HP5 Plus push processing times: EI 800, 1600 and 3200
Ilford's HP5 Plus technical information says the film gives good image quality when exposed at meter settings from EI 400 up to EI 3200 and given extended development. It prints one time per developer and speed. In ID-11 stock at 20 °C the sheet goes from 7:30 at EI 400 to 10:30 at EI 800 and 14:00 at EI 1600. ID-11 has no time for EI 3200.
How to read the tables
Times are minutes and seconds at 20 °C (68 °F) in a spiral tank with intermittent agitation, for 35mm, roll film and sheet film alike. The sheet prints no time for some developer and speed pairs, and those show as n/a. The small figure under each time, such as +40%, is my arithmetic: the time against the same developer's EI 400 time.
Ilford says the times give negatives of average contrast and are a guide you may change to get another result. For continuous agitation (a tray, or some tanks) it says to cut the times by up to 15%. The same applies to a rotary processor used without a pre-rinse, and Ilford advises against a pre-rinse because it can cause uneven processing.
Ilford developers
| Developer | Dilution | EI 400 | EI 800 | EI 1600 | EI 3200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilfotec DD-X | 1+4 | 9:00 | 10:00+11% | 13:00+44% | 20:00+122% |
| Ilfotec HC | 1+15 | 3:30 | 5:00+43% | 7:30+114% | 11:00+214% |
| Ilfotec HC | 1+31 | 6:30 | 9:30+46% | 14:00+115% | n/a |
| Ilfotec LC29 | 1+9 | 3:30 | 5:00+43% | 7:30+114% | 11:00+214% |
| ID-11 | stock | 7:30 | 10:30+40% | 14:00+87% | n/a |
| ID-11 | 1+1 | 13:00 | 16:30+27% | n/a | n/a |
| Microphen | stock | 6:30 | 8:00+23% | 11:00+69% | 16:00+146% |
| Microphen | 1+1 | 12:00 | 15:00+25% | n/a | n/a |
The 2010 sheet names Ilfosol S, and Ilfosol 3 does not appear on it, so I left Ilfosol S out. Current Ilfosol 3 times are on the Ilfosol 3 page. I also left out Perceptol (EI 250 and 320 only), Ilfotec RT Rapid, machine times and the more dilute mixes that stop at EI 400 or 800.
Developers from other makers
| Developer | Dilution | EI 400 | EI 800 | EI 1600 | EI 3200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kodak D-76 | stock | 7:30 | 9:30+27% | 12:30+67% | n/a |
| Kodak D-76 | 1+1 | 11:00 | 13:00+18% | n/a | n/a |
| Kodak HC-110 | A | 2:30 | 3:45+50% | 5:30+120% | 9:30+280% |
| Kodak HC-110 | B | 5:00 | 7:30+50% | 11:00+120% | n/a |
| Kodak T-Max | 1+4 | 6:30 | 8:00+23% | 9:30+46% | 11:30+77% |
| Kodak Xtol | stock | 8:00 | 11:00+38% | 14:00+75% | 19:00+138% |
| Agfa Rodinal | 1+25 | 6:00 | 8:00+33% | n/a | n/a |
| Acufine | stock | 4:30 | 6:30+44% | 9:30+111% | n/a |
Ilford calls the times for other makers' developers a general guide, because those products may have changed. Kodak's own D-76 times for other films are on the D-76 page; its sheet has no HP5 Plus row. Ilford's sheet also lists Refinal, Acutol, Ultrafin and Ultrafin Plus, which I left out.
Which developer for which speed
Ilford's picks for best overall image quality: Ilfotec DD-X (liquid) or ID-11 stock (powder) at EI 400 and EI 800, and Ilfotec DD-X or Microphen stock at EI 1600 and EI 3200. For maximum film speed it names DD-X and Microphen stock. Microphen stock is the powder route to EI 3200, at 16:00.
The 1+1 dilutions of ID-11 and Microphen stop at EI 800 on the sheet. For a higher push the sheet's liquid option is Ilfotec DD-X 1+4, at 20:00 for EI 3200.
Worked example: ID-11 stock at EI 1600, developer at 22 °C
The sheet's time is 14:00 at 20 °C. Ilford's temperature rule for HP5 Plus is that 4 minutes at 20 °C becomes 3 minutes at 23 °C and 6 minutes at 16 °C. The temperature calculator opens with 14:00 at 22 °C and gives 11:29.
For a one-shot mix, Ilfotec DD-X at 1+4 in a 500 mL tank is 100 mL of DD-X and 400 mL of water. The dilution calculator opens with that mix.
Pushing and reused developer
My suggestion: develop a pushed roll in fresh developer and judge the time on a test roll, moving it in steps of 10 to 15%, the size of change Kodak's sheets suggest. Count the roll in your fixer capacity as usual.
Source
Times are from the Ilford HP5 Plus technical information sheet, a PDF copy hosted by a gallery (file dated June 2010), which I opened and read for this page. Ilford's product pages list a newer revision (November 2018) at ilfordphoto.com. I could not open it, so some times may have changed. Check Ilford's current sheet when a result matters.