Using Delta 3200 in M7

[salmacis]

Hi!

I'm planning to get some rolls of Delta 3200 for my new M7. As the ISO dial is only up to 1600 - do you set EV to -1.0 (so effectively underexposing 1 stop) to get the right exposure/metering then? I will use FX-39 for developing... Or what's your strategy here?

Thanks
Marcin

 

[filmfan]

I think it looks better at 1600 anyways...

 

[oftheherd]

I don't really know anything about the M7. But if your are getting readouts in the viewfinder, I would try that and see if the readings change.

 

[Al Kaplan]

3200 is an optimistic speed for Delta 3200 as it is. Shoot your first roll set at 1600, or if you want to take the trouble, make another frame one stop underexposed and another two stops underexposed. I'd suggest that you master one film/developer combo at a time. Tri-X/D-76 is a good starting place. You'll probably go through a couple of hundred feet of film before you've nailed that one.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I'd second the motion to try the first roll at 1600. At 3200 it will tend to underexpose a little anyway. Better to overexpose slightly and underdevelop in my view.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Why use the DX dial? I think the M7 will recognise the 3200 iso.
But as others said 1600 will give you better pictures. I've tested this film quit a lot with xtol and DDX. 1600 is really better.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema

 

[Turtle]

Here's my experience:

Do not even think of rating it at 3200 unless you are shooting in the most incredibly low contrast situation.

Rate it at 800-1200 on the Leica and develop it for the 3200 times given by Ilford. This will give you a good starting point for its approx true speed and seeing as Ilford times are very short for this film, a nicely (as opposed to thinly) developed neg. I would rate it at 800 in contrasty conditions to ensure good shadows, 1000 in modest contrast and 1200 in flat conditions. This is my experience from testing and shooting in several different Leica bodies and making wet prints. In my Mamiya 7 I rate it at 1000 routinely and 1200 if contrast is lower.

Development in DDX or Xtol 1+ something will give more speed that D76. A solid half stop of more speed which considering you are using this film for speed, is well worth having!

 

[Debusti Paolo]

On 27 Oct my 2nd son is born! As I've done for my first son my rf645 was loaded with delta 3200 for the very first photo of Matteo.I set the Iso dial @1600 (max) and the EV @-1.The photo I 've got were very nice and were stamped in sepia tone.as back up camera I had a contax g2 with fuji pro400H.

 

[salmacis]

thanks a lot for all your input! so i guess i will play around a bit - and for the start use the charts at http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php -seems quite helpful...

greetings

 

[Nokton48]

It's a bit faster than Neopan 1600, but not, by much.
I'd say EI 800 in my experience, developing in DDX.

 

[venchka]

thanks a lot for all your input! so i guess i will play around a bit - and for the start use the charts at http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php -seems quite helpful...

greetings

You may be better off using Ilford's data. What developer are you planning to use?

 

[Turtle]

On 27 Oct my 2nd son is born! As I've done for my first son my rf645 was loaded with delta 3200 for the very first photo of Matteo.I set the Iso dial @1600 (max) and the EV @-1.The photo I 've got were very nice and were stamped in sepia tone.as back up camera I had a contax g2 with fuji pro400H.

Congratulations on your son!

Indoors tends to be exceedingly low contrast (ignoring light sources) in general terms and one of the situations where you can increase film speed and develop for a long time to get a nice expanded scale. Shoot most B&W films inside at the EI you would outside and you tend to get a pretty flat neg with too much shadow detail and flat highlights resulting in a very flat print.

 

[Debusti Paolo]

!!!!!!

!!!!!!

Congratulations on your son!

Indoors tends to be exceedingly low contrast (ignoring light sources) in general terms and one of the situations where you can increase film speed and develop for a long time to get a nice expanded scale. Shoot most B&W films inside at the EI you would outside and you tend to get a pretty flat neg with too much shadow detail and flat highlights resulting in a very flat print.

THANKS!!
I think that you're right but I also think that the sepia tone helps a lot !!!😉

 

[salmacis]

You may be better off using Ilford's data. What developer are you planning to use?

Paterson FX-39

Could not find anything on Ilford's site though, but on Paterson's...

 

[charlesfoto]

Local pro lab says they use ISO1200 as their "normal" processing of Delta 3200.

 

[Gordon Moat]

I have exposed and processed Ilford Delta 3200 at ISO 3200, using Ilfotec DD-X. The few times I tried other developers the results were more flat. What I found was that it is VERY developer sensitive. Here is an example using 35mm:

 

[Gordon Moat]

Anyway, the meter on the Mamiya 7 is in the finder, and not through the lens. Rather than use the exposure compensation dial, you could simply place a one stop ND filter on the lens, then set the ISO dial to 1600, and that would give your film exposure at ISO 3200. After that how you develop the film would be up to you. Another example would be if you used Fuji Provia 400X, and exposed that at ISO 3200, and that film will definitely work at that exposure, though of course it is colour transparency film.

A bigger issue you might find in your Mamiya 7 is that the light meter might not be super accurate at low light levels. Then you might want to use a hand held meter and manual settings, or through experiments figure out some exposure compensation to dial in.

 

[amateriat]

Marcin: I'd also go with a 1600 rating for starters.

Debusti: Congratulations!


- Barrett

 

[Turtle]

I have exposed and processed Ilford Delta 3200 at ISO 3200, using Ilfotec DD-X. The few times I tried other developers the results were more flat. What I found was that it is VERY developer sensitive. Here is an example using 35mm:

I have developed it in four developers (D76, Xtol, DDX and Rodinal) and dont find it developer sensitive at all. All the above devs impose their own characteristics on the film in terms of speed, grain etc.

I suspect what you are seeing is a product of the film/developer speed effect. If rating at 3200 you are effectively doing a 1 and 2/3 stop push if using DDX/Xtol. IF you then decide to use HC110, for example, you are probably then doing a 2 and 1/3 stop push and have a very upswept curve which will change things considerably. This is why I recommend always trying to find a film's true speed with your combo first off and going from there. Only then can you see what is happening and learn to control the process. Flat negs are always the product of underdevelopment which does not mean the film is developer sensitive, only that you did not develop it long enough. This shadows are the result of underexposure etc.

FWIW, although many have recommended starting at 1600, this is still a push and you would not start learning TriX at 640. Its pretty close though at about a 2/3 stop push. once you have shadow detail representative of 'real speed' you can then start pushing and see what drops out and gets pushed up the scale in the highlights. Without dong this, you will take lots of shots where things in the shadow in the scene will vanish in the neg and you wont know to expect it.

 

[Debusti Paolo]

Marcin: I'd also go with a 1600 rating for starters.

Debusti: Congratulations!


- Barrett

Thanks!!😀
I've to say that I like delta 3200 @3200 in 6x4,5 format.I have to say that the films are developped & printed in sepia tone by a friend of mine...a pro....so I had very nice pics!!people like them a lot!On dec,3 I'll go to the hospital with my new born baby and I planned to give some 20x25 pics (rf645 & delta 3200 in sepia tone)to doctors ...I'll let you know....😉