I have been playing around with Delta 3200, and generally excited at what it has to offer. first roll, process in ID-11 yielded somewhat thin negatives so I decided to try Microphen. new developer, new fixer, proper temperatures. just took the roll out of the tank and the entire film strip is clear. I can see very faint images on most of the frames, barely there, and even the Ilford stamping on the edges is gone. in fact, even the head of the film that had been exposed to sunlight is not dark at all, but a transparent gray .

Microphen is new, just mixed it today, making one quart. what could have gone wrong? is there an easy way I can test the existing developer and see if it is bad? this has never happened before, and now I am very nervous about ever using Microphen again.

thank you for any assistance. I need to shoot a quick test roll and try a new batch of Microphen, but I am nervous.

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@vernonia.com), July 21, 1999

Answers

How's the fixer? Have you used it on other rolls of film?

-- Don Karon (karon@ibm.net), July 21, 1999.

wouldn't this failure be indicative of exhausted developer? even though it was brand new, mixed this morning, it might have been on the shelves for a year according to film store. wouldn't failed fixer do just the opposite?

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@vernonia.com), July 21, 1999.

I couldn't contain my need to solve this. I cut a small piece of Delta 3200 and developed it in the Microphen and Xtol. the Xtol development was excellent, the Microphen yielded the same results. I am glad this occurred with a test strip and not a customers film. how does one protect themselves from bad chemistry, other than running a test strip before processing each roll?

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@vernonia.com), July 21, 1999.

Mightn't this be just a difference of radically different times required for the film developer?

From what you've described, it's definitely the developer. Once upon a time I got my chemicals swapped around in the process, and I used hypo clear before the fixer. Well, I inspect my negatives immediately after fixing them. When I pulled the roll out of the tank, you can imagine my suprise when I saw the negative on an opaque background. I then realised my error, ran the negatives through the fixer, and all was well.

Other than running a test strip, no, you can't tell when a batch of developer might be bad. But you don't need much for a test strip. Just expose a roll of 35mm at something, then wind the film almost all the way into the canister. Using a dark bag, cut off a square or so and leave a bit on the canister so you can easily grab some more from it. Develop the square, and there you have your test strip.

-- Brian C. Miller (brianm@ioconcepts.com), July 22, 1999.

I do a test strip/roll with each batch of developer I mix (5 L Xtol and 1 gal. Microphen). I get about a 10% variation in optimnal dev. time with Xtol and more consistency with Microphen. I get great results with both.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), July 22, 1999.

I think you either got a dead pacakge of Microphen or somehow contaminated it during mixing. Was any of the powder caked?

-- John Hicks / John's Camera Shop (jbh@magicnet.net), July 22, 1999.

Last year I spent four frustrating months trying to get acceptable negatives with Delta 3200 and Tmax 3200. I tried Tmax developer, Microphen and ID-11 and almost gave up. It wasn't until I switched to Xtol that my developer anxieties went away. I use it exclusively. Since that time I have shot at least 4 dozen rolls of Delta 3200 (will not touch Tmax films again)and have exposed at ISO's between 800 and 3200. The results are consistent and the negatives are incredibly fine grain for a film of this speed. I am consistently getting 8x10's and 11x14's from 35mm. Yes, there is grain but at arm's length it blends and is hardly noticable. I just finished a roll of Delta 3200 (ISO 800) and processed in Xtol full strength at 75 degrees for 5-1/2 minutes. The negatives are very nice. Ilford is just introducing a new developer (DD-X I think) that is supposed to compete with Xtol but in liquid form. I am optimistic that it will be a more convenient alternative to Xtol but it must be as good for me to switch.

I would suggest that you clear out all of the chemicals that you have mixed and start over. You may have a contamination problem. Best of luck to you.

-- Robert Bedwell (rbedw51767@aol.com), July 24, 1999.

well .. my long studies and search for finding my ultimate B&W film are over. after dismal results from Delta 3200 and TMax-3200, I tried John Hicks suggestion of Delta 3200, Xtol 1:1 15'@75degrees. EI1600, and fabulous results. my main requirement is scanning on an HP S20, that is fairly selective in what it wants for B&W media.

Delta 3200 is outstanding, 8x10's are gorgeous. Delta 400 was the clear winner of my ISO 400 tests. Tri-X is beautiful on the light table but scanning was problematic for some reason. any Xtol suggestions for Delta 400 and Delta 100?

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@vernonia.com), July 24, 1999.