Ilford Ortho Plus---any experience?

**John Kasaian** · 6-Mar-2007, 16:43

I'm looking for something to feed my wine barrel turned ULF pinhole camera. I like going with ortho because I can cart the thing into the dark room on a hand truck and load it under a safelight and I suspect ortho will record mre detail than paper negatives (I don't really know for sure, its just a hunch) Ilford Ortho is rated at iso 80 which blows APHS into the weeds (even thought Ilford is mega more expensive) I'm thinking of getting some in 5x7 to experiment with but I was wondering what your thoughts are? Can I achieve continuous tones with paper developer like with APHS?

Well, can I??

**william linne** · 6-Mar-2007, 18:17

You an achieve continuous tones with almost any developer. I use the film regularly and have used a variety of "normal" developers.

**Glenn Thoreson** · 6-Mar-2007, 18:31

Ilford Ortho Plus is a continuous tone film. Ortho film for general photography has been pretty much forgotten these days. It used to be quite popular for certain subjects. It is not senstive to red in any degree, so you need to take that into consideration when you select a subject. You can use yellow filters to help with the sky detail. Any regular film developer should work just fine. This is not the Lith film that folks think of when you say Ortho thse days.

**John Kasaian** · 6-Mar-2007, 18:37

Thanks Glen! Thats what I needed to know. Now all I have to do is find out who sells 5x7!

**Jim Noel** · 6-Mar-2007, 18:55

I carry Ilford Ortho+ at all times.It is invaluable when detail in deep shadows is desired.

**Oren Grad** · 6-Mar-2007, 19:15

Originally Posted by John Kasaian

Now all I have to do is find out who sells 5x7!

Ilford does not normally cut Ortho+ in 5x7, though their master product availability list does indicate that 13x18cm is "usually in stock" at the factory. Conceivably you could find a supplier in the UK who can get some for you.

**John Kasaian** · 6-Mar-2007, 19:53

Good grief! I'll have to order the 8x10 from B and H then. Thanks Oren.

**Ron Marshall** · 6-Mar-2007, 20:13

Ilford Ortho is continuous tone and very fine grained, great for shadow detail and light foliage. I developed it in HC-110, dil H.

The only downsides for me were an EI of 64 in HC-110 and poor reciprocity.