Merlin
Hi everyone,
My first negative developer was Tetenal Negafin. I just ordered it on a whim. I was happy with the results. It was just the faff of mixing the powder and the short shelf life of the stock solution that annoyed me a bit.
Now I’ve got myself some DD-X (specifically for the 3200, HP5+ and FP4+).
I’m rather dissatisfied with the grain on the Delta 3200. 18x24 prints from a 6x6 negative have clearly visible grain.
Is Negafin really that much better?
And does it perhaps not fully utilise the film’s speed?
Which developer would you recommend for the Delta 3200? In terms of fine grain.
Kind regards, Martin
zensusa
Hello Merlin,
The Delta 3200 isn’t exactly ‘grain-free’ by any means. However, if you want to minimise grain as much as possible, you should give CG 512 a try. Bear in mind, though, that you’ll only be able to use a maximum of 1600 ISO (as a guide: around 18–19 minutes’ development time at 24 degrees). The advantage of this developer: fine grain, very good grey tones and still excellent sharpness – the latter isn’t exactly a strong point of fine-grain developers. Possible disadvantages: loss of sensitivity and it must be developed at 24 degrees. Temperature fluctuations must not exceed +/- 0.5 degrees. Otherwise, it will have a negative effect on the result!
Unfortunately, Mirko doesn’t stock this classic, which even W. Moersch still cites as a benchmark. Alternatively, as they are essentially the same but slightly tweaked/modernised, you can also use LP’s “Cube XS” or Rollei’s “RLS”. The processing times are practically interchangeable.
However, if you place more value on “speed”, yet still want “relatively fine” grain but very good sharpness, then use Promicrol. With this developer, you’ll get “good” results even at 6400 ASA (guideline: 1:14, 20 degrees, approx. 21–22 minutes). The developer is also available from Mirko.
Unfortunately, you have to make a choice: either low grain or high speed. You can’t have both without compromises – the usual “mediocre” result.
Best regards,
Lothar
Oh, and just to avoid any confusion: the Promicrol timing information refers to 6400 ISO.
Regards,
Lothar
