Ilford's Answer to Kodak TMax 100

As users of traditional silver halide black & white emulsions know, Ilford of the United Kingdom offers very credible competition to Kodak's various B&W offerings.

Here in the United States, Ilford is also known as a supplier of very fine photographic papers and developers that are used to enhance the efficiency and quality of prints made from black and white emulsions (regardless of manufacturer).

Most recently, much to the chagrin of black and white film shooters, word has reached our shores that Ilford in the UK has declared bankruptcy and been placed in receivership. The photography world waits with collective breaths held in the hope that another company will step in and rescue the parent company. Hopefully, that will happen and the supply of high quality Ilford films and papers will continue without significant interruption.

Now for the details on this product.

Users of B&W films, even in this day of digital printing are all well aware that there are two types of B&W films and they have been divided into two camps. The first are the "old technology" films like Kodak's Tri-X (ISO 400) and Plus X (ISO 125) and Ilford's FP4 (ISO 125) and HP5 (ISO 400). These films are known for their resolving power and high capability for tonal variation reproduction. In the case of the Tri-X and HP5, both films possess faster speed (i.e. ISO 400) and more pronounced and noticeable grain. Consequently, many professionals and enthusiasts who develop their own film will NOT recommend enlargement beyond 8" x 10." Despite the limitations caused by more pronounced grain patterns, both the Ilford and Kodak offerings have retained their hard core coterie of fans for all of the reasons that made these films popular with B&W photographers as they learned their trade.

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FILMS

These are the films that were developed using the principle of smaller "T" grain technology. With smaller and more densely compacted grain structure, these films from Ilford and Kodak wormed their way into the hearts of die-hard B& W shooters in large part due to their smaller grain, high contrast, sharpness and resolving power.

The Ilford DELTA 100

This film, like its Kodak counterpart(s) is offered in both ISO 100 and 400 speeds. Kodak offers its equivalent as TMAX 100 and 400.

The ISO 100 speed films are a half stop slower than the old technology ISO 125 films, but this version from Ilford loses little in the way of sensitivity to light. It's grain structure and the chemical base of the emulsion do much to allow photographers to capture their desired images without regard to worry about how large the final print may be.

CONTRAST:

Like its faster company sibling DELTA 400, DELTA 100 is a relatively high contrast film. Whites are delivered with a high degree of purity and black areas of the print are rendered very black. The amount of contrast between the two ends of the spectrum can and might appear extreme to the first time user. Contrast is delivered much more harshly (depending also on the paper used for printing) than Kodak's Plus X and Tri-X and Ilford's own FP4 and HP5 films. This may or may not be desirable for the user and consideration should be given to the effect that the photographer is trying to achieve.

SHARPNESS:

This is a very sharp film and I place some of the credit for that with the high contrast nature of the film. The starkness of gradation within the frame seems (at least to my eye) to accentuate the clarity of the subject matter, as well as foregrounds and backgrounds within the frame.

As sharp as this film is, it lends itself well to the use of special effects filters such as polarizers, soft-focus, diffusion, starburst and yellow, green and red B&W enhancing filters(known primarily for enhancing contrast between sky and earth). I have found that this film also "likes" to play well with fog filters of varying intensity and when so used, the photographer can realize the beauty of an ethereal scene, one where a single tree near Haystock Rock in Oregon will still stand out against the side of the cliff and the sea beyond while the background fades off into a foggy dream-like state.

GRAIN SIZE:

As I mentioned above, this is a new technology B&W emulsion and as a result has a markedly reduced cross section in its grain pattern. In addition to smaller size, the grain pattern is compacted and made more dense in darker areas of the print. In transitional areas of the print moving more toward lighter shades of gray, the grain, while present is not so noticeable as it would be with old technology emulsions. In white areas of the print, the viewer will not detect any residual grain. Whites are delivered very purely without any granular contamination that would render that area more gray than white.

RESOLVING POWER

In the color world, some photo analysts have actually started labeling ISO 100 speed films as medium speed emulsions when compared to the older slower films like EKTAR 25 and the still available ISO 50 and 64 slide films from Kodak and Fuji. There are those in B&W who will do the same. I prefer not to. I think of ISO 100 speed film as a slow speed film, best suited for use with ample daylight or under studio lighting conditions.

Because this is a slow speed new technology film, I try to insure that I am using it during daylight with ample sunlight (but no harsh shadows) or under better studio lighting conditions. In broad daylight or under slightly overcast skies, this films performs very well. The combination of small grain pattern with a higher contrast base emulsion does much to enhance the resolving power of this film.

These features carry over with equal ease into studio work and I know some B&W portrait photographers who use it for portrait work. However, several have told me that when they do so, they almost always use soft focus or other special effects filters to downplay the harshness created by the higher contrast nature of this film.

Modern chemistry has resulted in some truly amazing products and the world of film has benefited from technical advancements developed in sequestered lab environments. It used to be that one shot B& W or color and the developing processes and final products were the results of different visions, equipment, developing times and even the paper the image was printed on.

After many years of dominance by old technology B&W emulsions, these new technology films finally made their way to market. Many thought that the older films would be phased out by both Ilford and Kodak and yet they were not. Fortunately for users, both companies realized that the market was well served by both styles of film and continued to offer both styles.

Some years later, Ilford brought to market the first "chromogenic" black and white films; these emulsions are composed of dyes (just like color films) rather than silver halide and are developed using the C-41 color process. Over the years both Ilford and Kodak have improved these films as well and today, they co-exist with the "traditional" black and white emulsions (both old and new technology).

If, like me, you are enchanted by the depth of mystery, intrigue, character and tonal variations that black and white films are capable of offering, then shooting a few rolls of Ilford Delta 100 will recreate the experiences you had back in high school during your first photography class. Give this film from across the pond a try; I don't think you'll be disappointed.