Ilford HP5 Plus 400

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 is one of those black and white films you can load without needing to know exactly what the day has planned.

Rated at ISO 400, it's fast enough for changing light, handheld shooting and available-light photography, while still giving you plenty of detail from a 120 negative. Its classic grain and rich tonal range give photographs a distinctly traditional black and white feel without being difficult to work with.

HP5 Plus is also very forgiving. Shoot it at its standard ISO 400 for an easy everyday film, or push it when the light starts disappearing and you need the extra speed.

For portraits, street photography, travel, documentary work or simply keeping a medium format camera loaded and ready to go, HP5 Plus is a dependable all-rounder.

Best for

• Medium format photography
• Everyday shooting
• Street photography
• Portraits
• Documentary photography
• Travel
• Available-light photography
• Changing light
• Handheld shooting
• Photographers who like a classic black and white look

What to expect

Expect classic grain, a broad tonal range and plenty of flexibility.

At ISO 400, HP5 Plus sits in a useful middle ground between slower fine-grain films and specialist high-speed films. It gives you enough speed for everyday handheld photography while maintaining plenty of detail from a medium format negative.

It's also particularly flexible when pushed. Ilford states that good image quality can be achieved at meter settings from EI 400 through to EI 3200, making it useful when you're moving between daylight, interiors and lower-light situations.

Compared with the Delta range, HP5 Plus has more of a traditional black and white film character. That's part of its appeal.

Developing

Standard black and white processing.

HP5 Plus is compatible with all major black and white processing systems. When exposing it above ISO 400, development should be adjusted accordingly.

For pushing up to EI 3200, Ilford specifically lists ILFOTEC DD-X, ILFOTEC HC, MICROPHEN and ILFOTEC RT RAPID for extended development.