Can I develop Ilford HP5+ shot at EI 200 and EI 400 together in Rodinal 1:50?

Asked 3/24/2019

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I have rolls of Ilford HP5+ exposed at both EI 200 and EI 400, and I want to develop them in Rodinal 1:50. Most references I found suggest roughly 11–13 minutes at 20°C, with around 11 minutes for EI 400 and about 12 minutes for EI 200. Can I process both rolls together for 12 minutes, and are there any generally trusted times or tips for this film/developer combination?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

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Ilford HP5+ is a film emulsion well known for its ability to stand a lot of abuse as far as exposure is concerned.

It was developed with newspaper photojournalists in mind - these guys were not known for the accuracy of their exposure measurement.

It works well with Rodinal, but be prepared for a visibly grainy result. Not unpleasantly grainy, but of the sort "this grain was supposed to be there and it is" result.

My favorite development times for this combo in 135 film are:

  • shot as ASA 400 => 11:00 minutes in Rodinal 1+50 at 20 °C
  • shot as ASA 800 => 08:00 minutes in Rodinal 1+25 at 20 °C

The second option is grainy indeed, but for some motives works marvelously - with sorta grimy authenticity. Better suited for portraits of older men than young babies.

In 120 and larger film sizes you can disregard the grain warnings.

Originally by user62463. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user62463

7y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—HP5+ is very tolerant of exposure and development variation, so rolls shot at EI 200 and EI 400 can usually be developed together with little trouble. A practical baseline from Ilford’s recommendations is about 11 minutes in Rodinal 1:50 at 20°C for HP5+ exposed at 400. If one roll was exposed at 200, developing both for around 12 minutes is likely to give acceptable results.

The safest approach is to trust the manufacturer’s data sheet first, especially when online charts disagree. Massive Dev Chart can be useful, but it is user-contributed and not always as reliable as Ilford’s published data.

A few notes:

  • Expect noticeable grain with HP5+ in Rodinal; many photographers like this look.
  • Small time differences like 11 vs 12 minutes are not critical with HP5+.
  • If consistency matters, test a roll and adjust for your agitation, thermometer accuracy, and scanning/printing preferences.

Some photographers also use highly dilute Rodinal stand development for a different look, but that’s more experimental and not the best starting point if you want predictable results.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

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