Ilford 72 exposure HP-5

[erikg]

This is one for the Ilford historians. When was the the 72 exposure HP-5 discontinued? I'm trying to narrow a date range for a photo.

 

[Xmas]

From memory was still available in 1980.

 

[BrianShaw]

That sounds about right. I still have a roll of that stuff... bought one out of curiousity around 1982 (or so) but never put it in the camera. One of these days I may get around to that.

 

[Roger Cole]

Discontinued, I think, due to damage to motor drive equipped cameras. The base was too strong and wouldn't tear, damaging the camera instead. Is that what happened?

I never shot it but a friend did. He complained about having to have a step ladder to hang the roll to dry.

 

[erikg]

Thanks! So it was always HP-5, never made it to HP-5+?

 

[snapguy]

AP

The Associated Press still photographer who covered the New York Yankees for many years used a Hulcher 70mm film camera. It could shoot at 24 frames per second if not more. Around 1970, I once saw the racks they used to dry their film and the film seemed to crawl all over the walls. The other guys mostly used the Nikon F with a pokey 4 to 5 frames per second.

 

[Oren Grad]

This Ilford chronology page...

http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology.html

...has an entry for 1984, about the HP5 Autowinder processing kit (tank/reel/loader) being remaindered.

 

[Simon R Galley]

It died a death before I joined ILFORD in 1987... so it was never in the PLUS emulsion, it did live on in a version of surveillance film.

But I'm pretty sure we still have some of the tanks...

It was not a success and yes it re-inforced our 'dislike' for polyester based camera films, and before anyone says how polyester is better for longevity... tri-acetate is fine for 100+ years, and again nothing wrong in coating on polyester for certain applications ( we do do it ). But we ( and KODAK and FUJI ) coat on tri-acetate for a reason, polyester would be much cheaper to coat on.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.

 

[Ian Grant]

Martin Reed at Silverprint had a clearance sale of the 72ex stainless steel tanks and reels not so long ago (maybe 2-3 years).

I remember the film being released but because film counters on the majority of cameras only go to 36ex it was impractical. I never saw it on the shelf of my Ilford dealer.

Ian

 

[Xmas]

It died a death before I joined ILFORD in 1987... so it was never in the PLUS emulsion, it did live on in a version of surveillance film.

But I'm pretty sure we still have some of the tanks...

It was not a success and yes it re-inforced our 'dislike' for polyester based camera films, and before anyone says how polyester is better for longevity... tri-acetate is fine for 100+ years, and again nothing wrong in coating on polyester for certain applications ( we do do it ). But we ( and KODAK and FUJI ) coat on tri-acetate for a reason, polyester would be much cheaper to coat on.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.

Yes it light pipes horribly.
Dark coffee shop to reload film.

Noel

 

[Kitschretro]

you still see about 1 roll a year on ebay going for about £10 so could have been shot recently unless it came with an old camera as i keep an eye out on all films listed over the past 6 years for my film collection

 

[cmacd123]

Still have a few rolls in the freezer, that I got on a clear-out from Freestyle. I have misplaced the lid form my Ilford Stainless tank - probably when i moved in 1994, so I had to fake that out when I tried a roll last year. even with freezing since I got it, it is about half gone.

I also got teh Plastic reel for a regular stainless tank, but found it Very hard to load.

HP5 with Green print on a black label, in a black can with a green lid. No DX code and gold colour end caps on a "Agfa-Style" cassette.

Best plan for hanging to dry is to probably use a couple of "pace" film clips that hang from the perfs, and cut the wet roll into two haves on a frame line, unless your darkroom is blessed with a 10 foot ceiling.

 

[ic-racer]

I still have about five rolls left. I use it in a 3003 (with 72 exposure counter) and just cut the roll in the dark to split it into two standard Jobo reels.

 

[Roger Cole]

I still have about five rolls left. I use it in a 3003 (with 72 exposure counter) and just cut the roll in the dark to split it into two standard Jobo reels.
View attachment 89001

Sacrificing a random frame somewhere in the middle?

 

[ic-racer]

Sacrificing a random frame somewhere in the middle?

Exactly. No tears from me; It works out that the frame you cut always has a processing flaw (because it is cut in two ).

 

[fabulousrice]

Still have a few rolls in the freezer, that I got on a clear-out from Freestyle. I have misplaced the lid form my Ilford Stainless tank - probably when i moved in 1994, so I had to fake that out when I tried a roll last year. even with freezing since I got it, it is about half gone.

I also got teh Plastic reel for a regular stainless tank, but found it Very hard to load.

HP5 with Green print on a black label, in a black can with a green lid. No DX code and gold colour end caps on a "Agfa-Style" cassette.

Best plan for hanging to dry is to probably use a couple of "pace" film clips that hang from the perfs, and cut the wet roll into two haves on a frame line, unless your darkroom is blessed with a 10 foot ceiling.

I'd love to take a couple of them off your hands and shoot half frame (144 photos per roll!) or maybe think of a special project for it if you're not gonna use them

 

[cmacd123]

I actually tried that back in the day. just as bad in half frame.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Funny this should come up since I just put a roll in a little Voigtlander Vito B a few days ago. I bought this stuff years ago and I believe mine has an expiration date somewhere in 1984. Don't know the date for sure since the film is at home and I'm at my cottage. Mine has fog, but it's still printable. I use it for testing 35mm cameras now. I load, shoot several frames to test focus and shutter speeds and then go in the dark, pull the film out of the camera and cut the test section. Very thin base makes it hard to load on my reels.

 

[ic-racer]

I have cameras with pressure plates to take the thin film and counters that go to 72 also. I'm still looking for a thin film in bulk rolls.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

There was some Aero Plus-X on thin mylar base I think. I scored a few 400ft rolls a while back.

 

[relistan]

The Svema films are on such a thin base it might be possible for them to make 72 frame rolls if the equipment can handle it.

Actually for that matter ADOX HR-50/Scala 50 is also.

 

[ic-racer]

The Svema films are on such a thin base it might be possible for them to make 72 frame rolls if the equipment can handle it.

Actually for that matter ADOX HR-50/Scala 50 is also.

Actually even 50 would be nice. I'll have to check it out.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I have cameras with pressure plates to take the thin film and counters that go to 72 also. I'm still looking for a thin film in bulk rolls.

We had a thread about 72 exp film a year or two ago. I remember Leica offered a 72 back for their R4, but I could not find any example ads. Also, possibly the back did not go into production.

 

[cmacd123]

Ilford never made the motor drive film in bulk rolls. Only modern film I have seen as thin is the one being sold by CEBMA/Astrum from Ukraine. they do indicate that it is available in bulk.

see this thread https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/let-me-introduce-you-to-svema.196724/

looks like they want about US$1.85 a meter, and a normal bulk roll is 30.5 meters long. you would have to email them to to find the status and if they have any bulk rolls in stock.

 

[ic-racer]

I don't have any Svema to measure but internet sources indicate 0.10mm. I'll have to check it out.

HP5 current: 0.125 (my measurement)
Svema: 0.100 (internet)
HP5 72 exp: 0.080 (my measurement)

Simple math would indicate maybe 60 exposures of Svema could be rolled.