When football meets film photography, you get something you want to shoot and keep at the same time.
ILFORD HP5 Plus 400 Football Collector's Edition is a limited run of the famous black-and-white film in a carton printed with football photographs by British sports photographer Miles Myerscough-Harris. Inside is the same fresh HP5 Plus: ISO 400, 135 format, 36 exposures. It is in stock with me now.
At a glance
Spec | ILFORD HP5 Plus Football Collector's Edition |
|---|---|
Type | Black-and-white negative film |
Format | 135 (35 mm), 36 exposures |
Speed | ISO 400 |
Development | Standard black-and-white process |
What is special | Collector's carton with photographs by Miles Myerscough-Harris |
What is unchanged | The emulsion and the cassette — regular HP5 Plus |
Run | Limited, while stocks last |
A series made for collectors
In summer 2026, the year of the FIFA World Cup, ILFORD released the Football Collector's Edition — a limited series in football livery. It covers two films: HP5 Plus and XP2 Super.
The cartons were designed with British sports photographer Miles Myerscough-Harris, the man behind Expired Film Club. He shoots football on film and on old cameras — he once brought an 1897 Kodak No. 4 Cartridge, more than 120 years old, to a match of the Swedish club AIK. His black-and-white pictures from the pitch became the artwork on the box.
The run is limited: unlike regular HP5 Plus, the football carton is sold only as part of this series and only while stocks last. So it is a box you will want to keep as well as buy.
Inside: the same HP5 Plus 400
Behind the unusual packaging is one of the best-loved black-and-white films, ILFORD HP5 Plus 400: a panchromatic negative film with visible but pleasant grain, soft midtones and wide exposure latitude that forgives small mistakes.
It suits street, reportage, portraits and, of course, sport. Box speed is ISO 400, and HP5 Plus pushes well to EI 1600 and even 3200 when developed for the chosen index. For pushing, people usually reach for MICROPHEN or DD-X; the times are in the ILFORD processing chart (PDF).
Note: this is fresh ILFORD film, not expired stock, despite the Expired Film Club name. The emulsion is unchanged — only the packaging is special.
Shoot all 36 frames or keep it?
That is the hard part. You can load it and go shoot a match, the noise of the stands, your friends or ordinary life in your city. Or you can leave the box sealed as a collector's piece from the football summer of 2026.
My advice: take two rolls — shoot one, keep the other. Regular HP5 Plus will always be around; this packaging will be much harder to find in a few years.
Where to buy
Current price and stock are on the ILFORD HP5 Plus Football Collector's Edition 135/36 page. If you want the film without the collector's carton, there is regular HP5 Plus 135/36, and everything else is in the film catalogue.
This is not ILFORD's first collector's release: I recently looked at the all-black Delta 400 Collector's Edition. And once the roll is shot, I can take care of development and scanning, including push processing to the EI you mark.
It makes a good gift for a photographer, a film-camera collector or a football fan. One small request: when you have shot the roll, keep the box — it deserves a place in your collection.
FAQ
How does the Football Collector's Edition differ from regular HP5 Plus?
Only in the packaging: the carton carries football photographs by Miles Myerscough-Harris. The emulsion, ISO 400, cassette and development times are the same as regular HP5 Plus.
Is it expired film?
No. Expired Film Club is the name of the photographer's project; the film itself is fresh, with a normal shelf life.
Which films are in the series?
Two: HP5 Plus 400 and XP2 Super 400, both in 135 format with 36 exposures.
Can I shoot it at EI 1600 or 3200?
Yes, HP5 Plus is made for pushing. Mark the real EI on the cassette and tell your lab, or pick the time from the ILFORD chart.
How is it developed?
Like any black-and-white negative film, in the standard B&W process. No special chemistry is needed.