Ilford FP4 Plus is a general-purpose black and white sheet film in 12.7×17.8 cm (5×7 inch), 25 sheets to the box, ISO 125. Together with HP5+ it is the Ilford classic that refuses to die — several generations of photographers have bought it.
How the picture looks
An honest film with no tricks: moderate, manageable contrast, quiet classic grain, and — importantly — better shadow detail than Delta 100. Where modern tabular-grain films win on sharpness, FP4+ wins on depth and the softness of the transition. The picture reads recognisably as film, without sterility.
What to shoot on it
The large-format all-rounder: landscape, architecture, portraits, still life, learning. ISO 125 is a convenient middle: enough speed for an ordinary day, and grain that stays fine. It is the sensible first film if you are just taking up large format.
How to shoot it
Meter at the nominal ISO 125. It is forgiving of imprecise exposure — a real virtue in large format, where every frame is expensive. Sheet film is loaded into holders (double-sided, two sheets each) in complete darkness — you need a darkroom or a roomy changing bag. One sheet is one frame, and that changes how you shoot: exposure is worked out in advance, composition is built on the ground glass, and every frame costs time. The box holds 25 sheets — roughly €7.10 a frame.
Processing and scanning
It develops in every classic developer — ID-11, D-76, Rodinal, HC-110, DD-X — to Ilford's published times. Its moderate inherent contrast makes it well suited to the Zone System: both expansion and contraction behave predictably. Trays, hangers in a tank, or a rotary processor — your choice.
How it compares
Delta 100 is sharper and finer grained, but costs more and holds less in the shadows. Fomapan 100 is cheaper and noticeably coarser. HP5+ is the same philosophy at ISO 400 — take that when light is short. FP4+ remains the best point of balance between quality, price and predictability.
