Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
My best suggestion would be Xtol, or Pyro. They are both excellent, and in my experience superior to the other choices being presented. When you move up to 4x5 you get the opportunity to develop specifically for every image. You can add as much contrast as you like.
Lenny
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fredrick
Rodinal is a high-accutance developer, therefore it will make images appear sharp.
Back to topic: I've been using Ilford Delta 8x10/4x5 and I've used Ilfotec HC for over a year now, it's a good combo.
Rodinal isn't a high acutance developer, it gives remarkably similar results to Xtol with T-grain films, I used both for many years with APX100, Tmax1100 &400 and later Delta100. Yes Rodinal and Xtol both give better sharpness than d76 which gives a small lift in terms of resolution/definition through slightly improved acutance.
Ian
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IanG
Rodinal isn't a high acutance developer, it gives remarkably similar results to Xtol with T-grain films, I used both for many years with APX100, Tmax1100 &400 and later Delta100. Yes Rodinal and Xtol both give better sharpness than d76 which gives a small lift in terms of resolution/definition through slightly improved acutance.
Ian
However, Rodinal will articulate the grains, and you will have a grainy print. If you like that, fine. Personally, its not for me. I'll stick with my Xtol and Pyro...
Lenny
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lenny Eiger
However, Rodinal will articulate the grains, and you will have a grainy print. If you like that, fine. Personally, its not for me. I'll stick with my Xtol and Pyro...
Lenny
On the contrary Rodinal and T grain films gives exceptionally fine grain, better than D76 and on a par with Xtol. Some of the finest grained images I've seen made from 35mm were processed in Rodinal. Of course this is the LF website forum but I used Rodinal and the films I mentioned above in all formats 35mm, 120 & 5x4.
It's a misconception that Rodinal itself gives grainier negatives, however it does contain Hydroxiden which softens some emulsions more than others and poor temperature control can lead to surface effects on the supercoat of the emulsion which results in grainier enlargements (or scans).
Ian
3 Attachment(s)
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lenny Eiger
However, Rodinal will articulate the grains, and you will have a grainy print. If you like that, fine. Personally, its not for me. I'll stick with my Xtol and Pyro...
Lenny
What grain? How big is the print?
Now from my experience Delta100 is finer grained than Acros100, I only shoot Delta100 in 4x5 which wouldn't be a fair comparison, but this is a 120 shot on Acros100 in Rodinal...
Attachment 118800
This is delta100 in Rodinal but it's a 4x5
Attachment 118801
So is this... Which is about a 35mm crop of a 4x5
Attachment 118802
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
It's worth mentioning that often the cause of graininess is sloppy craft (technique), give a group of photographers the same cameras lens, film and developing chemistry and some will produce excellent fine grained images others will have grainy images and the rest in between.
Tight control of exposure and development, and particularly temperature control at all stages of processing including washing can make a huge difference to negative and subsequent print (or scan) quality particularly with regard to fine grain and sharpness.
Ian
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IanG
Rodinal isn't a high acutance developer, it gives remarkably similar results to Xtol with T-grain films, I used both for many years with APX100, Tmax1100 &400 and later Delta100. Yes Rodinal and Xtol both give better sharpness than d76 which gives a small lift in terms of resolution/definition through slightly improved acutance.
Ian
Then it seems wikipedia has misinformed me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodinal#Acutance. In that case, I retract my statement.
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IanG
It's worth mentioning that often the cause of graininess is sloppy craft (technique), give a group of photographers the same cameras lens, film and developing chemistry and some will produce excellent fine grained images others will have grainy images and the rest in between.
Tight control of exposure and development, and particularly temperature control at all stages of processing including washing can make a huge difference to negative and subsequent print (or scan) quality particularly with regard to fine grain and sharpness.
Ian
Well, I am an excellent technologist, have a great thermometer. However, I haven't seen anything in Rodinal I like. That isn't to say it doesn't exist. Every time I put a Rodinal developed piece of film on my drum scanner I see much more grain. The thing zooms into the grain clouds, and its possible that the grain clouds combined with the scan sampling pattern creates some sort of anti-aliased nonsense. I don't know. If you want to send me a good neg, by your standards, to play with, I'd be happy to take a look.
I have a bunch of old negs developed in Rodinal, med format from the '80's and they are horrible. Maybe it was a bad batch....
Lenny
Re: A Question about Ilford Delta 100 Developer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lenny Eiger
Well, I am an excellent technologist, have a great thermometer. However, I haven't seen anything in Rodinal I like. That isn't to say it doesn't exist. Every time I put a Rodinal developed piece of film on my drum scanner I see much more grain. The thing zooms into the grain clouds, and its possible that the grain clouds combined with the scan sampling pattern creates some sort of anti-aliased nonsense. I don't know. If you want to send me a good neg, by your standards, to play with, I'd be happy to take a look.
I have a bunch of old negs developed in Rodinal, med format from the '80's and they are horrible. Maybe it was a bad batch....
Lenny
I have many hundreds of films 35mm & 120 processed in Rodinal from around 1987 onwards (when I started using Rodinal) and all exhibit excellent long tonal scales, very fine grain and excellent sharpness. The many hundreds of 5x4 negatives are just the same.
At the moment I'm getting sorted out after moving house (I'm not fully moved yet) but I guess I could find & send you a spare Rodinal negative from my M3 Leica. I suggest a 35mm negative because it'll show the issues we are talking about at lower enlargement or a scan.
A point I'd make is that back in the late 80's many thought that prints from 35mm T grain films processed in Rodinal were in fact from 120 films,
Ian