Two legends, one speed

Kodak Tri-X 400 and Ilford HP5 Plus are the two most famous ISO 400 black and white films in the world. Both are traditional cubic-grain emulsions, both have been shot by generations of photojournalists and street photographers, and both are prized for being forgiving, flexible and full of character. If you are choosing a first serious black and white film, you are almost certainly choosing between these two. They are more alike than any specification sheet suggests, but they do have distinct personalities.

Grain and tonality

Both films use classic grain rather than modern T-grain technology, so they look organic and unmistakably filmic. Tri-X tends to render slightly higher contrast with a punchy, gritty quality that many associate with the classic reportage look. HP5 Plus is generally described as flatter and more neutral out of the box, with a longer, smoother tonal scale that captures a wide range of greys. Neither is right or wrong; Tri-X gives you contrast to tame, while HP5 gives you a gentle base you can build contrast onto in development or printing.

Exposure and latitude

Both films are famously forgiving of exposure error, which is a big part of why they endure. You can under or overexpose by a stop or more and still pull a usable negative, making them ideal for fast, unmetered street work and for beginners still learning to read light. Many photographers rate Tri-X at 320 and HP5 at 250 to 320 to protect shadow detail, since both retain highlights well. The key habit with both is to expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights.

Pushing

This is where the two films truly show their character. Both push well, which is one reason they dominate low-light film photography. Tri-X pushed to 1600 gains dramatic, gritty contrast and pronounced grain that suits hard, high-contrast street scenes. HP5 Plus is often praised as one of the best pushing films available, holding surprisingly smooth tonality and controlled grain even at 1600 and beyond. If you push regularly and want the cleaner result, many shooters lean HP5; if you want the grittier, more contrasty punch, Tri-X delivers it.

Development

Both films work in essentially every common black and white developer, which is a major practical advantage. Tri-X in classic developers like D-76 gives the textbook look; in a compensating developer it can be tamed considerably. HP5 responds beautifully to a wide range of developers too and is a favourite for those learning to develop at home because it is so tolerant. Whichever you choose, the developer you pair it with changes the result as much as the film itself.

Which to choose

  • Choose Tri-X 400 for punchy contrast, a gritty classic reportage look, and dramatic pushed results.
  • Choose HP5 Plus for a flatter, more flexible negative, smoother greys, and the cleanest high-speed pushing.
  • For learning, either is excellent because both forgive exposure mistakes and develop in any standard chemistry.
  • For consistency, pick one and stick with it, because knowing your film and developer combination matters more than the small differences between them.

The honest verdict is that you cannot go wrong. These films have anchored black and white photography for decades precisely because they are so capable and so forgiving. Try both, shoot a roll of each through the same scenes, and let your own eye decide which tonality you prefer. Kodak Tri-X 400 and Ilford HP5 Plus, together with the developers and cameras to run them, are stocked and tested at Boston Camera (波士頓相機).