Film comparison
Foma Bohemia Fomapan 400 Action vs Ilford HP5 Plus
- HP5 Plus has finer grain.
- Fomapan 400 Action is cheaper in 35mm (about £5.50 vs £7.50).
Side by side
| Fomapan 400 Action | HP5 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Foma Bohemia | Ilford |
| Type | Black & white | Black & white |
| Box speed | ISO 400 | ISO 400 |
| Process | B&W | B&W |
| Formats | 35mm, 120, 4x5, 8x10 | 35mm, 120, 4x5, 8x10 |
| Grain | Coarse | Medium |
| Contrast | Medium | Medium |
| Latitude | Low | Excellent |
| Saturation | — | — |
| Price, 35mm | about £5.50 | about £7.50 |
| Price, 120 | about £5.50 | about £6.50 |
| Availability | Current | Current |
Rows that differ are in bold. Prices are typical UK prices and change often.
How they look
- Fomapan 400 Action
- Classic Czech film with a distinct 'old school' look. Can lack shadow detail at box speed; often shot at ISO 320.
- HP5 Plus
- A robust, all-purpose film. Slightly lower contrast than Tri-X with excellent shadow detail and pushability.
Which suits what
Better pick: Fomapan 400 Action
Testing cameras, Low budget projects, Vintage look
Both work well
—
Better pick: HP5 Plus
Education, Street, General purpose
Long exposures (reciprocity)
| Metered | Fomapan 400 Action | HP5 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 1s | 1s |
| 10s | 1m | 20s |
| 30s | 3m 44s | 1m 26s |
| 2m | 16m | 8m 49s |
Corrected exposure from each film’s published reciprocity data. Reciprocity calculator
Developing both
Developers with published times for both films:
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