What is the difference between these Ilford B&W Films?

Question

What is the difference between:

* Delta 400, HP5 400 and XP2 Super 400

They are all black and white ISO 400 films.

Thanks

Answer 1

HP5+ is a so-called traditional grain film, comparable to Kodak Tri-X, while Delta 400 is a modern tabular grained film comparable to Kodak TMAX-400.

Basically, traditionally the grains in film have been allowed to take on whatever shape they wish when they are formed.

Tabular grained films carefully control the grain forming process so that each grain is roughly identical. The grains are turned in such a way that they have more surface area than those in traditional film, and the regular shape allows them to be packed in more tightly.

These two things combined mean that for a given film speed, tabular grained films have finer grain that traditional film grain.

To my eye, though, this comes at a cost of less natural and aesthetically pleasing grain. Also, tabular grained films tend to be more finicky about proper exposure and development. Plus, they cost more.

I personally prefer HP5+. Truthfully, though, the difference between it and Delta 400 is minor enough that 99% of the non-photographer public isn't going to know the difference.

XP2 Super is a totally different animal. It is a black and white film designed to be processed in color chemicals. It's great for people who don't have a darkroom, as most commercial labs that will even handle traditional black and white film do a horrible job with it. Many labs have a hard time printing XP2, though, as it lacks the orange mask of other C-41 process films.

Answer 2

XP2 Super can be developed in C-41 chemistry just like a color film. You have to tell your lab that its suppoed to be B&W - otherwise you may get some strange looking photos.

The others you list have to be developed in regular black & white chemistry.

Answer 3

merely to characteristic to the different solutions.... all Ilford action picture is black and white. final time I regarded, that became into spelled out in vast letters on the field, in spite of ISO velocity. in case you like shade, get a shade action picture consisting of Fuji professional 160s or Kodak Ektar one hundred. steve