Ilford Delta 3200 (6400 ISO)	FX-39 II
Format:	120
Exposed at:	6400 ISO
Developer dilution:	1+5
Development time:	12 minutes
Temperature:	20°C
Agitation:	30 seconds of initial agitation, then 10 seconds every minute

A developer not intended for high-speed films

Adox states that FX-39 II is “particularly good for films up to 200 ISO”. Likewise, Adox does not even mention the 1+5 dilution used here [1].

However, development times for this combination can still be found online [2].

So what kind of results does FX-39 II deliver when used five stops beyond its preferred range (6400 ISO)?

Beautiful tonal rendition

The same pleasant tonal qualities seen with FX-39 II on slower films can be found here as well. The rendering feels soft yet lively.

Noticeable grain, but not unpleasant

On 6×6 medium-format photographs, the grain is visible even without close inspection. Still, it remains fairly pleasing to the eye.

More images

Perfectly usable results

I’m quite pleased with the tonal rendering produced by this developer. That said, I do not really have a strong comparison base with other developers in medium format.

However, it is safe to assume that grain reduction is not FX-39 II’s strongest point. Other developers such as Perceptol are probably better suited for that purpose.

As a result, I would not use this combination again for 35mm photography – nor Delta 3200 pushed to 6400 in general.