TX320 or HP5+ in 4x5 for bright conditions?

[Keith]

As penance for buying an 'evil' D700 I've decided to spend a whole day shooting 4x5 hand held with my Crown Graphic! 😱

On wednesday I'm off to spend the day in northern New South Wales with a friend, mainly to the small 'hippy' town of Nimbin which has been famous for it's drug culture (cannabis) for as long as I can remember! It's a fascinating little place and who knows what effect the sight of a Crown Graphic taking a few street shots may have! 😛

The only film I have stashed away for choice is either HP5+ or TX320 ... depending on the conditions on the day (could be very bright) I may decide to pull it a stop? Last time I used the TX320 in bright conditions I wasn't overly impresses but I didn't pull it at all and just shot it at box speed.

How would the HP5+ be in these conditions if I pulled it back to 200 ... better than the TX320 or much the same?

 

[Turtle]

I would go for HP5+ as I find this film superb when pulled in bright conditions. TXP has an upswept curve which is not ideal for high contrast I believe. I rarely use HP5+ at the moment but in harsh light and pulled it seems to deliver stunning results every time. It seems really hard to blow the highlights beyond recovery with a bit of flashing etc.

 

[marduk]

I like to develop Ilford HP5+ exposed at E.I. 200-250 in Perceptol stock using Ilford times. It gives me almost non-existent grain and creamy tonality in the 35mm format. Excellent in 120 too. Some samples here. I haven't got around to trying HP5+ in 4x5 yet, but I think it would be fantastic. But I would expect a nice tonality from HP5+ with about any developer, including but not limited to Rodinal and D-76.

 

[ChrisN]

Keith - how about using the HP5 and sticking a red filter on the front?

 

[Keith]

I like to develop Ilford HP5+ exposed at E.I. 200-250 in Perceptol stock using Ilford times. It gives me almost non-existent grain and creamy tonality in the 35mm format. Excellent in 120 too. Some samples here. I haven't got around to trying HP5+ in 4x5 yet, but I think it would be fantastic. But I would expect a nice tonality from HP5+ with about any developer, including but not limited to Rodinal and D-76.

Nice, nice, nice photos marduk ... tones and highlights are beautiful indeed! 🙂

 

[Keith]

Keith - how about using the HP5 and sticking a red filter on the front?

So where do I get a red filter by wednesday morning? 😀

Nice pic also by the way! 🙂

 

[ChrisN]

Good question! The hard part will be an adapter or holder to suit the lens. What lens? Ektar 127mm?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Testing...

I'd use one single 35mm roll of HP5+, and cut it by the half to develop each half at two different shorter times than the usual dev. time. For each half I would pick a couple of bright scenes and do a few normal and overexposures with and without filter. It takes a few hours, but after contact prints, you'll be 100% ready...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[ChrisN]

Here's my setup for the 127 Ektar on my Speed Graphic.

Tiffen Series 6 Adapter 38mm (slip fit onto the front ring of the lens), Series 6 Hoya R (25A) filter and Series 6 hood.

 

[Arvay]

These samples go for Kodak TriX 320 developed in Rodinal 1/100 and Xtol1/3 accordingly.
I had to use it. Otherwise I would use Trix 400.

 

[Finder]

I would shoot it at the printed film speed. There will not be any great benefit to pull it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I would shoot it at the printed film speed. There will not be any great benefit to pull it.

But equally, no significant quality loss -- and many prefer the tonality with extra exposure.

Reducing development by about 10-15% will have very little effect on film speed, it's true, but should make contrast more manageable.

Personally I'd go for HP5 Plus at maybe 250 and 90% of the normal dev time. Not so much 'pulling' as (a) extra exposure for tonality and (b) reduced development for lower contrast.

Of course a lot depends on how you're metering. Spot metering the shadows at EI 500 might give you identical exposure to incident light metering at EI 250.

Cheers,

R.

 

[sepiareverb]

I think HP5+ pulls wonderfully- even to ISO50 if one is careful in development.

 

[Arvay]

I read the post once again and now I have a question will anyone need to pull if he has a 4*5 handheld even if it is very bright?
What will be the minimum f-stop on Crown in case it's very bright, ISO 200 and handheld?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

But equally, no significant quality loss -- and many prefer the tonality with extra exposure.

Reducing development by about 10-15% will have very little effect on film speed, it's true, but should make contrast more manageable.

Personally I'd go for HP5 Plus at maybe 250 and 90% of the normal dev time. Not so much 'pulling' as (a) extra exposure for tonality and (b) reduced development for lower contrast.

Of course a lot depends on how you're metering. Spot metering the shadows at EI 500 might give you identical exposure to incident light metering at EI 250.

Cheers,

R.

I agree... HP5+ handles light very well, so a little less development is enough... What's important is giving a stop more to shadows: that way contrast will be less, and shadows will be clean, as we see sunny days...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[jmcd]

"Personally I'd go for HP5 Plus at maybe 250 and 90% of the normal dev time. Not so much 'pulling' as (a) extra exposure for tonality and (b) reduced development for lower contrast.

Of course a lot depends on how you're metering. Spot metering the shadows at EI 500 might give you identical exposure to incident light metering at EI 250."

I think Roger has this exactly right, and specifically so for this film. And Juan's recommendation for a quick test ahead of time is a great idea if satisfying prints are the goal.

I love HP5+. However, my effective speeds and development times vary significantly from the manufacturer's for the results I want (though mine agree largely with Ilford for Delta 100, Delta 400, and FP4+.) To get an excellent print from HP5+, sufficient exposure and development are very helpful (more so than with Tri-X).

 

[ChrisN]

Roger - have you found any differences between HP5+ in 135, 120 and 4x5 sheet?

 

[Keith]

Of course one of the huge advantages of 4x5 is staring me right in the face ... you're only shooting one negative at a time, it's not like you're locked into a roll of film with 36 exposures once you choose an ISO for the first frame!

The conditions for tomorrow are expected to be cloudy so I might be in luck and with the Graphic lens being f4.7 from memory I might be glad of 400 speed film if I intend shooting people going about their business in the little town! 😛

 

[ChrisN]

I think you are going to have a great day! Don't forget to tell us about it.

 

[Keith]

I think you are going to have a great day! Don't forget to tell us about it.

I've always wanted to use the Graphic hand held but have never quite had the cahones to actually do it. 😱

I have twelve film holders that appear to be in pretty good nick and the box of HP5 holds 25 negs so I may as well take the lot all loaded!

First thing tomorrow morning, NSW here we come ... woo hoo! :dance: