Analog.Cafe › News › 7 min read by Dmitri. Published on January 24, 2025. The year 2025 has kicked off with a bold film experiment. Late last year, I shared insights on enhancing photo sharpness and editing film scans. This month, I set all that aside to explore one of the most renowned black-and-white emulsions in a way that has never been attempted before. Looking ahead to next month, I have a new app that has been in development for over three years, which I'd like to present to interested GOLD members. Additionally, there's an update on film prices for 2025.
In this newsletter: HP5+ @ ISO 100,000. Ilford HP5+ @ ISO 3. Private app beta. Next month on Analog.Cafe. Support this blog & access premium features with GOLD memberships!
Ilford HP5+ shot at EI 100,000. HP5+ @ ISO 100,000. Historically, photochemistry has been a challenging medium due to its low light sensitivity. In the 1800s, light meters were non-existent, and the early photographic techniques, like daguerreotypes, had sensitivities around 0.05-0.005 ISO. My grandparents utilized a simpler medium, flexible film, which had much greater sensitivity. In the early to mid-20th century, I would estimate that ISO 25 was the norm. This higher sensitivity allowed for the capture of action shots without the need for a tripod when using fast lenses. My parents had access to even faster films, often reaching ISO 400. More recent emulsions have achieved ISO 1600 for color (Fujicolor Natura) and ISO 3200 for black-and-white (Ilford Delta and Kodak T-Max). Digital cameras can be even more sensitive; however, film possesses a unique advantage over sensors: it can be pushed.
One of the most commonly recommended films to push is Ilford HP5+, which was first introduced in 1879. It is often shot at EI 1600, but while examining my remainder of bulk roll, which I attempted to develop using unusual substances, I pondered whether it could be pushed to ISO 100,000, surpassing all prior public efforts. This article, “Pushing Ilford HP5+ to ISO 100,000,” explores the difficulties of shooting and developing eight stops beyond the rated sensitivity. You can see one outcome of this experiment above, which required a specialized developer, some trial and error in Google Sheets, and a lengthy process using a Paterson tank. Not all results were similar; one of my images was so drastically transformed that it turned into a positive!
Would you think I’d push HP5+ to ISO 100,000 without also attempting to pull it further than anyone else has? Of course not. Here’s the article containing samples, development times, and a discussion on that: “Pulling Ilford HP5+ to ISO 3.”
Private app beta. Additionally, I have been working on an app during this time and the previous month. It is software that I’ve been developing and testing for three years — my most complex creation. However, it’s not yet ready for public release. I would like to keep it confidential for a little while longer, which is why all information below is exclusively available to GOLD members.
2025 is beginning rapidly with an astonishing film experiment: stretching one of the globe's most favored black-and-white emulsions further than ever before. Looking ahead to next month, there’s a new app that has been in the works for more than three years that I'd like to discuss with interested GOLD members. Additionally, there's an update regarding film prices in 2025.