Developing HP5+ that I don't remember if I pushed or not

sorbrant · Jul 18, 2022

Hi

I recently shot 2 rolls of HP5+ in 120, one at box speed and one at 1600, but I stupidly forgot to mark the pushed roll so now I don't know which is which... Any suggestions on the best way to develop these rolls? Would stand development be a possible solution?

I have Rodinal, ID11, Ilfotec HC and DD-X, so ideally I'd like to use one of those.

Thanks!

jtk · Jul 18, 2022

fwiw I think stand development, which I rely on almost entirely with 35mm, will make 120 uneven top-to-bottom. I think some sort of semi-stand would reduce or eliminate that problem.

AZD · Jul 18, 2022

If it were me I’d split the difference and develop both for the time at 800, ID-11 or DD-X. HP5 is very forgiving. Of course you may not get optimal negatives for every exposure, but they’ll still be very good.

I had a weird thing happen a few years ago where I started a roll at 250, and events unfolded so that I was later shooting by streetlights, maybe 1600, or basically whatever I could hand hold wide open. Developed in D76 for the 1600 time (the more valuable images were at 1600) and it all came out very well. Now keep in mind I print optically, so a dense negative can just be printed with greater exposure. Scanning may change your equation.

I wouldn’t stand develop, again personal opinion. The few times I’ve tried it with HP5 I got exaggerated edge effects I didn’t care for. That was 35mm, so maybe less of an issue on 120.

BCM · Jul 18, 2022

You could weigh them both and see which has more light and is therefore heavier. (joke). Depending on the images, you could cut off 6" off of one roll and develop it normally to see which is which. You'd sacrifice some of the roll/images but at least you'd recover the large portion of the work.

John Salim · Jul 18, 2022

Clip test one roll and go from there.

JS

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Jul 18, 2022

First develop one of the rolls, say roll A, as if you have shot it at EI:800. This will give you usable negatives and you should be able to infer the true EI of roll A from the negatives. Suppose the true EI of roll A was 400, then you know that roll B was shot at EI:1600. And vice versa. Next develop roll B according to its true EI.

Rayt · Jul 18, 2022

It would be easy enough to snip a test strip from the end of one roll and process it at box speed. I would prefer to sacrifice a frame to be sure.

Sirius Glass · Jul 18, 2022

Rayt said:
It would be easy enough to snip a test strip from the end of one roll and process it at box speed. I would prefer to sacrifice a frame to be sure.

I agree. Maybe you will loose the one shot at 1600, it is only two stops over, but the rest of the roll will be good.

jtk · Jul 18, 2022

Don't do snip test. That might make sense for chrome film but isn't necessary for B&W. Semi-stand Rodinal 1+50. Development of both films would be the same.

sorbrant · Jul 18, 2022

jtk said:
Don't do snip test. That might make sense for chrome film but isn't necessary for B&W. Semi-stand Rodinal 1+50. Development of both films would be the same.

Very tempted to listen to James Joyce's advice

Tel · Jul 18, 2022

BCM said:
You could weigh them both and see which has more light and is therefore heavier. (joke).

Wouldn't the one with more light be lighter? (one bad joke deserves another...)

Craig · Jul 19, 2022

I'd use ID-11 over Rodinal, I think you'll obtain a better overall image quality.

Steven Lee · Jul 19, 2022

sorbrant said:
Hi

I recently shot 2 rolls of HP5+ in 120, one at box speed and one at 1600, but I stupidly forgot to mark the pushed roll so now I don't know which is which... Any suggestions on the best way to develop these rolls?

Minor nitpick: you haven't pushed anything yet. Pushing happens during development. You have underexposed one of the rolls. Sorry Couldn't resist.

250swb · Jul 19, 2022

Use your most boring developer, D-76, HC110 Dilution B, or whatever, and just go for it using a standard time. It's the best way to learn from 'mistakes' and you know you will getting something printable.

Agulliver · Jul 19, 2022

Clip tests and semi-stand may well work. But what I'd do is develop one roll in ID-11 pushing to 800. Unless the roll you shot at 1600 was under very low lighting it should yield usable images, and the one shot at box speed will if correctly metered. Then you know for sure what the second film is and can process it correctly.

grain elevator · Jul 19, 2022

I would develop the first roll at the push time for 1600 as I vastly prefer overdevelopment to underdevelopment, I print optically and like a contrasty image. I you scan it might be different.

Developing HP5+ that I don't remember if I pushed or not

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency