New effort: HP5+

[John Wiegerink]

I have a series of three 11x14 prints framed and matted hanging beside each other in the house. One negative was 35mm HP5, one is 6x9 Delta 400 and one is 4X5 Delta 100. All developed in Xtol. Brought experienced photographers into the room and asked them to look at the prints and tell me which negative is which. So far no one has got it correct. To me that means the HP5 grain is perfectly acceptable!

I haven't used HP5+ in 35mm in years, but I do use it in 120 all the time and developed in Xtol 1+1, 1+2 or my now standard Xtol-R it is, to my eye anyway, perfect. In extremely high-contrast scenes I do switch to Pyrocat-HDC on occasion, but 95% of my HP5+ 120 is souped in Xtol-R.

 

[DREW WILEY]

35mm street shooters seem to appreciate HP5 for a completely different reason we sheet film shooters do. Given a suitable developer it can have a unique "watercolor" unobtrusive grain. But if you're after a lot of texture and detail, small format shots look mushy to me. For 35mm snapshooting I either prefer conspicuous grain like Delta 3200, or the finest-grain relatively high speed film I can get, meaning TMY400.

 

[peter k.]

HP5+ shot in 4x5 developed in HC110, and is drying.
Meanwhile this crazy op... ah.. allowed cause its a new year, checked into Tmy400.. my goodness its expense in 4x5.. but wondered how is it in MF?

 

[Luis-F-S]

I have a series of three 11x14 prints framed and matted hanging beside each other in the house. One negative was 35mm HP5, one is 6x9 Delta 400 and one is 4X5 Delta 100. All developed in Xtol. Brought experienced photographers into the room and asked them to look at the prints and tell me which negative is which. So far no one has got it correct. To me that means the HP5 grain is perfectly acceptable!

Especially in 8x10 and 11x14

 

[Cholentpot]

HP5+ shot in 4x5 developed in HC110, and is drying.
Meanwhile this crazy op... ah.. allowed cause its a new year, checked into Tmy400.. my goodness its expense in 4x5.. but wondered how is it in MF?

Tmax 400 shot on a Lubitel 2. I feel no reason to slow down and use 100 speed if 400 is this clean.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Most 120 film is cheap unless you're a machine-gunner. But there are often times I feel TMY is a bargain even in 8X10 due to its versatility. As I already mentioned, I generally had to attach an FP4 unsharp mask to an HP5 shot to get a similar result with high-contrast subjects, which equates to two sheets of film, not one. But I often shoot TMY is 120 size too. But with any TMax film you need to carefully meter your shadow values. HP5 and even FP4 are more forgiving.

 

[Gimenosaiz]

Hello!
I shoot HP5 at ISO 200 or ISO 1600 lately.
ISO 200 -> HC-110 (1+47) 7'30"
ISO 1600 -> HC-110 (1+31) 11' Very contrasty, good grain (for me) and fairly "crispy" !!! This is my preferred combination for HP5.

I dont like HP5@400 .

Cheers!
Antonio

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

Rodinal in 35mm does not look very good in anything faster than ISO 100

Lies! I love that 1970/1980's tri-x roasted in Rodinal documentary look. It's not pictorial, but it suits its purpose quite well and with gentle agitation the quality of the grain is its own reward.
Wouldn't recommend continuous agitation of that pairing to any but my worst enemy, though

 

[Cholentpot]

Lies! I love that 1970/1980's tri-x roasted in Rodinal documentary look. It's not pictorial, but it suits its purpose quite well and with gentle agitation the quality of the grain is its own reward.
Wouldn't recommend continuous agitation of that pairing to any but my worst enemy, though

It has it's place, I use it on film that's gritty to begin with. If you already have massive grain why not up it farther?

 

[Sirius Glass]

It has it's place, I use it on film that's gritty to begin with. If you already have massive grain why not up it farther?

I am not finding HP5+ to be gritty with 4"x5" sheet film.

 

[Cholentpot]

HP5+ in LF looks really nice. I was referring to 35mm. It looks awful to me in 35mm. Not that I would refuse a few rolls ya know...

I am not finding HP5+ to be gritty with 4"x5" sheet film.

I covered this already.

 

[DREW WILEY]

HP5 has large grain, but not gritty - that would be Tri-X. A lot depends on the specific developer, of course.

 

[Cholentpot]

HP5 has large grain, but not gritty - that would be Tri-X. A lot depends on the specific developer, of course.

Maybe 'mushy' is more like it.

 

[Neil Kelly]

HP5+ is my preferred film stock at the moment, I've settled on shooting it at 800 as standard - at 400 I think it's a bit dull and uninteresting and at 1600 I think the grain is usually a bit too much (unless you stand develop). I think there's generally fairly smooth grain and nice contrast at 800 when using DD-X at 1:4 for 10 minutes as my standard development regime - I've tried HC but I'm not a massive fan of it. I just wish DD-X wasn't so expensive (relatively)! I've also stand developed in Rodinal on occassion, but I'm a bit too impatient for that.

 

[John Wiegerink]

HP5+ is my preferred film stock at the moment, I've settled on shooting it at 800 as standard - at 400 I think it's a bit dull and uninteresting and at 1600 I think the grain is usually a bit too much (unless you stand develop). I think there's generally fairly smooth grain and nice contrast at 800 when using DD-X at 1:4 for 10 minutes as my standard development regime - I've tried HC but I'm not a massive fan of it. I just wish DD-X wasn't so expensive (relatively)! I've also stand developed in Rodinal on occassion, but I'm a bit too impatient for that.

I've used DD-X a few times and thought it to be the best store-bought liquid developer for me, but like you say, a little expensive. Neil, are you shooting HP5 in 35mm or medium-format? JohnW

 

[Neil Kelly]

I've solely shot 35 mm to date, although I will be starting shooting 120 shortly (I got a Mamiya 645j for Christmas!). I've not had any issues with enlarging with these 35 mm negs and been happy with the graininess

 

[DREW WILEY]

I've also often descibed excessively enlarged HP5 grain as "mushy". But this film has superb edge effects Dev in pyro, so can have outstanding edge acutance combined with smooth non-distracting "watercolor" grain. I only shoot it in 8X10, enlarged to 20X24 maximum - in other words, 3X or less. Even 4X5 film comes out too mushy for me.

 

[Cholentpot]

I've also often descibed excessively enlarged HP5 grain as "mushy". But this film has superb edge effects Dev in pyro, so can have outstanding edge acutance combined with smooth non-distracting "watercolor" grain. I only shoot it in 8X10, enlarged to 20X24 maximum - in other words, 3X or less. Even 4X5 film comes out too mushy for me.

35mm HP5+ @ 400, HC-110 Dil B, Nikon N70, Vivitar 1 70-210.

Kinda mush.

ME Super, HP5+ 35mm, Promaster 70-210, HC-110 B. Mushy still.

Fun to use, got a whole load for peanuts. Wouldn't buy for full price though in 35mm.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I've also often descibed excessively enlarged HP5 grain as "mushy". But this film has superb edge effects Dev in pyro, so can have outstanding edge acutance combined with smooth non-distracting "watercolor" grain. I only shoot it in 8X10, enlarged to 20X24 maximum - in other words, 3X or less. Even 4X5 film comes out too mushy for me.

Drew,
I'm certainly not going to say you are doing something wrong, but that I might just be doing something right when it comes to HP5+. I shot a picture of a steam locomotive with 120 HP5+ and also FP4+ and developed both in Xtol just to compare. I liked the HP5+ shot much better than the FP4+ shot. I enlarged and printed both 2 1/4 X 3 1/4 negatives to slightly larger than 20X24 equivalent and the HP5+ definitely won my eye. Absolutely NO mush with HP5+ and Xtol. The FP4+ shot? Well, it looked a little "mushy" to me and certainly not as "crisp" that's for sure. Grain? No problem at all and I'm not a grain worshiper either. I'm going to the big city tomorrow and while there I will pickup some film for running a little test so I can post what I'm talking about instead of just talking about it. I'll get some FP4+, TMY400, Delta400 and TRI-X if they have it. I have enough Hasselblad backs for each so I can run the same body-lens-shutter speed-aperture. It won't be scientific, but will be fairly controlled.
JohnW

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'm glad you got results you like, but we large format addicts tend to have different ways of saying things, which doesn't imply I don't enjoy smaller formats too. Right beside me on the wall right now there's a 16x20 print of a highly textured and detailed scene shot on HP5 which looks like it was etched. The details almost seem to have 3D bas-relief like in a carbon print. It's due to utilizing the sweet spot in the degree of magnification, and how this relates to the edge effect of pyro. You simply can't do that with smaller film printed that size. At times I have enhanced edge effects in fine grained 120 film like TMX using the halo effect of an unsharp mask; or it can be less elegantly mimicked in PS. But not really the same wow factor.

 

[JWMster]

I'm increasingly a fan of TMY-400, but FWIW, I follow this fellow's work - which seems pretty decent, and he's a fan of a film I've never tried (Rollei Retro 400S) and a developer I've not tried either and don't know much about (APH-09), but I can't argue with his results. See what you think: http://themediumformatfilmblog.tumblr.com/

Looking at your own work will of course be more instructive, but I never ceased to be amazed at how well folks seem to do with what they know best.

 

[CMoore]

You guys shooting HP5 at ASA 200.....are you pulling the development at all, or are you pretty much using the 400 speed times for whatever developer you have chosen.?
Thank You

 

[Pioneer]

You guys shooting HP5 at ASA 200.....are you pulling the development at all, or are you pretty much using the 400 speed times for whatever developer you have chosen.?
Thank You

Usually it is best to determine your own development times. It is actually pretty easy to do and you may find that what others prefer is not what you like for your own work.

Digital Truth does give some suggested times for various developers to get you started if you want to try it out.

 

[esearing]

You guys shooting HP5 at ASA 200.....are you pulling the development at all, or are you pretty much using the 400 speed times for whatever developer you have chosen.?
Thank You

Sheet film - I meter at EI 200 and process normal for HC-110 effectively moving shadows from zone 3 to zone 4 and getting enough contrast boost to not be mushy. But I still feel HP5 was not best film for me and prefer FP4.
Rangefinder - Shoot at EI 320 and get a good printable density when developing Normal to slightly longer with less agitation.
I am trying bergger 400 this year to see if I like it any better.