Response to Sharpness of Delta 100 vs. Delta 400

Craig, it seems, like many, you are confusing sharpness with low grain. In actuallity, these two qualities are at oppisite ends of the spectrum. Fine grain developers produce negatives that are noticeably soft. Unless you are going for the fuzzy 'arty' look, this is not desirable for making large prints. A very sharp, but more grainy negative will produce a more satisfying large print. Because the normal viewing distance for a 20X24 print will be greater, the grain may not be objectionable at all, and will certainly be less objectionable than a big print with poor definition. The movie industry long ago abandoned 'fine grain' developer because the projected image from 35 mm was unwatchable on a theatre screen. The best combination I have found that offers extreme sharpness with low grain is Ilford Delta 100 (EI:50) developed in PMK (Pyro-Metol-Kodalk.) Not only in this combination blazingly sharp, but produces unusually beautiful prints. BUT, it is my opinion that you are somewhat unrealistic in your expectations from the 6X4.5 format. This format is only a little more than twice the area of a 35 mm negative. Perfectly grainless 20X24 prints require a 4X5 (or larger) negative. Sorry, but there is no way to avoid the laws of physics.

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