TMY vs HP5

[jeroldharter]

Every year or so, I flirt with the idea of giving up on TMY. I use 8x10 film so I like the reciprocity characteristics and I have used it exclusively for large format for years. But it costs ~$9/sheet and is getting harder to find reliably. I use BTZS testing and Xtol developer. Not interested in pyro at this point.

So please tell me what to expect if I switch to HP5. Thanks.

[ROL]

You should expect to switch to pyro.

[Andrew O'Neill]

HP5 8x10 is my main film in pyrocat-hd. Before pyro, I used Xtol exclusively. Xtol 1+1 in BTZS tubes. Xtol and HP5 were made for each other. One drawback with HP5 is that expansion is not as great as it is with TMY. I can get N+2 but with a big increase in B+F (N+1 followed by intensification in selenium skirts this issue) N+2 is not a problem with TMY. It also has a slight edge in sharpness over HP5... but HP5 has a more silvery look and fuller shadows in my opionion. Also, TMY works better than HP5 when it comes to carbon transfer printing (unless you develop HP5 in a high contrast developer such as D-19). HP5's reciprocity isn't too bad. I have lots of my own data I can swing your way if you like. Data that I've used in the field for years.

Andrew

[jeroldharter]

Hmm. That $900 for 100 sheets of TMY in my B&H cart...

Just asking: if HP5 is made for Xtol, why use Pyro? Which pyro?

I more often need contraction of 2+ stops rather than expansion of 2 stops. How is HP5 with that?

[sully75]

I use HP5 in XTOL. It works pretty ok. I'm not a zoner and I can say honestly my control of my negatives leaves something to be desired. That said, I've taken a lot of photographs I consider "good" with HP5, but I find it frustrating somehow. I find the mid-highs and mids to lack contrast somehow. This is for scanned negatives. I end up playing a lot in photoshop to get pictures to look the way I want them.

TMY, I've found that if I get everything right, the negatives are much closer to where I want them. However I think it might be more finicky than HP5.

Then again I think film is film and you just have to take some pictures. HP5 makes that easier because it's cheaper.

Then again I'm really pleased with my last batch of HP5. Maybe I have it under control. Not sure I can repeat though.

This is HP5 in XTOL 1+1, rotary development in a 8x10 print drum, 8.75 minutes I think

Emperor Nortons Stationary Marching Band by Paul McEvoy, on Flickr

[Andrew O'Neill]

I use pyrocat-hd. I use it over Xtol because I can get more contrast due to the colour of the staining ( yellow/brown blocks UV light for alt printing... activates the low contrast emulsion in VC paper for softer highlights). Pyro developers mask grain somewhat. Pyrocat-hd is also more economical than Xtol. I use 5ml of solution A and B "stock" per sheet. That's 200 sheets of
8x10 per litre of stock. HP5 is a medium contrast film, and contracts fine. You don't have to contract as much with pyro, preserving contrast in the shadows somewhat.

[jeroldharter]

Thanks for all the info. Nice photo Paul. I like the tonality.

[John Kasaian]

Different animals,
high tech grain vs. old school .
Does it matter? Plenty of masterpieces have been shot on HP-5+
I don't shoot TMY anymore because it is too expensive for my budget (I still have a box of TMY-1 in the freezer) but for the subjects I'm after, HP-5+ works splendidly and I don't miss TMY in the least (I do miss the happy yellow boxes, though!).

[Kimberly Anderson]

I have two galleries you can look at. It might help you make up your mind.

The first gallery is my ongoing project on Utah Bigfoot. All images are shot on HP5+, processed in PMK, using a JOBO. Images are scanned from the negatives.

Utah Bigfoot Gallery, 4x10, HP5+

The second gallery is an exhibit from Sweden. Images shot in 2010. The 5x7's are all TMY, processed in PMK using a JOBO. Images are scanned from the negatives. The 2 1/4 images are HP5+, processed in X-tol 1:1 in stainless tanks on reels. Images scanned from the negatives.

Sweden Exhibit, TMY 5x7, HP5+ 2 1/4

[wiggywag]

I was surprised how good HP5+ reciprocity characteristics are. Up to about 5 seconds it is as good as TMY-2. In X-tol it is only 1/3 stop slower than TMY-2.

Where HP5+ really excels, is in ABC pyro with tray processing. Super sharp, wonderful tonality, just beautiful....best negatives I ever had!!! I'm not going back to TMY-2.