Push Delta 100 to ISO800 - how to develop

Buzz Lightyear

Having got back into film over the last while I decided to push Delta 100 to ISO 800 for no good reason but to give it a try. However, now that I've come to developing it, it seems from research on DigitalTruth Photo and looking elsewhere that Xtol is probably the best developer to process this in. The neg in question contains shots of various contrast (I hate 36 rolls:mad:) from the Bots flowers to a studio shoot.

Basic question to you film officarnidos is how would you process this film ?
And oh yea if you would use Xtol where can I buy it in Dublin ?

Cheers in advance

melekalikimaka

Just pop in for the time set for 800iso.

Slav

I would use Xtol for a 2-stop push maximum. You will get better results with a phenidone-hydrochinone developer like Micophen. Depending on how you're going to use the negative (enlarger, scanner) you might want to dilute it from 1+1 up to 1+5.

Fajitas!

Personally, I'd be using Microphen, from here it's all about times. Is there anything VERY important on the roll that you'd want to keep? Generally, there ain't many times up for pushing film that far (On official sites anyways), you can guesstimate based on the times of other films in Microphen, or if there was something important on the roll, I'd fly through another roll @ 800, and cut it up into 3 or 4 pieces, putting each piece through at a different dev time, just so you have more knowledge of the times involved!

Simplicius

Buzz Lightyear wrote: »

Basic question to you film officarnidos is how would you process this film ?
And oh yea if you would use Xtol where can I buy it in Dublin ?

Cheers in advance

You probably will end up with very thin and flat negatives with little shadow details as Ilford Delta 100 can stretch to about 1.5 stops and not 3 stops.
I would suggest going for a diluted long term development. microphen is probably your best bet. you are going to have to estimate the time or hunt online, you will get no definative answer, in the end you'll have to start somewhere. I would advise reducing your agitation to a minimum after the initial 30 seconds.

Why not split the film in two in a darkroom bag , you'll loose only one frame and put it in two different tanks and then you are hedging your bets, with two different development times.

Alternatively go shot another roll at 800 of your back garden as a test roll, split it in 4 and run a series of times, if the original film contains shots you do not want to mess with.

in the end, just go for it and have fun, the satifaction and fun of experimenting and then the wait for to see what comes out of the tank is always fun.

Buzz Lightyear

Cheers lads.

I wouldn'd mind keeping the studio shoot. Although I shot mainly digital for it and I'm happy with the results, I'd like to see what I got on film. So I think I'll go and grab a roll, pop it off and split it four ways.

Thanks for the advice.

Buzz

DaireQuinlan

Flickr is good for searching for people who've done the same thing (or made the same mistakes :-) )

If you do a tag search for "delta 100 800 pushed ilford" you'll get a few. I'm sure other tags might get you a few more. Often the photogs will have development details & times. This one is nice:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56339989@N00/3170839446/

He uses Ilfosol which I doubt you'll see recommended as a push developer, although I've had good results using it. This is a shot I took on delta 100 (in 120 again) pushed I think 2 stops and then developed using ilfosol. Never recorded the times for these and checking the massive dev chart times there aren't any listed for 100@400 so I probably just winged it. Contrast through the roof, but surprisingly little grain.

Buzz Lightyear

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Flickr is good for searching for people who've done the same thing (or made the same mistakes :-) )

Cheers Daire,

I googled the web back and forth last night before posting to get some ideas and only found one reference to Flickr. In google's eyes yer man obviously didn't know enough !!!
If I get have as good as either your results or yer mans I'll be very happy.

Thanks