Bergger Pancro 400 in sheets

[Drew Wiley]

Delta 100 is not a film I often use because it has quite a long toe unsuited to the kind of outdoor subjects I typically encounter. It's also a very slick film especially prone to Newton rings in a glass carrier. It is a good choice for high-key subjects where one wants good expansion in the upper tones at expense of the shadows, basically a substitute for the old studio portrait film, Plus-X. The quality is good.

[paulbarden]

Delta 100 is not a film I often use because it has quite a long toe unsuited to the kind of outdoor subjects I typically encounter. It's also a very slick film especially prone to Newton rings in a glass carrier. It is a good choice for high-key subjects where one wants good expansion in the upper tones at expense of the shadows, basically a substitute for the old studio portrait film, Plus-X. The quality is good.

Thanks, I was just curious how you found it compares to the TMX/TMY family of films.

[Michael R]

Paul,

When processed in general purpose developers the Delta 100 characteristic curve is virtually identical to that of TMX. Attached is an example comparison of the two films developed in XTOL. The films behave the same as eachother in D-76, Rodinal, and other general purpose developers.

TMY-2 is somewhat different. It's characteristic curve is essentially the same as TMX/Delta 100 until you get into the upper and extreme highlights, where TMY-2 maintains higher contrast (ie it has a longer straight line region) and shoulders later. The extreme highlights develop to significantly higher densities than TMX/Delta 100. In that respect it behaves more like Acros does (did).

When you get down to it, the current Kodak and Ilford offerings all have long exposure scales and form a relatively homogeneous group, tonality-wise, within a fairly wide exposure range. That includes TMX, TMY-2, Delta 100, FP4+, HP5+, Tri-X 400. Tri-X 320 (TXP) would be the exception, having a long toe and more "upswept" curve shape by design.

I can't comment on Bergger films since I haven't used them.

As far as Newton rings go, the Ilford films (including Delta 100) are noticeably less slick than Kodak's T-Max films, which are quite slick.

Full disclosure, I mostly use T-Max films.

Hope this helps.

[Drew Wiley]

Nonsense. Just plain nonsense. What might seem like a tweak of differerence at the bottom of the logarithmic scale actually amounts to at least two more stops of shadow separation in either TMax versus Delta. I've done very many densitometer plots which look a lot like the factory ones, but that version you're showing is mighty strange. Sorry.

[Tim V]

I've ordered a box of Bergger and some PMK Pyro to try. Might as well throw all routine out the window and go on a wild ride...

[Drew Wiley]

Remember to always use gloves. But PMK can be used with all kinds of film.

[Michael Kadillak]

I've ordered a box of Bergger and some PMK Pyro to try. Might as well throw all routine out the window and go on a wild ride...

If you are tray developing - wear good nitrile gloves and I would also advise wearing a breathing mask during the development process. Let us know how it works out for you.

[Tim V]

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't even considered how much more toxic Pyro is to use and the need for good ventilation. How toxic is it, really? I have an air flow system of sorts in the darkroom at work, but it's a pretty small space.

I'm really looking forward to trying the Bergger film. In an ideal world I'd just use Tri-X, but it's good to try something new and I was never a great fan of HP5+. Will do some tests of the Bergger in Stock D76 as well and try share some results.

[Michael Kadillak]

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't even considered how much more toxic Pyro is to use and the need for good ventilation. How toxic is it, really? I have an air flow system of sorts in the darkroom at work, but it's a pretty small space.

I'm really looking forward to trying the Bergger film. In an ideal world I'd just use Tri-X, but it's good to try something new and I was never a great fan of HP5+. Will do some tests of the Bergger in Stock D76 as well and try share some results.

The greatest toxicity with pyro is mixing it from scratch ( I mix mine outdoors with mask and gloves) but since it sound like you are going to purchase the premix that solves that problem. That being said I still wear a mask when I develop film in pyro as well as use nitrile gloves just to be safe. My reference point with organic compounds is mixing stop bath from 12% acetic acid with and without a mask. Huge difference. I figure it is just good sensible policy to be cautious as it is really not inconvenient at all.

My experience is that pyro needs substantive reduction in effective film speed to accommodate the long toe of the film density curve. I drop my T Max 400 film down to 160 ASA with pyro regularly and that seems to work out. I am sure others will chime in with their experiences to this topic.

[Sal Santamaura]

...As far as Newton rings go, the Ilford films (including Delta 100) are noticeably less slick than Kodak's T-Max films, which are quite slick...

TMY-2 sheet film's emulsion side is dull enough that newton's rings aren't a risk in glass carriers. TMX sheet film's emulsion side is so shiny that newton rings are almost impossible to avoid in glass carriers. Delta 100 sheet film's emulsion side's glossiness falls between those two, but is much closer to TMY-2's. I've never managed to get a Newton's ring with Delta 100 sheet film. Extreme high humidity ambient conditions might be sufficient to cause them, however.