For me, the right developer was the key. Also, you need to consider that pushing 35mm is going to net grainier images than 120 by virtue of the fact that the grain is simply less visible on the bigger negative. Contrast will be about the same.
At 3200 you're either shooting Delta 3200 or P3200 or you're pushing a 400 speed film by 3 stops. Assuming the latter...
I've only pushed to 1600 so far and almost all with either HP5 or Tri-X. In Rodinal the results were terrible. I have no examples greater than 800 as the grain on that prevented my pushing further and I'd just use P3200 instead.
In HC-110, it's nowhere near as bad, but in DD-X it's lovely!
Some (pretty terrible) examples from my testing, which I think are posted elsewhere, but I can't remember where. These are all 35mm shots.
This is a heavy crop. HP5 pushed to 800 in HC-110. It shows how the gray renders the grain in the mid tones and how the shadows perform.
Then this. HP5 pushed to 800 in DD-X. The grain is much less pronounced - esp in the shadow areas. Thye downside is that this is clearly a bit more exposed than the previous shot. With hindsight I should have kept the settings the same.
These are full sized images of HP5 pushed to 1600 in DD-X. I love how the grain is rendered in the shadow detail. These look gorgeous to my eyes.
I have shot Tri-X at 1600, but the results were more gritty and contrasty. I developed in DD-X simply because HC-110 is not really acceptable to me.
Slightly grainier but far from unacceptable!
But to answer your question about 3200 - I haven't gone there yet. I wanted to shoot P3200 vs HP5 pushed to 3200 both in DD-X to see what the results were. Just not got round to it yet is all. I know Nige
@FishyFish has talked about it but not sure where he got with it...
