Film comparison
Ilford HP5 Plus vs Ilford XP2 Super
- XP2 Super has finer grain.
- HP5 Plus is cheaper in 35mm (about £7.50 vs £10.00).
- They use different processes: HP5 Plus is BW, XP2 Super is C-41.
Side by side
| HP5 Plus | XP2 Super | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Ilford | Ilford |
| Type | Black & white | Black & white |
| Box speed | ISO 400 | ISO 400 |
| Process | B&W | C-41 |
| Formats | 35mm, 120, 4x5, 8x10 | 35mm, 120 |
| Grain | Medium | Fine |
| Contrast | Medium | Medium |
| Latitude | Excellent | Excellent |
| Saturation | — | — |
| Price, 35mm | about £7.50 | about £10.00 |
| Price, 120 | about £6.50 | about £9.00 |
| 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.
- XP2 Super
- Chromogenic black and white film processed in standard C-41 chemistry — no traditional B&W development times needed. Wide exposure latitude with excellent shadow and highlight detail.
Which suits what
Better pick: HP5 Plus
Education, Street, General purpose
Both work well
—
Better pick: XP2 Super
Travel, Varying conditions, Lab convenience
Long exposures (reciprocity)
| Metered | HP5 Plus | XP2 Super |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 1s | 1s |
| 10s | 20s | 20s |
| 30s | 1m 26s | 1m 26s |
| 2m | 8m 49s | 8m 49s |
Corrected exposure from each film’s published reciprocity data. Reciprocity calculator