HP5 plus: Best overall image quality at..

[Odot]

I just looked up the factsheet from the film where it says:

Best overall image quality at meter setting EI 400/27

EI 400 means recommended ISO at 400 right? What does the 27 stand for though?

 

[kanzlr]

27 DIN = 400 ASA / ISO

 

[Odot]

27 DIN = 400 ASA / ISO

Thanks for clarifying, i thought it was more than that

 

[Thomas71]

.....at the way you get exposure and the way you develop (developer, time, temperature etc.)

For instance, I develop HP5 in HC110 dil H for 12 min and I obtain better negatives to print if I set 200 ASA on my incident meter (in few words I give 1 stop of more exposure than the nominal speed reported by Ilford).
You should try and you'll find the combination that meets your personal taste.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Since they only list certain developers, not all the "facts" are there. I've personally found Ilford's rated speeds to be a bit too optimistic in general.

 

[Harry Stevens]

I shoot HP5 at 200 ASA............Not a fan of the film myself though others love it.

 

[MattKing]

The word "overall" is an important part of that passage.

You can always give the film either more or less exposure. If you give it more, the highlights may start to deteriorate. If you give it less, the shadows will likely start to deteriorate.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I just looked up the factsheet from the film where it says:

Best overall image quality at meter setting EI 400/27

EI 400 means recommended ISO at 400 right? What does the 27 stand for though?

27DINwhich is the DIN equvililant to ASAor ISO400.DIN is an older german industrial standard, now largely replaced by ISO.

 

[JPD]

The ISO is written as ISO 400/27º, so the DIN is in there, but most shorten it to ISO 400 (but I write it as ASA 400, because that's basically what it is when you don't include 27º)

 

[John Wiegerink]

The ISO is written as ISO 400/27º, so the DIN is in there, but most shorten it to ISO 400 (but I write it as ASA 400, because that's basically what it is when you don't include 27º)

ASA is an American thing(American Standards Association) so you Swede's should be more DIN oriented. ISO Is now International Organization of Standardization. I still use the term ASA instead of ISO, but that's because I'm 66yrs old and set in my ways. As for DIN? I don't know exactly what it stands for, but do know it's German.

 

[Nodda Duma]

DIN is short for Deutsches Institut für Normung

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

Best overall image quality at meter setting EI 400/27

It's pretty amazing at 320 in Pyrocat-HD

 

[john_s]

It's pretty amazing at 320 in Pyrocat-HD

I agree about the quality of HP5+ in Pyrocat-HD.

The optimum speed depends not only on your meter setting but also your metering technique.

 

[John Wiegerink]

They last roll of HP5+ 120 I developed was in Xtol-Replenished rated at ASA 320 and it came out near perfect. Shadows were full, good mid-tones and texture in the white clouds with "NO" filter. Some of the best negatives I have had came from pyro developed negatives. Two of Wimberley's pyro developers and Pyrocat-MC. I do think the highlights seem a little more "alive" in the HP5+ / Xtol-R negatives than the Pyro negatives, but I'm pretty sure I could liven up the highlights a little more in the pyro negatives to come close the the Xtol-R negs. Oh, the pyro HP5+ film was rated at ASA 200-250 and not ASA 320

 

[Svenedin]

The OP is just starting out with film (he had another thread about developing). He did not know what the 27 meant. I'm sure everyone is trying to be helpful but is a load of info about using different EIs and off-piste developers actually helpful? I think he should just shoot some film at box speed, develop in a standard dev and go from there. Sometimes over complicating matters just isn't very helpful.

Hopefully I won't be flamed for saying this

 

[Thomas71]

HP5 works well with most of traditional developer I've tried: D76, XTOL, HC110 and Rodinal Special; the only one that doesn't satisfied me at all has been Rodinal (R09) due to the intrusive and unpleasant grain obtained.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I got the best results using HP5+ shot at box speed, ISO 400, and developed in replenished XTOL. Basically all film manufactures specify box speed to have the exposure in not only the best results but also to allow the maximum exposure latitude on each side for almost all situations. People who expose differently are only fooling themselves into thinking they know more about the film than the manufacturers.

 

[Michael W]

I love HP5 in Rodinal, what's more I rate it at 640 for that dev. Densitometer tested for correct zones.

 

[DREW WILEY]

There is no such thing as "correct" specific Zone density. It all depends on what you do with your negs relative to luminance distribution in the original subject, along with how you want it rendered in the actual print. Zones are not mechanically defined, even with a densitometer. You bend the concept
to your own needs. And that requires some experimentation shooting, developing, and printing. Few black and white films perform best at "box speed", but it's a starting point at least.

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

Hopefully I won't be flamed for saying this

WHY YOU LITTLE &$#%*@!!!!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I'm a fan of this film and have been for years (mainly large format). I've always shot it at EI 250 for normal lighting situations. Just shoot it at 400 with your equipment and developer. See how you like it. You'll know if you'll need to adjust film speed, developing time, or both. Good luck and shoot lots of film!

 

[JPD]

ASA is an American thing(American Standards Association) so you Swede's should be more DIN oriented. ISO Is now International Organization of Standardization. I still use the term ASA instead of ISO, but that's because I'm 66yrs old and set in my ways. As for DIN? I don't know exactly what it stands for, but do know it's German.

ASA has been the "de facto" norm here in Sweden since at least the early 70's, and ISO "caught on" in the 1990's. I have to look in really old swedish photo magazines and books to see them use Scheiner or DIN.

DIN is logarithmic, similar to Decibel. +3 is double the sensitivity, and in Decibel +3 it's double power gain. ASA is linear and easier to remember than DIN.

DIN 12/10º = ASA 12
DIN 13/10º = ASA 16
DIN 14/10º = ASA 20
DIN 15/10º = ASA 25
DIN 16/10º = ASA 32
DIN 17/10º = ASA 40
DIN 18/10º = ASA 50
DIN 19/10º = ASA 64
DIN 20/10º = ASA 80
DIN 21/10º = ASA 100
DIN 22/10º = ASA 125
DIN 23/10º = ASA 160
DIN 24/10º = ASA 200
DIN 25/10º = ASA 250
DIN 26/10º = ASA 320
DIN 27/10º = ASA 400

And so on.

 

[John Bragg]

Shooting at box speed is a good starting point, but for my purposes, I have found ei200 to be best. It all depends on how you like your images rendered. Personal ei is very important and some testing is advised if you are to get the best out of any film. Most negative films are more tolerant of over exposure than under exposure and HP5+ has a long straight line response so it generally separates highlights well with generous exposure.

 

[flavio81]

I just looked up the factsheet from the film where it says:

Best overall image quality at meter setting EI 400/27

EI 400 means recommended ISO at 400 right? What does the 27 stand for though?

27 means that only the first 27 exposures (of 36) will be at best image quality.

Just joking, of course...

Back to the topic, i find HP5 pushed to 1600 to give very good image quality in 120 format. I even sometimes thing HP5 could market its film as "ISO 1600" and get away with it, just as FOMA markets Fomapan 400 as "ISO 400" when it's really a ISO 200/250 film (otherwise a very lovely film, though.)

I also have some shots of HP5 "pulled" to ISO 200 and they also came out just fine as well.

 

[baachitraka]

27

...the immortal from club 27.