Ilford Delta 3200 Black and White Film

Ilford Delta 3200 Black and White Film 

DESCRIPTION

Delta 3200 Professional is an ultra-speed black and white film, ideal for fast action and low light photography such as night time, sport, or indoor architectural applications where flash photography is 'forbidden'. This is a genuine high speed film with an ability to record highlight detail that sets it apart from other films. Ilford Delta 3200 Professional has many strengths, most notably its liberating high speed, unobtrusive grain structure and its unsurpassed tonality.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 23  
[Aug 14, 2008]
Daniel Metts
Expert

Strength:

The look of the film is pleasent even tough it is grainy. It is very sharp. It has very good tonal graduation. It has good detail in the high lights and shadows also. It scans very well.

This film delelops very well with D-76.

Weakness:

It is very grainy but not unplasent to look at.

I have used the film several times over the past 5 years. I like is very much when shooting available light photos in low lit interiors. I have used it to do candid of people.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

T-Max 3200, fuji 1600

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 27, 2007]
John
Professional

Strength:

Outstanding in low/no light situations.

Weakness:

I guess the grain is a problem for some people. But those people are using the wrong film.

I think this stuff is great.

Like another reviewer mentioned, you have to use it right away and develop it right away, or else it fogs like crazy, and you lose detail and contrast. I shoot at a variety of speeds from 3200 to 12500, and it comes through every time. Obviously, 12500 is going to be quite grainy, but an image with grain is better than no image at all. This film allows you to get shots you'd NEVER be able to get otherwise, and opens up an entirely new world of nocturnal photography. The ability to stop action under a single 40-watt bulb, or moonlit street scenes without a tripod. And there's a thrill knowing that you're basically on the edge of what modern photo technology can do.

Customer Service

NA. But Ilford Photo's commitment to B&W is peerless in the industry.

Similar Products Used:

TMax 3200, pushed HP5+/Tri-X

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 18, 2005]
NickTrop
Intermediate

Strength:

Simply the best film imo for MF low light street photography. Fantastic results in MF.

Weakness:

Based on other reviews this MIGHT be fussy with developers other than Ilford DDX? Must be used right away, and developed right away. Purchase from a company that moves a lot of the stuff. It doesn't like sitting around. Develop asap after exposure. I load this stuff in darkness, not "moderate light". Requires some experimentation to get best results. You do not "some" light.

This film loves the night. I used to get Lieca rangefinder envy. No more. Not as long as Ilford continues to make this excellent high speed film in medium format. This film enables MF high speed. I can go out with my slow f3.5 and f4 lenses - not to worry. I don't see how people can complain about this film. I find it absolutely amazing. Are they using the wrong developer? Is it spending too much time under the light of the enlarger? Perhaps it's not as good in the 35mm format? Are they shooting in daylight? (Obviously there are far better films for /that/ purpose... Most any, for that matter.) Is it sitting in the camera too long? This film needs to be used right away, and developed promptly. Here's the magic numbers that work for me, (YMMV!). Meter at 3200 Develop for 3200 with DDX, 9 minutes, standard dillution, as stated inside the box. (I haven't tried pusing yet... Haven't had the need.) Printing: I use an Omega B22 enlarger with a condenser head, Agfa VC paper, 2 filter grade: 3 seconds(!) at f-11 for night street shots. That's it! Not 5, not 4, but 3 seconds. The inclination is to go longer, but don't just a quick zap of light. 1 minute in Dektol standard dilution, few secs in stop bath, fix and rinse... ... absolutey PERFECT, sharp, contrasty prints with surprisingly good tonality for a high speed film and mild, pleasing grain. I will be very disappointed if Ilford ever discontinues this film in 120. Choices are limited, but I don't need any other choices. It's darn near perfect. And I will always have this film available in the fridge.

Customer Service

NA but I DO like Ilford's committment to black and white 120 film, digital age be d*m*ed, unlike some other "film" companies (coughs... Kodak).

Similar Products Used:

This is the only film rated at 3200 in 120, haven't tried the Fugi 1600. This is so good I don't need to. At one time or another I've used all the Agfa, Ilford, and Kodaks 120 black and white stock.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 31, 2004]
Lthlwpn1979
Intermediate

Strength:

Fast shutter speed (1/500 sec) with a telephoto zoom at 300mm on a cloudy day.

Weakness:

GRAIN!

I was not aware this much grain in film was legal. It was to the point of sligtly distorting objects in the image. I photographed a local marathon for a class assignment using Delta 3200 and Neopan 1600. It was early and cloudy all day, and since I can't afford anything in the L series range I had to go with very high speed film. Our school lab uses Ilford chemicals for developement and Ilford paper for prints. The Delta came out with an overwhelming amount of grain that destracted from the subject. Edges of background buildings were slightly distorted and facial expressions were hard to pick up. The Neopan results had much less contrast, near perfect, lest for a speck or two of dust the film captured, the result of changing lenses.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

Fuji Neopan 1600

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
[Aug 15, 2003]
Intermediate

Strength:

Excellent in low-light You don't need a tripod The grain (I love it)

Weakness:

Can't make big enlargements

A very good high speed film. Actually 1200ISO speed designed for push processing to 3200 it gives good quality images consistantly. The grain is noticeable even at small englargements but thats not the point of this film, besides I like the grain, its excellent for giving atmosphere to your pictures. An excellent film in low light situations, you never need a tripod. One of the best out there.

Customer Service

Don't need it for film

Similar Products Used:

Lots of Ilford, T-Max, Fujifilm Velvia, Sensia

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 03, 2003]
Angus_
Intermediate

Strength:

Great for v. low light situations Produces good negs

Weakness:

Takes some practice to get it right

This is an excellent film but you have to know how to handle it. I have used this film to take photographs under *extremely* low light conditions (night clubs, indoor entertainment events and the like) at EI up to 12,800 without a flash. I have also used it outdoors in good light conditions where I want a fair amount of grain. I would suggest processing this yourself, because a little experimentation will yield excellent dividends. Sending it to a lab won't do. I have found that I can get good, printable negs when pushed to extreme speeds where I simply cannot with any other film and that they have reasonable contrast. When used at lower speeds the grain is very pleasant (though definately present).

Similar Products Used:

Fuji Neopan 1600 (yuck) Kodak TMax 3200

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 21, 2003]
Nocturnal
Intermediate

Strength:

FAST! Two quite different uses Capable of nice results tonally Grain prominent but reasonable Widely available Don't have to carry a tripod in city streets at night (tried that once, never again)

Weakness:

Requires a bit of work to get good tones at claimed speed Need darkroom access! finding a lab for it is a painful process Not cheap.

This is nice stuff. Effectively two sorts of film in one, depending upon how you expose it. At EI 1600 or lower, it's good for quite general work in fairly low light under any conditions where you can't just open up full wide at the slowest speed you can hold; you can get decent tones and still have prominent grain (though not particularly massive - if that's the sole objective, more can be got from pushing 400 films, at the expense of all those mid greys). At 3200, the tones aren't fabulous, grain is still manageable and still has a nice "character" to it (subjective, I know), but you can shoot in situations anything slower couldn't reach - such as handhelds in the minimal available light of streetlamps (my preferred use for it). You can still get a decent tonal range at this speed, though you need to be careful with printing. The one major drawback with this film is that you really need to do your own developing and printing to get the most out of it. Ilford's times produce rather thin negs with some developers; a certain amount of experimentation can improve matters immensely. Even good labs tend to only use one (often rather uninspiring, it seems to me) standard developer for all B&W, and good luck getting them to change the times. Also, in the kind of lighting that calls for 3200 film, a certain proportion of shots are likely to end up as marginal negs, looking hopeless on a machine endprint but capable of nice results by hand with a bit of care. If you have access to those facilities, it's a useful film to keep a roll or two of around, as well as for projects where not much else would suit.

Customer Service

Ilford are excellent at providing technical information and answering queries

Similar Products Used:

various 400s push processed, colour 1600s (ugh!)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jul 24, 2002]
cirrus29
Beginner

Strength:

at 2.45GBP relatively cheap for a high speed film

Weakness:

results are not satisfactory

not a very impressive film; am not sure whether it is just difficult to develop as the negs either turn out very thin or very contrasty. looks more like a 400 film pushed to 3200 than 'real' 3200 and is a nightmare to print.

Similar Products Used:

fuji neopan 1600

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 26, 2002]
Bill50
Intermediate

Strength:

fine grain for speed-- fast enough to use without a tripod most of the time--

Weakness:

hard to find-- no shadow detail at 6400(I have not tried it at other speeds)-- not a true 3200 speed--

I wanted some massive grain and Neopan 1600 was too fine-grained, so I tried this at 6400 and had it pushed a stop. Interesting! Grain was very fine compared to what I expected. I guess I'll have to take a picture of a small part of a 4X6 with a macro lens to get grain.:) This film at 6400 is not very usable, though. It has almost no shadow detail,and contrast is over the top. Next time I'll try it at 3200 or 1600. Some reviews state that it's not a true 3200 and must be pushed at that speed. So what speed do you shoot it to be processed normally? I don't like pushing-must take it to a lab that pushes and pay extra. They don't want to mess with printing on color paper and trying to eliminate color cast and they want a fortune to print on b&w paper. So I then take it to another lab that does good with controlling color cast on color paper.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Neopan 1600

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[May 22, 2002]
Gavin
Intermediate

Strength:

High speed, low contrast.

Weakness:

True ASA of 1250

Well, I've only gone through 2 rolls of this, both at 3200 (my mistake) and found that the contrast is exceptionally weak for my liking. The grain is smooth, but I'd prefer not to have grain. I'm tempted to use this film only if I have to when I can get away with a 800 - 1600 film in high contrast environments. I also shot a roll of Neopan 1600 @ 3200 as well, and found that the Neopan shots were more pleasing.

Similar Products Used:

Neopan 1600 @ 3200

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 23  

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