Ilford HP5+ 400asa 35mm - 36 exp

Product Information

If you just want to think about what you want to tell with a photo, it’s best to expose correctly for what you want to show, on 400 ASA and to develop with the times as shown on the box. When it comes to processing, the HP film is a dream to work with. You see, Ilford has created this film to dry flat, and that makes all the difference when scanning your negatives. Also, Ilford’s HP5 Plus 400 is available in various formats from 35MM 24 EXPOSURE, 36 Exposure, 120 Roll and even pre-loaded on the Ilford Single Use camera. Further to this, Ilford provides a range of sheet film in all standard sizes.

Ilford Black and White Film Guide - Shoot It With Film Ilford Black and White Film Guide - Shoot It With Film

As with Tri-X, HP5+’s grain is present, yet not overwhelming . It neither muddies the image nor takes away from fine detail. To cut a long story short, ILFORD and other film manufacturers no longer needed to hedge their bets with an exposure safety margin and the bottom line was simple. Immediate film speed “increases” across the board. The negatives looked great (the very first rolls of film I processed at home – magic!), but it was when I looked at the scans that I said to myself: “ some of these are the best shots I have ever made”. To top it all off, the scans were from a cheap Epson V550 scanner – not analogue prints. Even then, they looked better than any high ISO photographs I was ever able to make with my digital cameras (including FUJI X bodies). HP5 is the most versatile film on the market. It can be shot in nearly any situation and still come away with mind-blowing negatives. Some other ISO 400 films, like Tri-X, get too contrasty at higher ISO values, but HP5 underexposes extremely well. In fact, Anchell and Troop’s The Film Developing Cookbook — a long-standing bible for film and printmakers — suggests that HP5 is the best film on the market for pushing to ISO 1600 and 3200.

Outdoors on sunny days, I shoot both at 200 and develop about 20% less than normal in D-76, 1-1. But I make wet prints in a darkroom. If you scan, your mileage will vary. In practice, HP5+’s grain isn’t visible on mobile devices from 35mm scans (unless you zoom). But if you want to avoid it on larger displays and print, it’s best to shoot HP5+ in medium or large format.

HP5 PLUS 35mm - Ilford Photo

And let’s not forget that ISO 400 rating gives you plenty of speed to shoot in the potentially ever-changing lighting conditions out in the street too. Ilford HP5+ with Olympus Stylus Mju I. Bottom-right: contrast curves adjusted in post. Top-left: unedited scan (equalized). How much does Ilford HP5+ cost, and where to buy it. Judging by the results it gave me and for the price at which it did, I have to say I like it quite a bit. There’s no question I’d shoot it again. When I started out I had a good feeling about it. I’m not the kind of person who often completes film tests: if I find something that works for me I spend my time on other things, like taking photographs. At 3200, shots of dark water look awesome, different textures, trees and stuff like that come out looking surreal, because of that contrast and tonality.The first few rolls completely blew my mind – which I think is a matter for a separate article. I was impressed but the real question was could I expose it at higher EIs and still get good results? ILFORD don’t recommend to re-use 1+4 DD-X solutions for pushing film, but I did it on so many occasions and I always had good results, you just need to add up some time in development, that’s all. When EM asked to me to write something about ILFORD HP5 PLUS I was very surprised and a little worried. If you are looking to try film photography for the first time and are wondering where to start, then you have come to the right place.

Ilford HP5+ Film Review Ilford HP5+ Film Review

Shop with us to get your hands on a roll of this exceptional film. NB: sometimes called Ilford HP5+ 35mm film

A question of grain

If we talk about this in terms of the Zone System for a moment, you’ll be able to capture grey tones across 6-8 concurrent zones with ease depending on where you place those shadows.