Portra 400BW and Ilford XP2 Super shot at 800

I have just recently shot Portra 400BW and Ilford XP2 Super. I

changed the ISO setting in my camera from 400 to 800 (pushing it 1

stop). I am curious if the film can still be processed normally or

if I should ask my lab to push process it by 1 stop? What

advantages/disadvantages are there for either processing, thank you.

Bill,

 

The information sheet for XP2 Super indicates that the film should be processed normally when rated anywhere from EI 100 to EI 800.

 

Based upon that, you should use normal processing for the XP2 Super. I suspect that the same holds true for the Portra.

 

If the rolls is question hold anything of importance, shoot one roll of each rated at EI 800 and have the test rolls processed normally. If the results are as expected, use normal processing. If not, use push processing. If you do the test, shoot under conditions as close as practical to those under which the original rolls were shot.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Vernon

Based on the data sheets the info above is correct, but from my experience it is not. Even when exposed at 400 both films tend to loose shadow detail and increase grain in the shadows, so that many people shoot them at 320 or 200 to begin with. So if I were in your shoes I'd have it pushed at least one stop. If shadow detail is important and you can tolerate some additional grain penalty push 2 stops. As both films have very low contrast, the increase in contrast from pushing is most likely not relevant.

 

My experience with pushed XP2 however was rather mixed. I get better grain AND shadow detail with Tri-X or HP5 pushed in Xtol (processed my self) so that I essentially stopped pushing chromogenics.

I'm for pushing a stop (at least a half) if you want the most from that film. Lattitude be damned - I can't stand any 400 speed or faster print/chromogenic film that's been under-exposed a full stop.

Push it a full stop. I've underexposed XP2 and T400CN a full stop before. Prints look like crap from the Frontier when processed normally.

<center><a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/1044037"><img src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1044037"></a></center>

 

<p>This has been shot on Ilford XP2 Super, setting the ISO on my camera to 1600 and having the lab push process it by 3 stops. The weather was overcast, so the scene contrast was low, but XP can obviously stand a few stops of pushing without breaking a sweat (it's rather low contrast to start with).