Delta Vs HP5 (both ASA 400)

[CMoore]

I was reading this thread..... https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/if-kodak-whithers-our-tmxs-will-it-be-hello-delta.156065/
.....and that lead me to ask this:
Even though i AM a bit of an "Old Guy" (born 1960) i am pretty much a beginner.
At this point, the only film i have shot with any regularity is ...Ilford.
Both FP4 and HP5.
I thought i might buy 10 boxes of Delta 400 and give that a try.
If anybody wants to venture an opinion.....are they pretty similar in comparison.? Is the grain structure the main reason why a photographer would choose one over the other.?
Thank You

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Delta is tabular grain film and HP5 is traditional. Delta has more red sensitivity than HP5. They are both lovely films. I use HP5 because I can get it in sheet film sizes.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I prefer traditional grain so the only tabular grain I use is when I need the speed of Delta 3200.

 

[Neal]

Dear CMoore,

Buy some! Have fun! No rules.

Neal Wydra

 

[Lachlan Young]

Different characteristic curves - different enough that if you process a roll of HP5+ & D400 to the same contrast index & contact print them you'll see it straight away. To my eye, there's something of a softer toed TX to D400 while HP5+ has a longer straight line. Regarding grain, D400 has a more complex/ sophisticated/ modern grain structure than HP5+, but how much of a difference that will make depends on a wide range of how big you print, formats you shoot & how objectionable you find HP5's grain (I don't).

Ilford's data sheet for D400 is probably one of their most comprehensive in terms of development time/ G-BAR contrast information. Personally I prefer the curve of HP5+ & am prepared to accept the somewhat grainier character of it - I'll use a bigger format if necessary.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I like the "watercolor" grain of HP5 due to pyro: smooth but with enhanced edge effect. Great for 8X10 negs, but a bit mushy in anything needing more than 3X enlargement. TMY400 is more versatile to me, and I never liked the blaah shadow repro of Delta 400. In small format I vastly prefer Delta 3200, which I rate at 800.