE IT. If you don't want to do it yourself, then you really need to find a good lab to get good Delta 3200 processing.

 

-Dave

Well I thought I posted a longer post but it didn't show up. Anyways what you all saying is true and I believe it. What i need to know now is if I develope my film in a personal darkroom. Can I take the already developed negs. to a commercial lab and print them, possibly on a frontier.

I had a roll of C41 B/W T400CN printed on a Frontier and they came up very well... the contrast was good and the picture was absolutely neutral- no colour cast (which cannot be said for a series of B/W prints I had done on a digital Agfa printer.) I don't know how much of an influence the operator had on my prints in both circumstances but I know it can be done and until I see another Agfa print I am biased towards the Fujis.

No its not C-41 film. It's Delta 3200. And IF I developed it in a personal lab and took it took a commercial for the prints would that work. Thats all I am asking now. I realize the above question was a stupid one all I had to do was think about it. ANd I think thats what I have done here. I think it will be ok I just need some insurence.

A black and white negative is a black and white negative. Any lab that prints black and white should be able to do it.

Thanks a million. I thought so.

I have had excellent result with Fuji Frontier prints from Ilford XP2 Super pushed three stops and rated at 1600. Try it out!