Ilford FP4 Plus .
FP4 Plus is Ilford's medium-speed black and white film. At ISO 125 it slots between Delta 100 and HP5 Plus, and in practice it borrows from both: finer grain than HP5, wider latitude than Delta 100.
The grain is fine. Not as fine as Delta 100; this is a conventional emulsion, not a tabular grain film. But fine enough that in 35mm it prints well at normal sizes and in 120 it effectively disappears. It's kind to skin tones, which makes it a strong portrait film, and it renders skies without the texture you'd get from HP5.
Where FP4 really shines is latitude. It's one of the most forgiving films you can load. Ilford document usable results up to six stops of overexposure, which is exceptional. If you're not sure about your exposure, give it more light rather than less and it will handle it. That makes it a good film to take out for the day when you're shooting outdoors and the light is changing.
It's not a low-light film. At ISO 125 you need good light or a tripod, and it doesn't push well beyond 400. If you want to keep shooting into the evening, HP5 is the better choice. And if you want the absolute finest grain Ilford makes, Delta 100 or Pan F Plus will beat it. But for a day outdoors in decent light where you want clean, detailed images with latitude to spare, FP4 Plus is hard to beat.
- + Portraits — fine grain is kind to skin tones
- + A roll for a weekend away shooting outdoors
- + Landscapes — fine grain is great for skies
- − When you want a little more grit or character — choose HP5
- − The finest grain — choose Delta 100 or Pan F Plus
- − Indoor photography — choose HP5
more from their film.
FP4 Plus at ISO 125 is a conventional emulsion with very fine grain — in 35mm it's fine enough to support large prints without visible texture, and in 120 it effectively disappears at standard print sizes. In 4x5, grain is entirely invisible and the constraint is exposure accuracy, not grain. The film asks for careful metering: Ilford's published EI range runs from EI 50 to EI 200, one stop either side of box speed. Overexposure is generously tolerated — usable results up to six stops over — but underexposure starts losing shadow detail around two stops under.
Push processing is documented but limited. Ilford treats rating above EI 200 as accidental exposure requiring rescue development, providing times in MICROPHEN only at EI 400. Grain increases noticeably and results fall below normal processing quality. Pulling one stop to EI 50 is the more useful direction — fully supported across all major developers, particularly effective in high-contrast light, and PERCEPTOL gives the finest grain at this rating. Contrast at box speed is medium, with a character noticeably crisper than HP5 Plus — clear tonal separation with good shadow detail. Reciprocity failure applies to exposures longer than 1 second — use the formula Ta = Tm^1.26. The 4x5 sheet film is coated on 0.180mm polyester base, more rigid than the acetate used for roll formats.
Store unexposed film at 10–20°C in original packaging. Refrigeration and freezing are acceptable — allow adequate time for the roll or sheet to reach room temperature before opening to avoid condensation.