Ilford Delta 3200 at a normal photolab

[Rurouni]

Hi,

Recently I came back to film photography (thanks to the Bessa-R) but I don't have access to a darkroom anymore and hence have to rely on my local photo shop to develop my negs.

I've picked up a roll of Delta3200 for the purpose of doing some night street shooting, and I remember that this film is more accurately rated at ISO800-1000. For medium contrast levels, should I set my EI to 1000 and ask the lab to develop this at say, ISO 1250?

After this roll is used, I think I'd better stick to XP2 since it just requires a C-41 process.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Andy K]

You don't need a darkroom to process negs. All you need is:

a changing bag,
a developing tank (Paterson tanks are cheap on ebay),
a film tongue extractor or canister opener,
scissors,
a thermometer,
four 1 litre measuring jugs,
A large bowl (for getting water to the correct temperature using hot and cold taps in the kitchen),
a stopwatch,
and chemicals (developer, stopbath (although you could just use water for a stop bath, I do), and fixer)

and somewhere to hang the film to dry, bathroom, shower etc.

Barring the chemicals (you might get lucky) everything I have listed can be found dirt cheap on ebay or in Asda/Walmart etc.

 

[Richard Black]

I use a mail-in lab in Az, Image something or other. They do a great job and will select the developer that is best for the film you send in or one of your choice. I have had TriX and APX 100 in 120 and the same in 35 with contact sheets and I think they are reasonable. Look in the back of a Shutterbug and you'll find them.

 

[Socke]

I'm with Andy. Home developing is easy and fun, too.

I had two rolls of FP4 destroyed by a lab who carelessly put it through C-41 I shot a lot of XP2 until it wasn't available due to Ilfords troubles. So I bought a development starter kit with measures, mugs, tank, thermometer for 65 Euro over ebay and started my bathroom-darkroom.

I started with Amaloco AM74 developer which is very easy to handle and at 1+15 a dirt cheap one shot developer. Delta3200 at EI1600 is very good in that soup and if you want to you can even push it one stop further than indicated to EI6400.

Another thing is prinitng, I have yet to find a lab which prints XP2 without ugly colour casts, getting them to print black and white instead of muddy brown and light yellow is close to impossible!
XP2 prints very good in a darkroom on RC or fibre but it is very hard to print in a minilab on colour paper. Kodak BW400CN is a better suited for minilab printing but still not realy black and white.

 

[kaiyen]

Not only is it a good idea to develop you own at home in general, but relatively difficult films such as Delta 3200 require especial care and attention.

Another vote for setting yourself up for it. Not hard at all. My photos.kaiyen.com site has some beginner's info.

allan

 

[XAos]

yeah - having b&w done out is very spendy. horrendously so around here. In addition - there are no minilabs which do b&w. Virtually all places which will take your film will send it to the local pro lab - which you can deal with yourself. (It's still expensive though.) And like the others said - for something wierd like Delta 3200 you don't want them monkeying with it anyway. You can get set up for $60-70 bucks or so, and it's pretty easy. Changing bag and a bathroom is all you really need. I keep all my stuff in a plastic tub.