Response to New B&W film

Kodak to make a hi-res film?? At the risk of sounding snotty, I can only answer "So what!" Many photographers confuse 'resolution' (lines/mm) with sharpness. The sharpness of Ilford Delta 100 is already at the limit of all but the very best optics, ie. Leitz 100 mm APO-Macro-Elmarit set at optimum aperture. (See Photo Technique International magazine 1/93, p. 54) To achieve maximum sharpness, the camera must be mounted on a tripod and the shutter speed set high enough to avoid even minute mirror shake. Now, is this practical? Hardly. The answer is, if you want higher resolution, MAKE A BIGGER NEGATIVE. If you want sharpness (call it 'actutance') avoid solvent (fine grain) developers. Try Delta 100 developed in PMK. This combination is blazingly sharp and has a beautiful scale as well. Remember that open sky and out of focus areas reveal grain more readily than sharply focused areas. Don't forget the quality of the enlarging lens and the accuracy of the enlarger alignment!

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