Ilford 3200 Question

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Adam14

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I will be attending a family birthday party at someone's home where there will be quite a bit of light from overhead. (I know that this is vague information). I am thinking of using Ilford 3200 instead of my usual 400.
I realize that it will be grainy(I like the look). Does anyone have any thoughts on which film to use. I do not develop myself yet.
Thanks,
Adam
 
You might want to try it out if you've never done it before, before you go to the party. 3200 speed films shot at 6400 can give you vastly different (and sometimes disappointing) results compared to a 400 speed film at 400.
 
Yeah, if there is "quite a bit of light from overhead" then try pulling the Delta 3200. It really looks good - smooth with well spaced tones - when pulled down a bit. (Delta 3200 is my favorite film!)
 
Thanks Tim. I don't think that I will have a chance to try it out ahead of time. My camera only allows me to select as high as 3200. Do some cameras allow a higher selection or are we talking about telling the lab to develop it at 6400?
Thanks,
Adam
 
As I was typing a reply to Tim, several more of you were kind enough to answer as well! Thanks to all for your suggestions!
Adam
 
I personally haven't shot much Delta 3200, but I do shoot a bunch of T-Max 3200, a similar style film.

A lot depends on how you meter and expose it. It's easy to underexpose a film in low (and often poor quality) light, and when you are already pushing it 2-3 stops on top of that, you might end up with grainy, black mess with little in the way of interesting results.

That's not to say you can't get wonderful results from it. I just think it's a bit harder than mastering a move from ISO 100 to ISO 400 film - mostly because the situations you tend to shoot a ISO 3200 speed film at 6400 have crappy, low contrast lighting.
 
Thanks,so much to learn. Am I correct though,that with max 3200 selection on my camera that when someone talks about 6400 that this is what you tell the lab to develop at?
 
It also depends on the speed of the lens you're planning to use. Personally I wouldn't push a 3200 film any further, especially when you don't develop by yourself. If you pull it to 1600 or 1200 you will be able to shoot at about 1/60th and f2 in a "normal" lit room.
 
I consider the grain to be unacceptable if the details in the picture are too small, such as a group of, say, six people. For one or two heads at reasonably large size (i mean not too far away) it can be great. If you have enough light, I wouldn't be tempted to go to a very high speed. Around 1600 is good.

I have just read your post again, and for large groups of people, you must try it out first!
 
Mackinaw said:
Just realize that Ilford 3200 is actually more of a ISO 1000 film. You can shoot it at 3200, or even 6400, but shadow detail at those speeds will be nonexistent.

Jim B.
Click to expand...

Dear Jim,

Not exactly. There will be some shadow detail, thanks to increasing the slope of the toe of the characteristic curve, but contrast will be high.

The trick with Delta 3200 is that it's a very long-toe film and therefore responds more gracefully to pushing (more shadow detail, less contrast) than a shorter toe film.

True ISO in Microphen or DD-X is about 1300, but it will often look better at 1600 or even 2000 than at the ISO speed.

Cheers,

R.
 
Adam14 said:
Thanks,so much to learn. Am I correct though,that with max 3200 selection on my camera that when someone talks about 6400 that this is what you tell the lab to develop at?
Click to expand...

Well, barring the whole 'develop Ilford films as if shot one stop faster' thing, if you shoot the film at 3200 (i.e., put your camera at 3200 and use the built in meter), then you would tell the lab to develop it at 3200. If you want to shoot it at 6400, and your camera only goes to 3200, if it has exposure compensation, then set the camera to 3200 and the exposure compensation to -1. Then tell the lab to develop it for 6400.
 
I wouldn't prefer a film's tonality to another one's tonality: both development and the light character in the scene can make a film be great for such scene...

Delta is OK for wilder pushing IMO because it's a pain for flat light scenes (it's really low contrast), and its grain (no problem with its very big size) looks a bit messy to me... I used Microphen, Perceptol, and of course DDX for it, but I find TMax3200 in TMax developer just amazing in grain, speed and tone... Delta3200 is beautiful in medium format... That's where it shines... I've used it in 35mm for the effect of its huge grain, framing to crop say half the negative... But for normal 35mm indoors shooting including groups of people or other scenes requiring some detail, Kodak makes a nice 3200 film the OP might enjoy someday... It's not Delta's grain size what looks bad for some scenes, but how small things get lost because of the combination of that size and its structure, and that doesn't happen with TMax3200... The OP or other members might be interested in comparing both of them doing a series of the same images... The difference in speed is almost nothing technically speaking, and both lose most shadow detail at 3200... TMax3200 has on TMax developer a precious clean, crisp, classic grain, like Tri-X in Rodinal but just a little bigger. Got to see a wet print to believe it.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Best results I've gotten is shooting it at 1600 the developing in DD-X. Second favorite developer for it is Xtol (EI1600, again).

I don't like it at all at 3200, in any developer.
 
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