Delta 100 in Paterson FX-39, 1:14 10'30"/68F EI 100.

Curve shape is identical to D-76H 1:1 from Zone I to Zone IX, that is, it actually overlaps. Above Zone IX there's a rolloff into a shoulder (unlike D-76, Xtol etc) but contrast doesn't drop to really low out to my limit of five more stops.

The negs are really crisp and clean; at 30X grain is of course visible but is fine and doesn't look clumpy, and small detail is very sharp.

Notes:

FX-39 comes in 300ml bottles; at the 1:14 dilution it'll do I think 15 rolls of 35mm.

I got it from B&H; one thing to remember is that it may not be a good idea to get too wedded to a developer you can't easily buy locally or make up. Paterson is imported to the US by Tiffen but there's nothing on the Tiffen web site about it; perhaps the developers are imported by someone else.

The data sheet is pretty thorough, spelling out the intended gamma for their given development times for various films etc.

Although Paterson specifies that FX-39 is intended film filmes below EI 200, the data sheet gives times for films of all speeds.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), October 10, 2000

Answers

YOUR COMBINATION OF FILM AND DEVELOPER IS AN EXCELENT. HOW YOU GOT DATA ABOUT CURVE. YOUR TEST OR ... PLEASE ANSWER. DOBRADOVIC@CPCPUMPS.COM

-- DANIEL OBRADOVIC (DOBRADOVIC@CPCPUMPS.COM), December 01, 2000.

I shoot a test strip of about 15 stops, read it with a densitometer and plot the curve.

Plots may be available from Paterson; I have no idea.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), December 01, 2000.