Film comparison
Ilford HP5 Plus vs Kodak Tri-X 400
- Tri-X 400 has more contrast.
- HP5 Plus is cheaper in 35mm (about £7.50 vs £11.00).
Side by side
| HP5 Plus | Tri-X 400 | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Ilford | Kodak |
| 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 | Medium | Medium |
| Contrast | Medium | High |
| Latitude | Excellent | Excellent |
| Saturation | — | — |
| Price, 35mm | about £7.50 | about £11.00 |
| Price, 120 | about £6.50 | about £11.00 |
| Availability | Current | Current |
Rows that differ are in bold. Prices are typical UK prices and change often.
How they look
- HP5 Plus
- A robust, all-purpose film. Slightly lower contrast than Tri-X with excellent shadow detail and pushability.
- Tri-X 400
- A classic photojournalism film with a long heritage. Known for its distinctive gritty grain, high contrast, and strong push-processing capability.
Which suits what
Better pick: HP5 Plus
Education, General purpose
Both work well
Street
Better pick: Tri-X 400
Documentary, Push processing
Long exposures (reciprocity)
| Metered | HP5 Plus | Tri-X 400 |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 1s | 1s |
| 10s | 20s | 35s |
| 30s | 1m 26s | 3m 8s |
| 2m | 8m 49s | 26m 32s |
Corrected exposure from each film’s published reciprocity data. Reciprocity calculator
Developing both
Developers with published times for both films:
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