Developing Ilford HP5 Exposed At ISO 800

Ian-Barber

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This question is based on 120 roll film.

Now the light outside has dropped dramatically, I was thinking of using some HP5 in my MF camera at ISO 800 or possibly 1600 for hand held usage.

For development, I am on the fence whether to use HC110 for around 11 minutes as per the data sheet or would I get be better off using PyrocatHD in a semi-stand / minimal agitation process (30 minutes) to control the build up of density in the high values through the staining effect of Pyrocat.
 
Ian, I think you have several choices.
1. Use a tripod and rate HP5 at 400.
2. Wait 'til it brightens up.
3. Move to the Vale of Pickering. The sun shines every day here. (but not today, so far...)
4. Uprate HP5 to 1200 and develop in ID11 stock. I had surprisingly good results when I used to do this, photographing inside farmer's barns.

Pyrocat hd for 30 mins. semi-stand is, in my book, N-1 development. What you would do on a sunny day. So, save that for when you move to the Vale of Pickering!

Good luck.

Alan
 
The only time I've uprated HP5 in recent years was to 1600/3200 as the light was dropping so fast it was more likely 3200, my last meter reading was for 1600. It was quite a contrasty scene sunlight clipping the top of Tornado and the tender and carriages an deep shadow. I processed in Pyrocat HD for 40 maybe 45 minutes, at 20ºC, normal agitation and actually shadow details as well as highlights were excellent given the conditions, far better than I expected. The shot didn't quite work because shooting a moving train at 1/25th @ f5.5 is less than ideal with a 360mm Telephoto lens, if it had been on time and not an hour late I was all set to shoot 1/100 @ f22 and 400EI.

One thing I've noticed with Pyrocat is that contrast is well controlled by the tanning and staining so it's hard to get burnt out highlights, I wouldn't be worried about contrast as except for late in the afternoon and early morning the light is relatively flat even in sunlight this time of year.

I'd suggest pushing to 800EI initially.

Ian
 
How did you arrive at N-1 Alan

Pyrocat hd at 1+11+100. several initial inversions. Then one inversion at 7.5 min, one at 15 min, one at 22.5 min. Pour developer out at 30 minutes. Film exposed on sunny day. Darkroom print on contrast grade 2.5

Alan
 
Ian, you could keep things simple and just follow Ilford's recommendation, which is what I did.
Hp5 at 1600, ID11 stock at 14 minutes. I think I went for 12 minutes when I rated the film at 1200. I got surprisingly nice results. Enough shadow detail, and, above all, absolutely lovely tonality. I was photographing in lambing sheds, and often the contrast was quite high, with outside light coming in in places, but quite low light levels. Not easy conditions. I was using 35mm by the way.

Alan
 
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