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I'm getting ready to shoot Ilford films for the first time. I've picked up some Delta 100,400; HP5; and FP4. Anyone with experience using these film have suggestions for EI ratings? Also, If one "pull" exposes these films i.e. shoot Delta 400@200 is development compensation really necessary? Why do photo labs charge more for pull processing when all that 'changes' is less development time?

-- Darrin Young (Aleedar@excite.com), March 17, 1999

Answers

It's impossible to really answer your question without knowing what developer you intend to use and to what CI you intend to develop the films. Plus we have no idea how your light meter's calibrated etc. So...you'll have to test yourself. I gather you're going to have a commercial lab develop the film? Well, more often than not a commercial lab will use one developer for all films and will tend to overdevelop since most photographers underexpose. For all films, shoot a frame at the normal speed, then one stop over and one stop under and then in the future use the speed that resulted in the best prints. If you're going to develop the film yourself, I get full EI for the Deltas and HP5+ in Xtol 1:1 and 1:2, EI 640 for HP5+ in Microphen and EI 320 for HP5+ in Rodinal 1:50 w/20g sodium sulfite/liter. My standard developer is Xtol. A lab charges more for pull or push processing simply because your roll of film gets its own development run rather than with all the rest.

-- John Hicks / John's Camera Shop (jbh@magicnet.net), March 17, 1999.

The 'best guess' EI for your first trials should be Ilford's ISO numbers: 100 for Delta 100, etc. Then adjust if necessary when you can see the processed negatives.

The main purpose for pulling developmnent is to adjust contrast rather than EI. So if your subject was very contrasty, pulling the development may be advisable. If you have over-exposed a 'normal' subject by one stop, then pulling the devlopment of Delta films isn't necessary (but may be slightly beneficial).

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), March 19, 1999.


Why not try Ilford XP2 as well as the others you have listed ?

-- Anthony Brookes (gdz00@dial.pipex.com), March 19, 1999.

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