HP5 or FP4 in Pyrocat HD - help me decide

After using Tri-X 320 sheet film for decades, mostly for 4x5, I'm slowly shifting to FP4+. First of all, I can get it in whole-plate size, so both of my big cameras can use the same film. Second, I find that the slower emulsion makes little difference in my typical shooting situations. Third, echoing Thomas B's comments, it is very close in tonality to Tri-X.

I rate it at about 64 or 80 in Pyrocat HD, mostly because I like a lot of shadow detail. It works very well in expanded development, and I find that when using Pyrocat HD, my need to contract development more than N-1 is not necessary. (I can use divided development or semi-stand development to achieve my minus-development goals.)

I've not tried HP5+ in many years. My go-to fast film has been Tri-X 400 or T-Max 400, usually in 120 format. (I use MF when the weather is too lousy for LF, and those dark, windy, cloudy days call for more speed.) I do not care for Delta 400. Given Kodak's instability, I probably need to try some HP5+, which is available for all the formats I use.

If one film would work for all purposes, we'd have only one film. Shooting style and conditions, format, and *gasp* personal preferences call for a variety of films. It makes a little more work for us, the consumers, but at least we have a choice.

Peter Gomena

climbabout said:

I tested this film/developer combination and I rate Fp4+ at 160 with Pyrocat HD. Feeling that I made a mistake, I retested and came to the same rating. Sandy King (the one who developed Pyrocat HD) will tell you it gives enhanced film speed.

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FP4+ with Pyrocat HD at greater than film box speed? Interesting. That seems strangely consistent with my own limited findings when working briefly with Acros 100 and Pyrocat HD. Shot at slightly under rated speed (100) using recommended dilutions and normal agitation, the negatives were unfailingly thin (though not "unprintable"), with little shadow detail and enhanced grain – not what I was looking for. I didn't actually test the film speed myself prior to shooting, relying on published recommendations, but found no particular reason at that time to change from PMK Pyro and Rodinal and slower speed films. With good slow speed (25 – 50) 120 films increasingly hard to find, I'll definitely have to take another look at Pyrocat and non-tabular 100 speed films.

Michael R 1974 said:

in WD2D FP4 ended up being a full stop faster than Delta 100 in my testing.

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Survey says FP4 in WD2D was EI ______ ?

Michael R 1974 said:

~64. But I don't do 1/3 stops so 50 works for me. I've seen high ratings, but of course it depends on personal preferences - and densitometry with stained negatives is not straight forward.

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That number makes sense, thanks.