Questions about Ilford Delta 100

[Allan Reade]

I was able to find Acros 100 here a few weeks ago, but have now got some Delta 100 as Acros 100 was unavailable. Can anyone tell me how the 2 films compare? I was told that Delta 100 is very fine-grained but less forgiving.

I see from the film box that it can be rated at 50, 100 or 200ASA. Is there any gain (i.e. finer grain) by exposing at 50ASA? I am developing in ID11 1:1.

Any information gratefully received.

I would like to have continued with Acros as it has such a good reputation and was cheap here in NZ, but maybe the earlier stories about it now being unavailable are true.

Allan

 

[Freakscene]

The Delta films are epitaxial emulsions with some incorporated developing accelerants. Acros is a monosize cubic emulsion with a lot of incorporated development accelerants.

Delta 100 is slightly more forgiving but slightly less fine grained than Acros in my experience. Neither Ilford or Fuji publish RMS figures for these films and there are differences in the way different companies calculate this index of graininess that make them less than easily compared anyway, so that is based on observation. The main thing that you will achieve if you expose and correctly develop it at EI 50 will be lower contrast, but you will also get some amount of improvement in grain. ID11 is a good developer choice. Xtol also works very well. Delta films respond well to dilute developers - Ilford gives times for ID11 1+3 that work very well.

Let us know how you go.

Marty

 

[Allan Reade]

Thanks Marty, I have just been reading that Ilford recommend ID11 at 1:3 for maximum sharpness, will give it a try.
Thank you for your prompt response.
Allan

 

[Steve_F]

I've been using Delta 100 for some years and dev it in Ilford Perceptol @ 1:1. The results are superb. Sharp and minimal grain (you have to look (too) close). My best results were with it at 100. ISO 50 just didn't work for me.
I've used Acros and it is smooth and fine but I can't get the 'feel' that I want with it. Not a criticism just an observation.

Steve.

 

[Turtle]

D100 has marginally more grain but more natural acutance/bite. I find it more forgiving and more pleasant to look at on print.

D100 develops beautifully in many developers, like D76/ID11/Xtol. I would recommend diluting the devs to 1+1 or 1+2 to get more actuance as I find that in fine grain developers the results with all these modernb films is a bit too smoooooth and toothless.

Bit more base plus fog on the delta too, so you might find your negs print with more contrast than your eyes tell you. Acros has ridiculousely low B+F.

I do not know about acros going away, but it never hurts to have a back up in case it does. For this reason I have backups for everything I shoot so I can switch seamlessly:

400 - TriX and Neopan 400 (and familar with D400 and HP5 just to be sure)
100 - D100, FP4+, foma 100.
Fast - Neopan 1600, Delta 3200, pushed TrIX

 

[Allan Reade]

Thanks for the information.

ID11 at 1:3 sounds like a good starting point, I can use it for TriX too. Acros may become available again, but with the limited photography I seem to find time for it's better to stick to just a couple of films and one developer, and work on getting predictable results.

Happy shooting.

Allan

 

[alfredian]

Ddx 1+9

Ddx 1+9

I use Delta 100 at ISO 100. So far Ilford's DDX works well. The 1+9 dilution for 14 1/2 minutes @ 20'C gives good everything - tone, accutance, grain. Saves chemical over the 1+4 basic recipe as well.

 

[Turtle]

I use Delta 100 at ISO 100. So far Ilford's DDX works well. The 1+9 dilution for 14 1/2 minutes @ 20'C gives good everything - tone, accutance, grain. Saves chemical over the 1+4 basic recipe as well.

I use 1+7 and agree. 1+4 is a waste of money unless pushing D3200 or something in which time it keeps time and fog levels sensible.

 

[Allan Reade]

Result from my first try with Delta 100 developed in ID-11 @ 1:3 for 20mins @ 20 degrees C.

Mamiya C3, 65mm lens at maximum bellows extension. 30secs @ f32. Cropped very slightly because after allowing for parallax the Cyclamen was no longer centred.

[/IMG]

Thank you for the advice.

Allan

 

[Rob-F]

Personally, I would not bother with trying to get grain finer than Delta 100. I don't think I could find the grain to focus on it with my focusing magnifier!

 

[swatch]

RE : Delta 100 ID-11 1:3

RE : Delta 100 ID-11 1:3

It is a beautiful B/W photo ... Allan, would you mind to tell the EI you used?

thanks,

Result from my first try with Delta 100 developed in ID-11 @ 1:3 for 20mins @ 20 degrees C.

Mamiya C3, 65mm lens at maximum bellows extension. 30secs @ f32. Cropped very slightly because after allowing for parallax the Cyclamen was no longer centred.

[/IMG]

Thank you for the advice.

Allan

 

[Matus]

Allan I wanted to add that I develop the D100 in Pyrocat HD (1:1:100), but you have obviously found a combination that works well for you. Beautiful image, BTW.

 

[Allan Reade]

swatch, I use an old Sekonic L398 meter, which over-reads, so after doing some tests I set the ASA at a bit under half the box ASA, so I used about 40ASA for this, 150ASA for TriX 400. Sorry that's not going to help you much. I take an incident reading.

Matus, thank you. ID11 is cheap, and now I've settled on 1:3 it works well, just a relatively long process, 20mins for Delta 100.

 

[swatch]

Delta 100 ( EI 40 )

Delta 100 ( EI 40 )

Allan, thank you for EI. I also find film speed of TriX is best at ISO 160 with Kodak HC-110 1:50 8.5 minutes 20C .... believe if I shoot TriX at ISO 400, developing time has to be doubled.

swatch, I use an old Sekonic L398 meter, which over-reads, so after doing some tests I set the ASA at a bit under half the box ASA, so I used about 40ASA for this, 150ASA for TriX 400. Sorry that's not going to help you much. I take an incident reading.

Matus, thank you. ID11 is cheap, and now I've settled on 1:3 it works well, just a relatively long process, 20mins for Delta 100.

 

[Turtle]

My advice is to be aware that Delta 100, relative to other films, makes good speed. In most of my cameras, I rate it at box speed or 80 with Xtol, depending on lighting. With slower devs 50-64 is as slow sa I go. In flat light and a fast dev (like DDX or xtol) you can easily be looking at above box.

Good stuff. I recently printed a 20x16 of 6x7 D100 and to get the full detail out of the print I would have needed a magnifying glass. You dont need more than that!