Ilford HP5 Plus 400

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 on Fujifilm is a flat, forgiving black-and-white look built on Acros with a Yellow filter (Acros Ye), tuned with Highlight -1, Shadow -2 and DR400 so overcast light reads as soft, wide-midtone grey rather than hard contrast. Grain is set to Weak/Small to mimic HP5’s fine, gentle structure — the English documentary negative, not the punchy Tri-X.

Why this base

Acros Ye is the closest Fuji simulation to HP5’s forgiving character: it holds a long, smooth tonal ramp with subtle midtone bite from the Yellow filter, without the aggressive shoulder of a high-contrast recipe. Keeping Sharpness at -1 and Clarity at -2 softens edge rendering so the image reads like a fibre print in dull light rather than a crisp digital frame.

How to shoot it

This recipe is happiest on cool overcast mornings, in open shade, and on grey-sky streets where the light is diffuse and directionless. DR400 keeps the bright cloud base from clipping to paper-white, while Shadow -2 lifts the lower midtones that flat light usually leaves muddy — the combination gives you HP5’s famously wide latitude. Meter with 0 to +2/3 EV to keep skin and pavement in the upper-middle grey where the film stock sits naturally. Noise Reduction -2 lets the Weak/Small grain stay visible without turning to mush, so texture survives at ISO 1600–6400.

What to avoid

Do not expect Tri-X drama from this recipe. With Highlight -1 and Shadow -2 the curve is deliberately gentle, so hard midday sun will look weak and washed rather than punchy — save contrasty scenes for a dedicated Tri-X build. If you want more separation on a genuinely flat day, nudge Highlight to 0 rather than adding Clarity, which would break the soft print feel. In bright, high-contrast light the flat curve simply has nowhere to go, and the look falls apart; keep it to grey skies, mist, and shaded documentary work where its wide midtone latitude is the whole point.