Ilford XP2 Super 400 .
Ilford XP2 Super is the odd one out in the Ilford black and white range. It's a chromogenic film, processed in C-41 — the same chemistry as colour negative film. It's the only widely available chromogenic black and white film still in production.
XP2's grain behaves differently from conventional black and white film. Overexpose it and the grain actually gets finer. At box speed the grain is already very fine for an ISO 400 film, and it only improves from there. Ilford rate the film usable from exposure index (EI) 50 to EI 800 on the same roll, all with standard C-41 processing. You can't push XP2 in the traditional sense — extended development doesn't gain you any real speed. The EI 800 end works because the film's latitude absorbs the underexposure, not because development is compensating.
The images have a medium contrast with good shadow detail and clean highlights. It's a different look from HP5 Plus or Delta 400 — smoother, less gritty. Because the image is dye-based rather than silver grain, it works with Digital ICE dust and scratch removal when scanning. If you scan your own negatives, that's a real time-saver over conventional black and white.
XP2 Super has been around in its current form since 1998. It's not a replacement for your conventional films — if you want the look of Tri-X or the fine grain of Delta 100, those do their own thing. But if you want black and white you can rate anywhere from 50 to 800 in changing light, XP2 is the practical choice. It rewards overexposure rather than punishing it.
- + If your local lab only does colour processing
- + Changeable light — change the ISO frame to frame
- + You want a different look to conventional black & white
- − When you want the finest grain — choose Pan F 50
- − When you want more grain — choose Tri-X
- − You want to push process — choose Delta 400
more from their film.
The grain is fine at box speed and gets finer, not coarser, with more exposure: rate it at 200, or down to 50 for the finest grain and denser negatives. In 120 the bigger negative needs less enlargement, so the grain shows even less at a given print or scan size. It forgives overexposure much more than under; 800 is the ceiling, with a slight loss in quality. Ratings can change frame to frame, though lab proof prints are easier at one setting. Beyond 1 second, add time: a metered 10 seconds needs about 20.
Push processing gains nothing, so every rating from 50 to 800 gets standard C-41. Contrast is firm in the shadows and mid-tones while highlights roll off gently, so contrasty scenes keep their detail. Pink or red-brown negatives, a little darker than other black and white ones, are normal. The dye image also lets infrared dust removal work when scanning.
Store it cool and dry; after the fridge or freezer, give it plenty of time to warm up before loading. If your 35mm camera reads the DX code, set other ratings manually. Exposed film keeps up to a month if cool and dry, but process it soon.