Ilford HP5+ 400asa 35mm - 36 exp

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Another new thing to point out is this film’s exposure latitude, as well as its aforementioned dynamic range.

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 35mm Film Review - My Favourite Lens

If I shoot at 1000 ISO, and adopt an Aperture and Shutter Speed combination that results in the exposure needle being correctly positioned, then what instructions would you give the Lab. Note: All example pictures are shown as originally scanned with no post-processing whatsoever for greater objectivity in comparison. This sequentially numbered HP range has remained at ISO 400 ever since, through the 1970s and 1980s in the form of HP4 and HP5, and on to today with the introduction of HP5 Plus in 1989. I'm a musician and fairly recent convert to film photography - taking it up during the first lockdown to fill a creative gap left by gigs being cancelled. Overexposing film reduces contrast on the negatives, which makes them easier to print or adjust digitally.Ilford’s DD-X is renowned for how it looks with modern T-Grain films, and is fantastic for pushing film without creating too much grain. That’s bound to either make you fall madly in love with it, or run for the hills looking for something else. Or you can rate HP5+ at ISO 200 and develop normally to dial back the contrast in scenes with dark/stark shadows. A full roll of film may take you a while to finish, and this is great for when you have a project or specific idea in mind that you need a lot of images for.

Ilford HP5 - A photo comparison by The Kodak Tri-X vs. Ilford HP5 - A photo comparison by The

I’ve been developing at home with this film for three years straight, and have learned a lot about working with it to get the best results. I inverted the tank for the first 30 seconds, then for my usual 5 times every 30 seconds for the first 5 minutes, 5 times every minute for the next 5 minutes, twice every minute for the next five, and then once a minute until the end of development. Overexposure fills in those spaces, and make tones across an image change more gradually, with less grain-to-grain contrast, for a smooth, beautiful appearance. Personally, I usually lean towards shooting it at box speed or with a one stop push – I like the flexibility and tend to lean towards higher contrast anyway. Surely I’ve still so much to learn, but I simply can’t understand how, why and when TriX should be considered better than HP5+.

Looking around on the internets, I see all kinds of ‘comparisons’ of these two films by people who have no idea what they are doing. I haven’t gone down that rabbit hole myself, but people do report good results from doing so elsewhere. This is because over-exposing film is more likely to expose every single grain on the roll, creating a fine, ‘dense’ negative. Let’s not beat about the bush here, it’s cheaper than Kodak Tri-X 400 in most territories I’m aware of.

Ilford HP5 Plus Film Review | Analogue Wonderland

Learn more about the differences between film developers, and how to choose the right one for you in this article. In practice, HP5+ can capture details from difficult lighting conditions better than most, if not all films. I might add that my preference for Ilford films stems not so much from the emulsions but rather for the straightness of the base that makes it so much easier to scan. It boasts exceptionally fine grain, outstanding resolution and sharpness, and is best suited for bright conditions and sunny days. Since 1976, we have developed literally millions of rolls of film with experienced lab professionals and film enthusiasts.It’s okay to shoot HP5 with exposures ranging between ISO 200 to ISO 800 on the same roll with normal development. For me it was my first (film) love and I didn’t need to try anything else – in terms of brands – because I think that in this film, I can find everything I need from high to low sensitivity. Both films are legendary, but you have to be thoughtful when using them and not get hung up on camera models. There’s a reason it’s been around for so long and is today one of the most commonly shot black and white films in the world.