Has someone used HP5+ in D-76 Stock for 35mm portraiture?

Juan Valdenebro · Mar 28, 2021

I have not, but I'd like to check them at EI500 for soft light...
D-76 Stock has often been called best image quality...
I wonder if stock solution can dissolve grain and give a soft but good image, tonally.
I know HP5+ is good in Xtol and Pyrocat-HD, but I want to use my D-76 because I never tried it Stock.
Thank you!

awty · Mar 28, 2021

Its wonderful for portraiture in medium format and larger. I dont think you can beat the tone of hp5, works great on skin tones. You will get a bit more grain in 35mm, ok if thats what you want.
Stock will give a bit more contrast, so bare that in mind with your subject. Stock D76 is my preferred developer in 35mm for 400 to 1600 iso..
Best way is to try it yourself and see.

Juan Valdenebro · Mar 28, 2021

awty said:
Its wonderful for portraiture in medium format and larger. I dont think you can beat the tone of hp5, works great on skin tones. You will get a bit more grain in 35mm, ok if thats what you want.
Stock will give a bit more contrast, so bare that in mind with your subject. Stock D76 is my preferred developer in 35mm for 400 to 1600 iso..
Best way is to try it yourself and see.

Great, Paul... In fact I want to see that often mentioned "higher highlight contrast" stock is supposed to give: I imagine it will help soft light.

gone · Mar 28, 2021

Yes, but I prefer Tri-X in full strength D76. The grain is more attractive (to me), But I've never got on well w/ any of the Ilford films besides XP2 and Delta 100, and that Delta 100 is a really, really good film! For 35mm portraits I always go w/ Tri-X shot at 200-250, and develop in either Rodinal at 1:25 or 1:50 if I'm after grain, or stock D76 for those gorgeous deep blacks and smooth value transitions.

How big are you going to print? I somehow ended up w/ a roll of Tmax, which I never shoot, and the portraits from that film had very tight grain. I enlarged to 11x14, but it could have gone to 12x18 easily.

Danner · Mar 29, 2021

Not an answer to your question, but I'll add this...

XTOL 1:1 has performed well with HP5, and is economical for one-shot use. But XTOL stock does a very good job of managing HP5 grain in 8x10 (and larger) prints. It produces nice skin tones, and open sky graininess is well controlled. Works well, IMHO.

Juan Valdenebro · Mar 29, 2021

Thank you!

Juan Valdenebro · Mar 29, 2021

momus said:
Yes, but I prefer Tri-X in full strength D76. The grain is more attractive (to me), But I've never got on well w/ any of the Ilford films besides XP2 and Delta 100, and that Delta 100 is a really, really good film! For 35mm portraits I always go w/ Tri-X shot at 200-250, and develop in either Rodinal at 1:25 or 1:50 if I'm after grain, or stock D76 for those gorgeous deep blacks and smooth value transitions.

How big are you going to print? I somehow ended up w/ a roll of Tmax, which I never shoot, and the portraits from that film had very tight grain. I enlarged to 11x14, but it could have gone to 12x18 easily.

Hi momus,
At 200, Tri-X looks a lot better in Perceptol, if you want to check... Stock for no grain, 1+2 for small sharp grain.
Thank you!

john_s · Mar 30, 2021

If there's enough light to expose generously, I'd be inclined to rate the HP5+ at around 200 and develop just enough but no more. I like the softness of doing it like that, and avoiding shadowy eye sockets. Depends on the subject, of course, and the look you want.

Has someone used HP5+ in D-76 Stock for 35mm portraiture?

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