XP-2 and ISO and Contrast

[jlkphoto]

I'm just getting back into B&W after 25yrs and have several questions.

 

This question is similar to the other thread where I asked about Tri-

x and Diafine and ISO.

 

I've just bought my first rolls of XP-2 Super and have been reading

about it on photo.net.

Question: Does the contrast vary according to the ISO it's shot at?

 

In other words, could one shoot the same roll at one ISO on an

overcast day and a different ISO on a sunny day and get decent

contrast in both situations or is XP-2 just not the best thing to use

in an overcast situation

[eric friedemann]

"Does the contrast (of XP-2) vary according to the ISO it's shot at?"

 

 

Yes. I've settled on shooting XP-2 at E.I. 200.<div></div>

[scott_mcloughlin]

When under exposed, XP-2 gives a very gritty, "Ralf Gibson-esque," type of negative. I find it's a actually a very nice look - and a convenient way to get that look - if that's what your going for.

 

Otherwise 320 or 250 seem like very "safe" EI's to shoot XP2 in my experience. At either EI, XP2 is a very forgiving film.

 

Scott

[eye-of-searle]

I tend to shoot XP2 Super mainly at 250 and 320 depending on the conditions to get more contrast. I usually shoot 250 on overcast days and 320 on brighter days.

 

The below shot was taken at ISO 250 on a rainy, very cloudy, gloomy day around 10am in a fairly well shaded area.<div></div>

[david_beal___richmond_hts.]

XP-2 Super (my experience) seems to do better when shot at 320 or 250. For strobe, I prefer 320. Shooting at 400 or above produces (my opinion) less than desirable negatives.

 

Good shooting.

 

/s/ David Beal ** Memories Preserved Photography, LLC

[jlkphoto]

A modern SLR set to aperature priority can probably take advantage of the suggested settings, however, I'm also using some "antique" medium format equipment.

 

I'd have to guess these relatively tiny changes in ISO, say from 200 to 250, are meaningless if one is using a 50 year old Rolleiflex that is 100% manual and has no capability of setting speeds or aperatures in one-third increments.

[eye-of-searle]

XP2 will be fine with older cameras. I have even shot it at 200 and it's great. Like mentioned above, it's very forgiving so precise ISO control is not really needed.

[gary_mortensen1]

Hi, Jeff -

 

<<<could one shoot the same roll at one ISO on an overcast day and a different ISO on a sunny day and get decent contrast in both situations ...>>>

 

In my experience, the answer is yes. I started using XP1 twenty years ago and have stayed with the various generations of this Ilford film, including the current XP2 Super. I've never found another film that was as good as XP2 at handling drastically different lighting conditions on a single roll. I use XP2 in cameras ranging from a totally automatic Konica Hexar to a totally meterless Rollei TLR.

 

Currently, I rate XP2 Super at ISO 320 for general use. About the only time I'll change the camera's ISO setting is to increase it to 400 - 500 when I encounter flat, dull lighting. The resulting negatives are slightly thinner at these settings, of course, and will begin to exhibit some graininess in the darkest areas, but print very nicely, in general.

 

XP2, when exposed "generously" under flat lighting can produce a very dull, low contrast image. I think it's this kind of result that has caused some users to conclude that SP2 is inherently "lifeless", and go back to conventional films.

 

When I do encounter an XP2 negative that seems excessively flat, I find that it responds well to printing on a very high contrast paper, without the exaggerated graininess and blocked highlights that very high contrast papers often produce with conventional negatives.

 

So, I'm a contented XP2 user and, at this point, I don't even bother keeping other films on hand.

 

Regards,

 

Gary Mortensen