Status of Ilford XP-2

[markrewald]

I have been debating trying this film so I started to do some research on it and I noticed that the only place to get this film in 100' bulk rolls is bhphoto. Is this film on the brink?

 

[ArtTwisted]

Given that most people who bulk roll use traditional darkroom chemistry, I wouldn't look too much into the 100' roll availability with this film. Every store in the world has the 135 and 120 in stock still, and Ilford would have released a message of some sort.

 

[MattKing]

Glazer's in Seattle had bulk rolls in their film refrigerator wall last time I was there.

 

[lns]

It probably doesn't sell well in 100-foot rolls because it's a C-41 film. It's a great film. Buy a few rolls and see if you like it.

-Laura

 

[Roger Cole]

It probably doesn't sell well in 100-foot rolls because it's a C-41 film. It's a great film. Buy a few rolls and see if you like it.

-Laura

+1 great film.

I used to do my own C41 and may well again, in which case I will stock up on XP-2 in 120. I wish I could still get it in 4x5.

It can take a stop of underexposure without much problem, and while I'm sure it has a limit for overexposure that eventually hits a shoulder, I never found it. (Didn't systematically look for such, just overexposed two or three stops and it still looked great.) And, like other C41 films, the more you expose it the finer the grain as you get overlapping dye clouds. Set your meter for 400 if the light is low-to-middlin' and shoot away. If you have the light give another stop or even two of exposure and it's even better. If you have to expose at 800 it's ok, probably still better than conventional films pushed to that.