Absolute beginner and Ilford Delta 3200

<p>The b/w film I usually shoot is Ilford Delta 3200, and I always have it developed by a lab (here in Japan).<br>

But I now want to develop the film myself.<br>

I have read a couple of tutorials on the net and it does not sound too complicated BUT I am wondering if Delta 3200 is too demanding to be developed by a beginner? I have lots of respect for a film that can be shot at 3200 and higher : ) , so I was just wondering if I can have some comments by anyone who has developed Ilford Delta 3200 at home already, would be great to read you opinions.<br>

Is it doable? Are there any special points to be aware of? Is timing and temperature super-critical when developing very high ISO b/w film as compared to the 100 - 400 range? Should I forget about this film and start with some ISO 400 b/w film first?</p>

<p>While I haven't shot the particular film you're interested in, I do shoot B&W film, and develop and print it myself. To a certain extent, film is film. If you follow the directions on the box you should get good negs, assuming everything is OK w/ your metering and development. However, I would suggest starting out w/ films like Tri-X or HP5 because they are so forgiving of mistakes, and if you're just starting out you're going to make mistakes. I make them, and I've been doing this a while. You can get a lot of great info on how to develop your film on the forums here that are associated with that. Basically you want to keep your chemical's temperatures as close to the recommended temps as possible, don't over agitate, make sure your chemicals are mixed correctly (you don't want to use D76 developer the day you mix it, it needs to sit at least 24 hours), etc. It can seem overwhelming at first, but practice, practice, practice. Keep detailed notes so that you can know exactly what isn't working, and what is. Lots of nice, knowledgeable people here will be glad to help if you hit a snag. You will learn a lot about how to get the sort of images that you like by doing it yourself.</p>

<p>Ilford 3200 isn't any trickier than other films. Just use good technique and constant temperature. There have been many threads on the film here and on APUG. General consensus is that the film is really a 1000 speed film, which can give good results at a number of speeds. </p>

<p>Personally, I usually shoot it at 1600 and develop for the time specified for 3200. If I shoot it at 3200, I develop for the time specified for 6400. </p>

<p>When I travel, I carry Tri-X and Ilford 3200. The two films work for just about any lighting situation I encounter. </p>

<p>I've used D3200 quite a bit and I agree with Allen's point that it is actually overated at 3200. I tend to shoot it at 800 and have it developed as 3200. If you follow the usual instructions, you may end up with thin, underexposed negatives. And as a beginner, that may put you off. It's a good film, but downrate it at least one, and ideally two stops.</p>

<p>Cheers</p>

<p>Alan</p>

I've also shot a lot with Delta 3200 in both 35mm and 120. It's an ISO 1000 film, but it responds very well to push processing. It's actually rather flat at 800 - 1000. The tonality is probably best at EI 1600, but it preserves shadow and highlight detail well even at 3200. At EI, 6400, it's very contrasty and grainy, but still gives a good "look."

 

It does work better with more development than the standard recommendations. I usually developed it for a time that was a bit less than the recommendation for an EI one stop higher than I actually used (i.e., if I shot at EI 3200, I would used times that were a bit less than the recommendation for 6400.

 

It's not a tricky film to develop. The highlights are very resistant to blocking up (unlike TMax 3200), so it doesn't hurt to err a bit on the side of overdevelopment.<div></div>

<p>I concur. Its really a 1600 film that can be pushed to 3200. As Tri X 400 can be pushed two stops to 1600, one has a choice of final results. Pushing 3200 two stops is not recommended.</p>

<p>Yep, no real problem developing Delta 3200 yourself, any more than pretty much any other film. As for 800 versus 3200 versus whatever: Delta 3200 is designed to produce normal contrast when shot at and developed for EI 3200 or so. However, the ISO speed test has more to do with foot speed, that is, what happens to the shadows at a specified development. By the ISO standard test, Delta 3200 is probably about 1000 in ID-11, D-76, HC-110, and other standard developers; it's probably about ISO 1250 in DD-X; and in Rodinal or the like it may be around ISO 500 or ISO 640. Regardless, if you expose Delta 3200 at EI 800 and reduce development, you will get quite low contrast, and probably <em>slightly</em> reduced grain. Personally I liked Delta 3200 best at around EI 2000, and developed in DD-X for somewhat longer than Ilford recommends.</p>

 

<p>When you guys say you shoot it at 1600, does that mean you set the ISO to 1600 on the camera? Sorry, I'm really new to film.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"When you guys say you shoot it at 1600, does that mean you set the ISO to 1600 on the camera? Sorry, I'm really new to film."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, set the camera meter, or handheld meter, to 1600.</p>

<p>Unlike most other Ilford films, the "3200" designation for Delta 3200 is not the ISO speed rating. ISO speed ratings are determined by using a standard developer and testing methods to determine the lowest measurable density on the negative, over film base plus fog. Developers can influence true speed slightly, so the true speed of Delta 3200 may range from 1000-1200 or so, depending on the developer.</p>

<p>I find Delta 3200 works very well at 1600-3200 in Diafine, with somewhat low contrast so it's well suited to contrasty lighting. I found it useful for shooting outdoor theater rehearsals in daylight under a heavy tree cover with dappled patches of sunlight and shade. However that same combination of film and developer produced rather murky results under overcast skies. Speed enhancing developers like Microphen will produce more normal looking tonality with Delta 3200.</p>

<p>The main trick with Delta 3200 is using fresh film - it probably should be used within a year of manufacturing. And any underexposed film should be developed promptly, as the latent image is less stable with underexposure. Delta 3200 exposed at EI 800-1600 will probably have a reasonably stable latent image. Exposed at EI 3200 or higher, it should be developed promptly after exposure.</p>