• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Push FP4 or pull HP5?

M Carter

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
2,149
Location
Dallas, TX
Format
Medium Format
I'm enjoying this thread... but I do realize there are B&W shooters that process their own film, who have never done anything like a serious test and produce stellar work. There are others who probably do the most detailed film and paper-blacks testing possible, and include checking the pH of every soup and comparing it to the relative humidity that day with a phases-of-the-moon chart and tides report... who also do stellar work.

For anyone stumbling across this thread via Google someday: If you find printing is difficult and your prints just don't have the contrast, tonal range, the visual "snap", "crackle" or "pop" you envision... you now have 6 pages of advice, from simple exposure/ISO considerations to a full blown test that considers your film, dev and paper as one overall system. Find what works for you and give it a try.
 

Juan Valdenebro

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
1,286
Location
South America
Format
Multi Format
Oldish interesting thread...
Wouldn't it be:
FP4+ @ 200 in a developer that seriously cares about shadow detail and grain growth (Microphen), would be IMO, better than HP5+ from a technical point of view, without considering the content of the images.
I would dilute Microphen trying to reach a little compensation, because metering @200 threatens FP4's clean shadow separation.
 

Juan Valdenebro

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
1,286
Location
South America
Format
Multi Format
I have wondered for long if someone has done this comparing Microphen and Xtol, another developer that could work too, in the same scheme of thinking: mild push with compensation, classic grain... Xtol users?
My first Xtol is on its way...