Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/03

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Delta 400 New
From: lea <lea@whinydogpress.com>
Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 13:55:40 -0500
References: <20010503180733.SDCP14836.femail4.sdc1.sfba.home.com@[65.1.114.25]>

Bill and Henry,

I was going to suggest DDX with the new Delta as that's what I've been using for
several weeks now with great luck.

I typically dilute mine 1.5 oz to 6.5 oz. at 68 degrees for 9 minutes with
inverting agitation the first full minute with 10 secs per minute thereafter.
You'll note my dilution is a bit less than the full 2 oz. Ilford recommends. I ran
a roll the other day with their dilutions and found it quite a lot more
contrasty...all other factors being the same.

Henry, you might try it this way. Bill, you might just give this DDX a shot. I've
a friend who just switched to it...away from Xtol...and loves it. I will mention I
also print with a condenser enlarger.
Lea

henry wrote:

> >Has anyone a suggestion for processing the NEW Delta 400 in XTOL on a roller?
> >
> >I shoot at 400 and use a valoy (condensor) enlarger. Thanks, Bill Lawlor
> >
> Hey Bill,
>
> You might be in for some work here.
>
> I've been playing with the new Delta 400 and DDX. I find that its really
> easy to get run-away print highlights.
>
> PhotoTechniques ran an article about this film that says it resists
> higlight blocking, but I have film to prove otherwise.
>
> I've run some in my Jobo and it was bad! But only one run so thats not
> authoritative by any means. The best results I've had have been using
> inversion with very gentle agitation and to cut the suggested times by
> about 15% AND letting the film stand (no agitation)  the last 3 minutes
> of an 8 min total time.
>
> I am about to run some in Diafine and DiXactol, both 2 bath developers. I
> hope to find that one of these developers will help compensate for what I
> think is a tendency of this film to run away in the highlights.
>
> In less contrasty conditions it is an amazingly fine grained, broad range
> film with a real speed of about 500 by my earlier tests. It may have to
> get slowed down though - we'll see. I've shot a bit in 120 also and its
> better there, but probably because I have not asked it to perform
> miracles like I do in 35mm.
>
> So far, I have not gotten the results from Delta 400 that I have with
> Delta100 and DDX, which is lovely. For some reason I think there should
> be a common thread to these films but I have not found it yet. Delta 400
> does scan extremely well so I'm going to keep working on it until I get
> what I'm looking for or give up and go to Agfa 400 which is pretty film
> if not so fine grained.
>
> Please let us hear your results.
>
> Henry

- --
Lea Murphy
Whiny Dog Press
816-333-9111
Home: http://www.whinydogpress.com
Newest: http://www.whinydogpress.com/new.html