NewsBy FilmFocus
Ilford Delta 400 Professional Gets a Limited "Collector's Edition" with Improved Sharpness and Dynamic Range
This is an AI translation of an article originally published in Japanese. If anything reads oddly, the Japanese original is the authoritative version.
Harman Technology, the company behind the Ilford brand, has released a limited "Collector's Edition" of its black-and-white film Ilford Delta 400 Professional. The all-black cassette and box are eye-catching, but the packaging isn't the only thing that has changed. The emulsion is now coated on the clear base used for roll film, a first for the company's 35mm black-and-white films.
Source: ilfordphoto.com
- DELTA 400 PROFESSIONAL Limited Edition 35mm – Ilford Photo
- Ilford's Very Limited New Black and White 35mm Film Is Sharper and Has Better Dynamic Range – PetaPixel
- Harman Technology releases collector's edition of Delta 400 Professional – Kosmo Foto
A new base, and "subtle improvements" in image quality
According to Ilford's official product page, this limited edition is the company's first 35mm black-and-white film coated on "a clearer roll film base with anti-halation properties." The specifications list it as "clear base with anti-halation backing." As a result, Ilford says there are "subtle improvements" in dynamic range, shadow detail, scanning characteristics, halation and sharpness.
On the other hand, its characteristics, speed and development times are said to be the same as regular Delta 400 Professional. The official page includes a development chart listing times such as 9 minutes 30 seconds in ID-11 stock and 8 minutes in ILFOTEC DD-X 1+4, so existing development data can be used as is. The price is also the same as the regular product.
Ilford's 35mm films are known for their grayish base, while its 120 films have a clearer base, and users have long said things like "it's the same emulsion, but 120 is easier to scan." This release essentially brings the 120 base over to 35mm.
"A test to see if there's a market"
Why a limited edition? In the comments on Instagram, Ilford replied that it is "a test to see what people think and whether there is a market." If the response is good, the company may continue making it as a regular product, but in that case the price would "likely be higher than the existing product."
A comment on Instagram: the anti-halation base will be more expensive than the existing version
In other words, the Collector's Edition is both a collector's item in black packaging and a product that doubles as market research for the base change. This positioning is presumably why the limited edition sells for the same price as the regular film.
Sales and availability
It is available in 35mm only, in "very limited quantities, while stocks last." Note that while the packaging says "Collector's Edition," the product name on the official page is "DELTA 400 PROFESSIONAL Limited Edition 35mm."
The official product page shows a price starting at $15.19 per roll (from £13.08 on the UK page), but it is listed as "Available in Stores" and is not sold through Ilford's online shop. It is sold through authorized dealers, which you can find using the official store locator.
It can be bought from dealers' online stores. In the US, Freestyle Photo sells a 36-exposure roll for $15.99, and FilmFocus confirmed on September 20 that it could be ordered online. We have not yet seen any official announcement regarding availability in Japan.
How it differs from the 145th anniversary retro packaging
This isn't Ilford's first limited packaging. As we covered on FilmFocus, in 2024 the company released retro packaging to mark its 145th anniversary as a limited run. It covered HP5 Plus and FP4 Plus in 35mm and 120, reviving the yellow- and blue-themed 1950s–60s designs of their predecessors, HP3 and FP3. That project, which users had reportedly been requesting for some time, was about enjoying the packaging itself.
Image source: Ilford official website
What sets this Collector's Edition apart is that, in addition to the all-black exterior, the film inside has been changed. Rather than a collector's item with different packaging, it is more accurate to think of it as a product testing the market's response to the base change. How much of a difference the "subtle improvements" make in shadows and scanning is something we'd rather judge once real-world sample images are available, but at the same price as the regular film, it seems worth trying, especially for those who shoot Delta 400 regularly. FilmFocus has picked up a few rolls, and we plan to publish a comparison with the regular version.