Ilford HP5+ 400asa 35mm - 36 exp

Product Information

If you are looking to try film photography for the first time and are wondering where to start, then you have come to the right place. Nominally rated atISO 400, HP5 PLUSproduces negatives of outstanding sharpness and fine grain under all lighting conditions. It has been formulated to respond well to push-processing and can be rated up to El 3200/36°. From my experience though, that’s the wrong way to look at it. The steady Eddie stats that make up Ilford HP5 Plus are analogous to the last part of its name. A positive, not a negative. All things considered, I really liked the results it gave me. I mentioned above that HP5 PLUS typically retains less shadow detail in darker scenes than modern T-grain films but that isn’t a surprise considering the differences in emulsion technology. Taking advantage of this characteristic allows the photographer to isolate lighter subjects in bright relief (as the images above show), and is something to think about when you’re shooting this film in a dark environment. So far I’ve been doing HP5 at box speed developed in D76 1+1 mostly. Which is OK but it’s just too grey for my liking and the grain structure just not a classic one like Tri-X (I find it to look more modern, dunno).

HP5 PLUS Sheet Film - Ilford Photo HP5 PLUS Sheet Film - Ilford Photo

If you want some details in shadows though, I believe that EI 800 is optimal for push processing. The “true speed” of HP5+ is usually tested around 250 I think (in my case 320) but as I’ve mentioned, when it’s pushed, the film will try to maintain shadow details as much as possible – depending of course on lighting and other factors. I just completed a comparison test of Tri-X and HP5+. The films are nearly identical in sharpness and grain. HP5 + may be a little finer-grained, but it is almost impossible to tell for certain. The films were processed simultaneously in the same tank, developed in Adox FX-39 II developer diluted 1 + 14 for 9.25 mins @ 68F/20C. So, what are the pros and cons of pushing HP5+ this far? Well, there’s a fair bit of grain, but HP5+ is never the smoothest film anyway, and the structure is pretty good, adding a nice grittiness to the shots. Deep shadows get pretty crushed, but what else can you expect shooting at night? Honestly, being able to take a camera out in the evening or at night and either set-and-forget exposure, or use it the same way you would on a sunny day, with a wide range of shutter speeds and apertures available, is a fantastic experience. Being able to shoot at night, handheld, with a variety of apertures and speeds available, is great, though if using a rangefinder you do need to find a bright area to focus on. In contrast, my other camera, loaded with Fuji Press 800 at box speed, needed to be on a tripod for all shots. Almost empty streets have a ghostly feel under the streetlamps – but with a high ASA you can capture people in the moment, where long exposures would blur them out.

There’s a branding reason Ilford uses Plus or “+” in their emulsions’ names. HP5+ is grouped with FP4+ (est. 1935) and Pan F+ (est. 1948) in the Plus range of films. Films in Ilford’s Plus range are all the latest generations of “established” emulsions in ISOs 400, 125, and 50. If you just look at the ISO 400 box speed, traditional yet fine grain and not overbearing contrast, it would be easy to dismiss HP5 Plus on paper as being an average film with no unique selling proposition. Ilford’s other famous range is Delta which uses newer (est. 1990) technology with finer grain at the cost of a narrower dynamic range and a smaller margin of error for development times. I’m not a technician, I’m not a professional photographer and I also don’t have too much experience, so you’re probably asking yourself, “So, why did you say you’d write about HP5 PLUS?”

Ilford HP5 Plus Film Review | Analogue Wonderland

Curiously, many of the improvements HP5+ gained over its plus-less predecessor were apparently tailored for press photographers (Photo Pro issue 4, 1989). Pushability up to ISO 3200 was one of them. So was the slightly finer grain and a bit more shadow detail than its fierce competitor for the press market, Kodak Tri-X .HP5 is the most versatile film on the market. It can be shot in nearly any situation and still come away with mind-blowing negatives. Some other ISO 400 films, like Tri-X, get too contrasty at higher ISO values, but HP5 underexposes extremely well. In fact, Anchell and Troop’s The Film Developing Cookbook — a long-standing bible for film and printmakers — suggests that HP5 is the best film on the market for pushing to ISO 1600 and 3200. See our article on comparing Single Use Cameras – Side by side photo comparison including Ilford HP5 and XP2 cameras. Leica vs. Canonet

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (35mm) Film Emulsion Review: Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (35mm)

When developed normally, HP5+ is a remarkably versatile emulsion. Its box speed ISO 400 is already ideal for a wide range of light conditions with most cameras — from full sun to indoor lighting without a tripod. But the film can also be shot at ISO 200-800 without significant loss of detail. HP5+ has a huge dynamic range; its contrast can be changed by adjusting exposure and readjusted digitally. My advice is to over expose it a stop if you can, or simply expose for the brightest part of the highlights on the subject, or aspect of the subject you’d like to isolate. Grain There are few things to consider while pushing. Contrast increases due to lost detail in shadows, so it’s better to agitate very slowly and carefully. I typically do inversions/rotations initially for 30 seconds and then 1 every half a minute. HP5 Plus did live up to its billing as far as contrast goes too. I definitely got more dramatic results out of the JCH Street Pan 400 and the Rollei Retro 400 too. Not that this is categorically a bad thing or a good thing. Some people might not want too much contrast.Hi SROYON, in your test I couldn't understand some things. I was able to understand the test for whites, but… The original FP4 was launched in the 1960s, so it has definitely stood the test of time. It has since been updated in the 90s to the new and improved FP4 Plus.