HP5+ Over Exposure by 4 Stops - Any hope?

[Pioneer]

I have a problem and there may be no way out of it. But I thought I might throw this out to the group and get some feedback anyway.

Out shooting with my 11x14 camera yesterday and I forgot to insert the aperture card into my lens. As a result I over exposed a sheet of film. Now fortunately I did catch on and was able to expose a 2nd sheet at the correct exposure, but I would like to try to recover the over-exposed one if possible.

The correct exposure was f32 and the actual exposure was wide open, which is pretty close to f8. There wouldn't be much if any bellows factor since I was at infinity.

I am tempted to try HC110 dilution H for about 6 minutes at 21C, but Digital Truth says that will work for EI 100 and I think I am closer to EI 50 in this case. Maybe reducing development time to 5 minutes? Or perhaps reducing the dilution even further? I am using a big JOBO tank so I can add lots of dilution if I need.

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

 

[Horatio]

Any chance you can develop by inspection?

 

[Lemale]

Hi,


I'm not used to HC110. but i think 7-8 minutes in rodinal 1:50 will do, overexposure is not such a big deal if you're not shooting slide film imho.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Getting a developer that loses speed seems the right path.

 

[Craig75]

obviously it's going to depend how many stops were in the scene but I've shot HP5 at 100 and just cut development back and got some really nice negatives out of it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I would give it two-bath in D-23. Be sure to put a few drops of a surfactant in bath A. Or... If you use Pyrocat-HD, try semi-stand. HP5 with extra exposure is lovely developed that way. Or...two-bath Pyrocat-HD. Decisions, decisions!

 

[Pioneer]

Any chance you can develop by inspection?

Not really an option here.

 

[removed account4]

Hey Dan
Any caffenol handy? process it normal. LOL. you will have nice contact printable film
and if its too dense make a tray of farmer's reducer and just put it in there for a h-o-t New York minute...
John

 

[Pioneer]

Hey Dan
Any caffenol handy? process it normal. LOL. you will have nice contact printable film
and if its too dense make a tray of farmer's reducer and just put it in there for a h-o-t New York minute...
John

Wow. Never thought of that. I even have a bit of freshy mixed Ansco 130 I could add.

Farmers Reducer I don't have but I can probably find a formula for it.

 

[Pioneer]

obviously it's going to depend how many stops were in the scene but I've shot HP5 at 100 and just cut development back and got some really nice negatives out of it.

I measured about 5 stops. It was an early morning exposure with sun just above the mountains. No snow in the composition so it isn't real contrasty.

 

[Pioneer]

I would give it two-bath in D-23. Be sure to put a few drops of a surfactant in bath A. Or... If you use Pyrocat-HD, try semi-stand. HP5 with extra exposure is lovely developed that way. Or...two-bath Pyrocat-HD. Decisions, decisions!

I kind of like this idea. D-23 is a pretty soft working developer to start with and I have a freshly mixed batch. I'll look about and see if I have any sodium borate handy for the 2nd bath.

 

[Craig75]

I measured about 5 stops. It was an early morning exposure with sun just above the mountains. No snow in the composition so it isn't real contrasty.

4stop over + 5 stops scene should all still fit in hp5+ before you hit the shoulder so in my world you can do either; develop normally or reduce development.

 

[cjbecker]

I just over exposed one sheet of 4x5 hp5 by 3 stops, developed the sheet along with my other 5 normally exposed sheets. I have not printed the negs yet, but it should print easily. The shots where pretty flat lighting.

 

[pentaxuser]

Dan I saw a video on over and underexposing HP5+ a few weeks ago but unfortunately did not make a note of the presenter or actual name of the video but as I recall 4 stops over was a little different from 400 but still OK

It surprised me just how much latitude there was in HP5+ I'll know it if I saw it again so I'll try and find it. It's worth a look

Just found it It is called Ilford HP5 Film Exposure Limit by Kyle McDougall

Here's the link:

pentaxuser

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Dan I saw a video on over and underexposing HP5+ a few weeks ago but unfortunately did not make a note of the presenter or actual name of the video but as I recall 4 stops over was a little different from 400 but still OK

It surprised me just how much latitude there was in HP5+ I'll know it if I saw it again so I'll try and find it. It's worth a look

pentaxuser

I remember that video as well. I think he was developing them normally... I can't remember if he wet printed the negatives or just scanned them. Huge difference there.
Was it this video?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

@pentaxuser haha you beat me to it!

 

[pentaxuser]

I remember that video as well. I think he was developing them normally... I can't remember if he wet printed the negatives or just scanned them. Huge difference there.
Was it this video?

Yes,unfortunately Andrew it turns out it was lab scans that he showed so the key question is whether those scans were a true reflection of what can be done in a darkroom print which is clearly important for Dan although the "miracle of scanning" is what's crucial for a bigger and bigger percentage of our members these days

pentaxuser

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Yes,unfortunately Andrew it turns out it was lab scans that he showed so the key question is whether those scans were a true reflection of what can be done in a darkroom print which is clearly important for Dan although the "miracle of scanning" is what's crucial for a bigger and bigger percentage of our members these days

pentaxuser

If it were me, I'd go in the back yard and purposefully expose a sheet 4 stops over, and test it out in divided D-23...if I were making a wet print. But he does have a properly exposed sheet of same scene so why waste another precious sheet?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

At the end of the day, pioneer should have a very robust negative, with heaps of shadow detail to work with.

 

[Pioneer]

However...on that same note. I could over expose a sheet of 4x5 by 4 stops and test it. The large difference between sheet size should not have a major effect...should it?

 

[Pioneer]

And of course you are right. I do have the good exposure to work with as well.

There is as much curiosity as anything involved in this. But it would be interesting to compare the two prints at the end of the day. Besides, I know we are supposed to learn from our mistakes, but unfortunately I have been known to repeat them occasionally. It could be important information for my future since my memory is not getting any better.

 

[pentaxuser]

Dan my faith in HP5+'s latitude based on all I have heard and seen, has grown a lot, having always liked it at box speed and 320 in Perceptol 1+3 but I have never tried it outwith that very narrow range

My gut instinct says that at 25 it will still be a good print.

pentaxuser

 

[ic-racer]

Out shooting with my 11x14 camera
actual exposure was wide open

I process normal in these cases. Usually my prints in these cases are not good because the shallow DOF and lack of contrast wide open. I usually print through the extra negative density with 2000W no problem.

 

[Craig75]

personally i'd just cut development by between 10 and 20% and compare and contrast vs the "correctly exposed and devloped" shot.

you already know what its going to look like if you develop it normally - it's just going to be a grainer, softer version of the other negative.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

However...on that same note. I could over expose a sheet of 4x5 by 4 stops and test it. The large difference between sheet size should not have a major effect...should it?

No it shouldn't. I've done film testing on 4x5, and used the same data for 8x10. Is there is a difference, I don't see it.