The long journey to understand a new film

Rob Skeoch · Aug 6, 2022

For the past thirty years or so I've been shooting TMAX films, although I did use a bit of Delta for a while. I've gone back to TMAX400 as my film of choice and I shoot a fair bit in 35mm and even more in 120. I've moved away from LF totally. We used TMAX when it first came out at the newspapers and I've stayed with it. Well I'm starting today down the long and curvy road of HP5. TMAX has become too expensive, and the last two batches I bought were about to expire but still full price. I know it doesn't go bad the day it expired but you shouldn't pay almost $18 a roll for 120, and also have it short dated. So HP5 is the future. I've loaded up the camera with the first roll in a while and I've another nine rolls in the bag as I head off to shoot portraits. I'll shoot the work today but will be running a bunch of tests in the next two weeks to get development and exposure down before I process today's work. Not the best way to do it but it's taken longer than expected to update the darkroom so I haven't been doing any printing recently.

Paul Howell · Aug 6, 2022

I shoot Tmax in 35 and 120 for travel or paid work, otherwise I've shot Ultrafine E 400 and 100, Foma 200 and 400 along with Kentmere for used in my Dx coded point and shoots. Tmax in 4X5 is outside my price range. I have 3 boxes of Foma 400 in 4X5, have thought about Delta or HP5 in 4X5. I am interested to to see how you like HP5.

John Wiegerink · Aug 6, 2022

You will have no real problem getting the hang of HP5+. It likes many different developers and I have never had QC issues with it. I prefer HP5+ to FP4+ in 120. It seems to have a little more "snap" than FP4+ in 120 and that's what I like. I'm using Xtol-R and Pyrocat-HDC, both work great. I really like TMY2, but like you, I'm on a little budget.

Andrew O'Neill · Aug 6, 2022

HP5 has been my main BW film since about the mid 90's. I also shot TMY alongside it. Always preferring the traditional look of HP5. BUT... TMY is amazing stuff to work with. It expands way better than HP5. I stopped shooting TMY in LF, as it's been priced for the rich. I still do pick up the odd roll in 120, though.
I've developed HP5 in many developers. My favourite has been Pyrocat-HD. Second, Xtol. Xtol stock, 1+1, and replenished. It's also quite nice in Ilfosol-3 at 1+14, D-23 1+1. When I want more contrast for carbon transfer, I'll develop it in D-19 at 1+3.
Reciprocity isn't too bad. 1s give a third stop more. 2s give 3s. 4s give 6s. 8s give 12s (this is my own data).
It's way more affordable than TMY... but watch out for a "substantial" price increase coming soon... so I've been told. Stock up now!

Andrew O'Neill · Aug 6, 2022

Oh and it pushes really, really well. I made a video on the subject a few months ago. It was a real eye-opener for me as I never pushed film before. HP5 has an amazing look when pushed at 800 to 1600.
Normally, I use an EI of 250...

Peter Schrager · Aug 6, 2022

works nice in HC-110 too!!

mshchem · Aug 6, 2022

I've been using TMY since it came out, amazing stuff. I've switched to Ilford for sheets and 35mm, maybe 75%

Still hard for me to let go of Kodak in 120. I really like how Ilford has a LOT of information available on their website, and most importantly Ilford is a reliable supplier. This has been a huge problem for others.

Paul Howell · Aug 6, 2022

I stopped using ILford 120 when they changed the thickness of the paper or film base, could no longer cock the shutter when the film was advanced in my Kowa super 66. Still works fine in my Mamiya Universal.

gone · Aug 6, 2022

Have you considered the Foma films? I shoot the 100 and 400 in 35mm, the stuff is really beautiful in the right developers. I like Rodinal for the 100 and F76+ for the 400. D76 works fine too. The 200 I never could get the hang of, but people who shoot MF and LF get great images from it. To me, the negs look better from these films than HP5, but you know how that is. It's simply personal preference.

logan2z · Aug 6, 2022

Peter Schrager said:
works nice in HC-110 too!!

Which dilution/development time do you use? Box speed or some other EI?

I'm a Tri-X user and have been developing it in HC-110 using Dilution H for 9 minutes, but I've been thinking about making the switch to HP5. I'm also wondering how HP5 would work in Rodinal as I've got a couple of unopened bottles that I've been itching to try.

grat · Aug 6, 2022

It would be cheaper to buy from B&H and have it shipped to Canada. That's some high pricing!

RalphLambrecht · Aug 6, 2022

Rob Skeoch said:
For the past thirty years or so I've been shooting TMAX films, although I did use a bit of Delta for a while. I've gone back to TMAX400 as my film of choice and I shoot a fair bit in 35mm and even more in 120. I've moved away from LF totally. We used TMAX when it first came out at the newspapers and I've stayed with it. Well I'm starting today down the long and curvy road of HP5. TMAX has become too expensive, and the last two batches I bought were about to expire but still full price. I know it doesn't go bad the day it expired but you shouldn't pay almost $18 a roll for 120, and also have it short dated. So HP5 is the future. I've loaded up the camera with the first roll in a while and I've another nine rolls in the bag as I head off to shoot portraits. I'll shoot the work today but will be running a bunch of tests in the next two weeks to get development and exposure down before I process today's work. Not the best way to do it but it's taken longer than expected to update the darkroom so I haven't been doing any printing recently.

trial and error is a long rad to hone n on afilm. five rolls and a full film test is a laborious but quicker way. That said, I don't think, You'll ever be satisfied with HP5+ if you loved TriX and Tmax. You're probably better off ewith Delta.

Lachlan Young · Aug 6, 2022

If people really believe that 'learning' a new film is difficult, lengthy or laborious, it's not the film, it's the user getting bogged down by other people's often bizarre and extremely rigid film-testing doctrines - and/ or bad choices of the fundamentals of exposure methodology/ developer (the less eccentric/ silly, the better). About the only thing that really trips people up with HP5+ is that it tends to be the relatively fastest (in shadow speed) of the current 400 speed films in practical use, leading to all sorts of errant claims about other characteristics because people have jammed their exposure way up the curve.

Don_ih · Aug 6, 2022

Lachlan Young said:
If people really believe that 'learning' a new film is difficult, lengthy or laborious, it's not the film, it's the user - and/ or bad choices of the fundamentals of exposure methodology/ developer (the less eccentric/ silly, the better). About the only thing that really trips people up with HP5+ is that it tends to be the relatively fastest (in shadow speed) of the current 400 speed films in practical use, leading to all sorts of errant claims about other characteristics because people have jammed their exposure way up the curve.

People who develop their own film and make enlargements tend to want their negatives a certain way and need to figure out the most reliable way to attain that. While you must be the authority par excellence on all film related matters, perhaps you would do better to deliver your missives without backhandedly insulting everyone else who has commented.

Lachlan Young · Aug 6, 2022

logan2z said:
I'm also wondering how HP5 would work in Rodinal

Without problems. Start with Ilford's times and adjust from there, rather than getting bogged down in the agitated nonsense about agitation that has been extensively propagated here & elsewhere. Overall, I'd tend to say that it won't necessarily be better or worse than the dilution of HC-110 you are currently using - just make sure you do some basic testing of effective EI - and Rodinal won't help shadow speed any more than HC-110.

Rob Skeoch · Aug 7, 2022

momus said:
Have you considered the Foma films? I shoot the 100 and 400 in 35mm, the stuff is really beautiful in the right developers. I like Rodinal for the 100 and F76+ for the 400. D76 works fine too. The 200 I never could get the hang of, but people who shoot MF and LF get great images from it. To me, the negs look better from these films than HP5, but you know how that is. It's simply personal preference.

I have not tried them. It's partly because of availability and that I can purchase Ilford direct from the distributor in Canada.

Rob Skeoch · Aug 7, 2022

logan2z said:
Which dilution/development time do you use? Box speed or some other EI?

I'm a Tri-X user and have been developing it in HC-110 using Dilution H for 9 minutes, but I've been thinking about making the switch to HP5. I'm also wondering how HP5 would work in Rodinal as I've got a couple of unopened bottles that I've been itching to try.

I shot them at iso 200. Haven't picked the developer yet but I have three or four unmixed so will try those first.

Andrew O'Neill · Aug 7, 2022

Personally, I never liked HP5 in HC-110. But of course that is just a personal choice. For me it's either Xtol, or Pyrocat-HD. Also when sourcing most films, I prefer to support a Canadian supplier, preferably local.

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