How do you make HP5 sing out loud?

I think the exposure is more important than the choice of developer.

If you push the HP5 beyond the box speed it will inevitably loose detail in the shadows.
This goes for just about any film.
You will have those thin negatives that look nice and charming when you hold them up to the light, and the highlights and higher mid-tomes might be fine, but the prints will have large dark areas with no details in them.
(Which is fine if that is the artistic expression you look for.)

If on the other hand you want both shiny highlights and shadow detail, the way to go is to overexpose, - which is equivalent to derating the box speed.
Then, the way to avoid problems with burnt out highlights is to underdevelop.
Rule of thumb for exposure is to rate 400 ISO film at 200 or even better at 160 ISO.
Rule of thumb is to cut 20 % of the development time.

Regardless of the developer you choose the shadows are developed in the first minute (or first minutes). From then on the rest of the time is mostly spent developing mid tones and highlights.
With the shadows secured you can vary the total development time to get the contrast curve that suits your darkroom process, - or your scanner.

Exactly how much you should reduce the development time is a function of
- chosen developer
- temperature
- your pattern of agitation.

The 20% is based on XTOL 1+1 and 1 minute slow initial tank agitation (one rotation every 10 seconds) followed by 10 seconds slow agitation every minute from then on.
It seems to hold for diluted Rodinal as well.

The exact details will be determined by your specific processes.
3 - 5 rolls of film (over)exposed in the same way and developed a little differently, plus an evening in the darkroom or at the scanner and you should be able to find the combination you prefer.

Try watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlnt5yFArWo

Have fun.
 
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You guys all have much stronger development skills than I do.
My method over the years has been trimmed down to using two developers for all my films.
Rodinal for versatility, sharpness, and boosted grain. Tmax Developer for smoother less grainy results.
I like HP5 for it's grain. It seems to sparkle !
These are older images I have nothing fresh on my flickr to post.

Rodinal 1:100 stand exposed at HP5 800
7323245706_b506d50f87_c.jpg


Tmax Dev 1:4 @ 20c 7 min HP5 exposed at 400
6172266571_cd102fcedf_b.jpg
 
My main issue with DDX is the price per roll. I'd use it all the time for faster film if it was a bit cheaper. I generally save it for the 1600/3200 speed film I shoot as I shoot much less of it..
 
My main issue with DDX is the price per roll. I'd use it all the time for faster film if it was a bit cheaper. I generally save it for the 1600/3200 speed film I shoot as I shoot much less of it..

Agree. A great developer, gives you XTOL-quality without the hassle of mixing from powder. But per roll it is pricey, and though it keeps quite long, HC-110 is even more troublefree in this regard.
 
I think, in 35mm the key is not to underexpose. I tend to shoot it around EI250 and develop currently in HC110. Other people report good results in D76 1+1 or DD-X. I think, this is one of the most beautiful films ever made for tonality, as long as you do not push it. To avoid the somewhat evident grain I prefer to shoot it in MF.

This is 35mm in TMax dev.


07120711 by mfogiel, on Flickr

and this is 645 in HC 110


MF20122813 by mfogiel, on Flickr

and finally, 6x7 in HC110


MF20122602 by mfogiel, on Flickr
 
I have to ask ... This appears to be the only post mentioning Ilford chems in 3 pages abount an Ilford film. I like the ease of use of their products -what am I missing?

DD-X has been mentioned several times, as has Perceptol. In fact I like HP5+ in Perceptol also, but only for an extreme pull down to 50.

My main issue with DDX is the price per roll. I'd use it all the time for faster film if it was a bit cheaper. I generally save it for the 1600/3200 speed film I shoot as I shoot much less of it..

Yeah, DD-X is pricey. I've discovered Bloxygen as a lifesaver in this regard. All my developers last WAY longer with a little puff of Bloxygen in the bottle. Even Studionol, which is quite fussy about going sour once opened. Returning to the darkroom after a trip to run some PanF in DD-X and finding it quite brown in the jug started my quest for some way to save my developer $.
 
I have used HP5+ with Rodinal and XTol.
Here are some examples.


Summilux Bokeh by *monz*, on Flickr

Leica M6,
Leica 75mm Summilux f1.4,
Ilford HP5+, ISO 400,
Developed in Rodinal 1+50 for 11 mins at 20C.
 
I think, in 35mm the key is not to underexpose. I tend to shoot it around EI250 and develop currently in HC110. Other people report good results in D76 1+1 or DD-X. I think, this is one of the most beautiful films ever made for tonality, as long as you do not push it. To avoid the somewhat evident grain I prefer to shoot it in MF.

This is 35mm in TMax dev.


07120711 by mfogiel, on Flickr

and this is 645 in HC 110


MF20122813 by mfogiel, on Flickr

and finally, 6x7 in HC110


MF20122602 by mfogiel, on Flickr


All of these shots are wonderful
 
hp5+ in xtol @ 320 crop from 35mm neg:
med_U7147I1364110655.SEQ.0.jpg


take the hp5+ into ANY developer, shoot a zone related test roll and proceed in consistency.
don´t forget: most of the singing is done by YOU.
 
Simon,

I shot HP+ from time to time. I used Fuji Super Prodol at 7 minutes at 20C. The results are great. I would shot it more if the cost was the same as Fuji Neopan 400. I know it is not readily available outside Japan, but is a great all around developer.

I think that if you want to bring out the grain agitate more or let is stand 10% longer than the developing instruction recommend. I would not push to 800ISO.

Kambate as the Japanese say.
 

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