Ilford Delta 3200

Research-backed original, derived from the Ilford Delta 3200 Professional datasheet (archived) + a real street scan (analysis-only). Reproduces Ilford's high-speed push stock: true ISO ~1000, designed to be shot and developed at EI 3200, the heaviest, most prominent grain of any B&W in the bank, with a smoother, more "organic" push character than Kodak's T-Max P3200. Derivation in the notes.

Why these values (short)

• Acros base: the premium B&W profile carries Delta's real tonal gradation better than plain Monochrome despite the heavy grain overlay.
• Grain Strong, Large: datasheet: true speed ISO 1000, "designed to be exposed at EI 3200 and given extended development" (range EI 400-25000), the heaviest push-driven grain of any B&W here, heavier than Tri-X.
• DR400: holds detail across the wide contrast range that push development produces. Also nudges the digital ISO floor up, appropriate for a "shoot it fast" stock.
• Shadow +2: deep blacks from extended/push development (confirmed in the real scan: clothing and doorway shadows go rich and dark).
• Highlight 0, Sharpness 0: kept moderate/neutral (unlike Tri-X's snappier +1/+1) for Delta's comparatively smoother, more "organic" pushed tonality, a deliberate point of difference from both Tri-X and T-Max P3200.
• Clarity +1: a light touch of grit befitting the reportage/push character, less than Tri-X's +3 (Delta's identity is about grain volume, not micro-contrast bite).
• ISO to 12800: shooting at high ISO (3200+) is the entire point of this stock. Treat the ISO dial as part of the recipe, the same way as T-Max P3200.

Handling

• Night, indoor, low light, reportage: this is a "shoot it dark" film. Don't be shy about high ISO.
• For a punchier/grittier alternative in the same speed class, use Kodak T-Max P3200 (Highlight +1/Shadow +3/Sharpness +2), the two sit side by side as the "smooth" vs "snappy" push-speed B&W options.

Validation tier: Datasheet-validated (true-speed/EI-range table, archived PDF) + 1 real scan (overcast street scene: confirmed prominent, obvious grain throughout even the sky. Moderate contrast. Deep-but-detailed shadows in clothing). Characteristic pass strong (well-documented push stock). More scans across conditions welcome.

Scan validation, second pass (2026-07-20): a second confirmed Delta 3200 frame from a different photographer (Wikimedia Commons, analysis-only. Ricoh GR1 · Ilford Delta 3200): a Edinburgh street seen through a dark stone gateway, flat overcast light. The useful surprise. It is far less chunky than its reputation. Grain is clearly present as texture across sky and pavement, but it is not the coarse mush most people expect from a 3200 film. Delta's core-shell T-grain structure is finer than the speed implies. The frame also holds a wide tonal range in one exposure: bright overcast sky, mid-grey sandstone, and deep gateway shadows, with moderate, well-separated mid-tones rather than extreme contrast. What this means for the recipe: it corroborates the datasheet reading that Delta 3200 is a true ISO ~1000 emulsion designed to be rated at 3200, not an inherently brutal high-contrast stock. Shot near box speed in daylight it is surprisingly civil. If you want the gritty look people associate with the name, that comes from pushing and underexposure, not from the film's base character. Raise ISO and expose down (which also drives Fujifilm's shadow-weighted grain engine, see Grain & Detail. Grain Effect, Sharpness, Clarity, High ISO NR grain-and-detail).

ISO 500 is the sweet spot, not a compromise (measured 2026-07-27). DR400 pins the ISO floor at 500, and that is exactly where the X-T5's conversion-gain step sits, so it is the cleanest ISO in that region, not a tax you pay for using DR400. ISO 640 is the expensive next click: roughly 0.35 EV of dynamic range for one third-stop, against about 0.02 EV for the step from 400 to 500. In good light, hold ISO at 500 and control exposure with aperture and shutter. Measured from published read-noise and PDR data, see Dynamic Range & Tone Curve, the contrast controls.

Original (datasheet + scan validated). See the notes, the B&W README, and the Knowledge base.

The film

Ilford Delta 3200 Professional, the brand's flagship high-speed push stock. The datasheet (archived) reveals a fact most people don't know: its true ISO speed is 1000, not 3200. It's designed to be metered and shot at EI 3200 with extended development (usable range EI 400-25000, "particularly recommended" 1600-6400). This is a push-process film by design, not a fast film that happens to push well.

Real-scan confirmation (1 image, analysis-only)

An overcast street scene (a man at a bus stop, UK high street): prominent, obvious grain visible even in the flat overcast sky. Heavier and more textured than either Tri-X or HP5 in our other real scans. Moderate contrast with the day's flat light. Shadow detail well retained in the man's coat and the shop doorways despite the grain load. Consistent with a push-developed high-speed emulsion: grain-forward but not contrast-starved.

The grade in one line

The grainiest B&W in the bank, a "shoot it in the dark" push-speed stock with a smoother, more organic pushed tonality than Kodak's equivalent.

Delta 3200 vs Kodak T-Max P3200: a deliberate distinction

Both are true-ISO-~1000 stocks designed for EI 3200 push development. Direct competitors. Community/reviewer consensus (well-documented) describes Delta 3200 as slightly smoother and more "creamy" in midtone rendering, where T-Max P3200 reads snappier and more clinical. This recipe reflects that: Highlight 0 / Shadow +2 / Sharpness 0 / Clarity +1 (Delta) vs Highlight +1 / Shadow +3 / Sharpness +2 / Clarity +1 (T-Max P3200, reference). Delta pulled back a notch on contrast and sharpness while keeping the same grain intensity and a similar light touch of Clarity.

How the settings embody it

Acros carries real tonal gradation under the heavy grain overlay. Grain Strong/Large is the headline trait. Heavier than every other B&W original here. DR400 holds the wide contrast range push development produces. Shadow +2 gives the deep, rich blacks extended development is known for, confirmed in the real scan. Clarity +1 (not 0) is a deliberate small deviation, some push-processed micro-contrast bite belongs in this look, though less than Tri-X's +3.

vs the rest of the B&W family

Validation status

Datasheet-validated (true-speed/EI table, archived PDF) + 1 real scan (overcast street). Characteristic pass strong. More scans across low-light/night conditions (the film's actual working environment) would strengthen this further.