Ilford 3200 - what ISO do you use for this film?

[jenjenMN]

I have always shot my rolls of 3200 at ISO 3200. I am just finding our that shooting with ISO 1600 is better and what many people do with that film. What would the benefits be of using 1600?

thank you!!

 

[dxqcanada]

That film has a wide latitude ... I used to use this film @ 800 often ... I think it is a 1000ISO base.
With film photography in general ... if you over expose and under develop you increase shadow detail while pulling the highlights down ... this may or may advantageous for the subject ... but I think in your case you may seeing more shadow detail at 1600 vs 3200 that is pleasing to what you shoot.

 

[compur]

It's not really an ISO 3200 film in the usual sense. Ilford doesn't state its true ISO rating but it's estimated to be around 1000 to 1600.

Ilford says, “It is designed to be exposed at EI 3200 and given extended development.”

Meaning when you shoot it at 3200 you are actually pushing the film. Ilford also says you can shoot it anywhere from ISO 400 to 6400 with appropriate development.

So, shooting it at less than 3200 should give you better overall image quality than when shot at 3200.

See the data sheet here:
https://www.ilfordphoto.com/amfile/file/download/file/1913/product/683/

 

[webestang64]

Keep in mind that labs (like mine) will always assume you shot Kodak or Ilford's 3200 at 3200 as the can is DX coded to 3200.

BTW, I've shot Kodak up to 25000 and developed it in X-Tol 1:1 and got good tones.
Kodak 3200.... https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/prod/files/files/products/F4001.pdf

 

[jenjenMN]

Keep in mind that labs (like mine) will always assume you shot Kodak or Ilford's 3200 at 3200 as the can is DX coded to 3200.

BTW, I've shot Kodak up to 25000 and developed it in X-Tol 1:1 and got good tones.
Kodak 3200.... https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/prod/files/files/products/F4001.pdf

I just ordered a couple rolls of Kodak 3200!

 

[Derrel]

Better shadow detail would likely be the #1 benefit, IMO.

 

[Ulophot]

Jenjen, it has been a long time, but I chose Ilford's over Kodak's when they first came out, finding the former's grain appreciably finer. I used it where pushing HP5 to 800 was not adequate, due to shutter speed requirements. I shot it at 1600, preferring the degree of shadow detail and finer grain than at 3200. I used it mainly for ballet, both studio rehearsals and dress rehearsals and related activities, where 1/250 was typically needed to avoid blur. With careful development in Microphen and a cold light enlarger, sometimes a bit of Gene Smith's window screen diffusion under the enalarger lens, I was able to make 11x14s from 35mm negs without overpowering grain. Hope this helps.