Ilford films

Am I wrong or what, the ilford film (bulk) prices just went up? in

both B&H and adorama, like 40% more now. :(

 

anyway, any comments on shooting HP5+ at iso 320 and FP4+ at iso 100

or iso 80?

You'll find that many people on this forum like them both.

 

Perhaps there is something more specific you were looking for?

Yes, Ilford prices have recently increased -- this probably has something to do with trying to operate the company at a profit for a change. The good news is, the new pricing (with possible additional future increases as the dollar tanks) is likely to help keep the Ilford products available for the foreseeable future.

Don't know exactly what the exchange rate is at the mo but it can't be far off 1.90 quid to the dollar. A couple of years back it was about 1.40 quid to the dollar. That makes a big difference.

Ilford was undermining itself for years by pricing its products so much cheaper than Kodak. That's one reason it got into trouble recently. I'm sorry to see the end of cheap Ilford products but I'll accept it in order to see the continuation of the company as long as it continues to make good film and paper. (I also hope that Microphen will continue to be available, tho' that's in some doubt.)

 

In terms of obtaining the best results from what most photographers would consider an ideal aesthetic - good shadow detail, midtone separation and snappy but not blocked up highlights - I've been successful using ID-11 at 1+1 on HP5+ rated at 200 and FP4+ rated at 64. Nothing fancy, no special techniques, just good negatives that are capable of making very good big prints.

Well I've been using a lot of tri-x and Tmax as it's quite a bit cheaper than HP5 and Delta in the UK. I also use Delta3200 and XP2super because it has clear advantages to me over the cheaper Kodak products.

Having said that I bought a small batch of HP5 just a couple of months ago as the price had come down quite a bit and is now much the same price as tri-x.

I'm glad I stocked up on FP4 when I had the chance-

 

think I'll stock up on APX 100, before AGFA sees the $ight

Willing to pay extra as long as these films are made available. Salaries go up, profits need to be made, I need these films...

Ilford products have been, for years, in Europe much more expensive than Agfa or Kodak. The weak dollar and a globalization of film production in the U.S. with a unification of pricing has placed the Kodak materials in Germany at price levels significantly below those of Ilford. Price rises will not result in salvation for Ilford but will increase their chances of failure--- which they seem well set-up for (notice the new construction of Ilford Photo and how its being used to retain debit but, by its previous owners, shift some of the capital and valuable resources out from what was Ilford). After doing their all to alienate professional customers, price hikes on consumer films (like FP4 which are sold in German drugstores) will only result in a switch over to other vendors if not even to films like Kodak BW400CN that are, anyway, better suited to the big C-41 processing centers--- where 9x13cm prints are to be had on premium grade papers for 4 EURO cents.

Lex,

 

Just curious....what processing times do you use with 1:1 and those speeds?

With FP4+ at 64, 9 minutes in ID-11, 1+1 at 68F. That's less time than most published data suggests but it's worked for me.

 

I can't recall my time for HP5+. My personal PC with my data and all of my negatives and records are in storage since our house was sold a few months ago.

 

Usually I develop on the high end of any recommended range because I use a dichro/color head and higher contrast negatives seem to work better with the diffusion type enlargers. But sometimes negatives developed for times recommended for condenser heads work just as well for me.

If you like HP5+ and FP4+, as I do, but don't want to pay the premium, you can still get these films repackaged as Arista Pro 400, and Arista Pro 125, from Freestyle for less than $2/roll. Regarding your question about exposure, it's far too complicated a subject to make those kinds of blanket recommendations, as far as I'm concerned. Both of these films have enormous exposure latitude, and useful negs can be made with those exposure ratings and nearly any developer, but to fine tune your exposure and development to match your technique and preferences will require testing. Good luck, and enjoy.

 

Jay

Given that Ilford now appears to be interested in actually operating at a profit, I wouldn't count on the continued long-term availability of "Arista Pro" rebranded Ilford film for too much longer.

I spoke to their Marketing Director today (Tuesday) at the 'Focus on Imaging' show in the UK. They have ceased production of SFX200, but will continue to produce all existing film lines. New chemicals suppliers have been established, and stocks should be coming through soon.

 

The chaps on the stand were very positive about the future, and anticipate no likelihood of product withdrawal in the foreseeable future.