Greetings All--

Does anyone have experience processing Ilford's Delta 100 (4x5 sheet film) in Kodak's XTOL? I contacted Ilford, and they said to contact Kodak. Kodak said to contact Ilford...

I've been using XTOL at 1:3 dilution with TMX, and find my processing times match Kodak's recommendations at EI 100 almost exactly. I've just started testing the Delta 100, but it looks like EI 100 is a likely starting point. Thanks in advance for all responses. --JCM

-- John Morris (jmorris@ps.msstate.edu), July 23, 1998

Answers

I use delta 100 with xtol and love it. You have to find your ei and temp. but results are excellent

-- JoEl BerBer (rege@home.com), July 26, 1998.

I tried only 200 sheets of the Delta in both 100 and 400, first in ID11 and then in Xtol with 35 of each being shot head to head with Kodak's TMax films of the same speed. After the testing & comparisons I went with Tmax with both speed films. Both brands are good and in the 400 I really liked the lower contrast I seemed to get with Delta but found with small developing time changes I could get much more easily manipulated results with TMax 400.

With the 100 I went with TMax due to the greater mid and lower tone separation I saw. Also it is more easily maneuvered than Delta for plus & minus development for me. It seemed to have more snap to it and was a touch sharper. But, the deciding factor was TMax 100's characteristics the really shine with long exposures. Reciprocity corrections are much less with TMax 100 and after a couple of minutes it becomes one of the fastest films on the market.

I showed the negs I tested head to head along with contact prints and 11x14 enlargements to friends and the TMax was chosen as the "best" of the two in each comparison. I don't use much from the Yellow Peril but I can't ignore my test results and so use TMax films in the 4x5 and 5x7 both.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), July 26, 1998.