I've been out of this for a few years. My daughter just started college and is taking a basic b&w class so it's sparked my interest again in b&w. I am used to the old HP5 and used HC110 to develop. The question is: Which developer provides the best results for HP5+?

What's the difference between HP5 and HP5+?

-- Bill Karoly (wkaroly@gkweb.com), September 08, 1999

Answers

Hi Bill,

My other posts here reveal my bias towards Xtol, which I am currently using with some old HP5. The results have been super with the factory recommendation of 10.5 minutes, 70 degrees, 1:1. Be sure to have at least 100cc of stock developer present for each 36 exposure roll, regardless of the dilution you choose to use. More importantly, for someone just starting out, the HP5 is a great film. It seems to have remarkable exposure latitude, and very nice edge quality. It's fast enough so the beginner can keep shutter speeds high and avoid blur. It has enough grain to quickly teach one to shoot full frame. It'll blow up to make good 8x10s, but at larger sizes the image may start to come apart. I just did a "retro" excercise using an old Kodak Signet35 camera and the HP5. I limited myself to one or two meter readings during the day, then just paid very close attention to what the light was doing, and adjusted exposure by the seat of the pants. This was very valuable, as it got me much more focused on quality and quantity of lighting. The HP5 negs were all easily printable, whereas if I had used T-Max films, I doubt they would have been. The newer films are great, but very fussy about exposure and processing. I don't usually recommend them until someone has the basics down soundly. Rereading your post, I now see this is for you, rather than your daughter. Comments still apply, just remove the beginner stuff! BTW, the HP5 seems to have super edge effects that enhance sharpness when used with Xtol. Other posts indicate there is little difference between HP5 and HP5+, but I haven't tried the plus.

Best regards, CH

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), September 08, 1999.

Hi Bill,

despite the fact that my editors hate grains, I love the large grainy effects in my personal black and white work. HP5+ and Rodinol has proven to be a good combination for producing large but lovely grains. It may not be for everyone, but you may just fall in love with it. If you do prefer the fine grain, however, I would agree with the previous reply that Xtol is the choice. When I need fine grain with HP5+, I use Xtol at 1:3 dilution. Good luck and welcome back to the b&w world.

-- David (dna2367@hotmail.com), September 09, 1999.

Despite the fact that my editors hate grains, I love the large grainy effects in my personal black and white work. HP5+ and Rodinol has proven to be a good combination for producing large but lovely grains. It may not be for everyone, but you may just fall in love with it. If you do prefer the fine grain, however, I would agree with the previous reply that Xtol is the choice. When I need fine grain with HP5+, I use Xtol at 1:3 dilution. Good luck and welcome back to the b&w world.

-- David (dna2367@hotmail.com), September 09, 1999.

I use HP5+ for nearly everything, expose at e.i. 200 and develop it in Ilfosol-S 1:14, 20 deg. 12.5 minutes agitating 10 out of 60 seconds. 10.5 min for 4x5 in tubes - constant agitation. The resulting negs print well on MG IV with no filtration in my diffusion enlarger.

I used XTOL for a while, exposing at 200, developing for the times Kodak recomended for e.i. 400, and that was fine too. I went back to Ilfosol mostly for convenience.

HP5+ is the latest incarnation from Ilford. The non-plus has been gone for several years now.

PS - are you the Bill Karoly I knew in Carmichael in the mid 70's?

-- mike rosenlof (mike_rosenlof@yahoo.com), September 13, 1999.