Ilford HP5 Plus 400 .
Some film has to earn its reputation. HP5 Plus did this in 1976 and built it from there.
If you're heading out for the day with one roll of black and white and you're not sure what you'll find — changing light, indoors and outdoors, people and places — HP5 Plus is a safe choice. It is fast enough to shoot handheld in most conditions and the latitude is forgiving enough that you don't need to nail the exposure every time. It's a good film to learn on and a good film to come back to. That’s not to say it’s a beginner’s film only — some seasoned photographers shoot HP5 almost exclusively because it is a film that has latitude in the camera and flexibility in the darkroom.
It has grain. It's a conventional emulsion, not a T-grain film like T-Max, so the grain has a classic, textured quality. In 35mm you'll see it. In 120 it settles down considerably. Whether that grain is a feature or a drawback depends entirely on what you're after. For a lot of photographers it's part of why they reach for this film. If you’re shooting landscapes you will see the grain in the sky.
It pushes well — up to three stops — so if you're shooting into the evening or in a dimly lit room you can keep going without changing rolls. Contrast and grain increase as you push, but it doesn't fall apart. It's also less contrasty and quite a bit cheaper than Tri-X, which makes it easier to shoot regularly without overthinking it.
If you're looking for a black and white film you can take anywhere and trust to come back with something good, HP5 Plus should be near the top of your list.
- + Street photography and urban scenes
- + People — forgiving exposure and natural contrast for portraits and candids
- + A film to throw in the camera if you’re not sure what light you’ll have
- − Landscapes unless you like grain in your skies — choose FP4 Plus
- − Very low light — choose Delta 3200 or T-Max P3200
- − The finest grain at 400 speed — choose T-Max 400 or Delta 400
more from their film.
HP5 Plus is a conventional-grain 400-speed black and white film. In 35mm, grain is visible at larger print sizes and contributes to the classic B&W texture that many photographers deliberately seek — it is medium-grain rather than fine, noticeable in full enlargements but not overwhelming in standard prints. Latitude is wide: Ilford document development times from EI 400 through EI 3200, and the film holds shadow detail remarkably well into extended development. At box speed, contrast is medium — negatives are forgiving to print and scan, rendering a broad tonal range without brittle highlights.
HP5 Plus responds predictably to push processing, with manufacturer-published development times at EI 800 (+1 stop), EI 1600 (+2 stops), and EI 3200 (+3 stops). Each stop of push increases contrast and renders a punchier, more graphic tonality — at +1 and +2, shadow detail is largely preserved; at +3, highlights and shadows both become more compressed. Pull development is documented to EI 200 (−1 stop) for a softer, lower-contrast rendering. The film scans cleanly at box speed; at pushed settings, grain becomes more pronounced but shadow separation remains usable.
Store HP5 Plus at 10–20°C in its original packaging, away from moisture. Refrigerator or freezer storage is acceptable for long-term stock — allow film to reach room temperature before opening to prevent condensation on the emulsion. Process exposed rolls promptly.