Ilford FP4 Plus 125

B&W NegativeISO 125

Characteristics

  • Grain: fine
  • Contrast: medium
  • Latitude: moderate
  • Formats available: 35mm, 120, 4x5
Ilford FP4 Plus 125
Image: Dnalor 01 — CC BY-SA 3.0

Ilford FP4 Plus 125 is Ilford's medium-speed cubic-grain B&W film — the live alternative to discontinued Kodak Plus-X 125 and the workhorse mid-speed B&W film for landscape, portrait, and architectural work. FP4 Plus has been continuously produced since 1990 (replacing FP4); it pairs naturally with HP5 Plus (same Ilford cubic-grain family) and Pan F Plus (same family at slower speed) as the three-stock Ilford B&W lineup.

Key features

  • ISO 125 rated; fine cubic grain (visibly finer than HP5 Plus, comparable to discontinued Plus-X)
  • Moderate latitude (±1½ stops)
  • Cool-neutral tonal palette — Ilford signature; slightly cooler than Plus-X's warm Kodak rendering
  • Available in 35mm, 120, 4×5, and 8×10 sheet — the most format-comprehensive medium-speed cubic-grain film in current production
  • Compatible with all standard developers — D-76, ID-11, HC-110, XTOL, Microphen, Rodinal, Pyrocat-HD
  • The successor to Plus-X for photographers transitioning off freezer-stock Plus-X (see Kodak Plus-X 125 for details)

Workflow

  • Box-speed development: D-76 1:1 at 9 min, or HC-110 Dil B at 5 min, or Pyrocat-HD 1:1:100 at 14 min
  • Push to EI 200 cleanly; EI 400 with moderate grain
  • Pull to EI 64 in dilute developer for very high-contrast scenes (reciprocity matters at long exposures here)
  • Standard fix and wash

Practical notes

  • FP4+ is the landscape and architectural Ilford default — fine grain at moderate speed makes it ideal for tripod-mounted work where ISO 400 is too fast
  • The sheet formats (4×5, 8×10) make FP4+ a Zone System favorite alongside HP5+
  • Cold storage extends shelf life
  • For photographers transitioning off Plus-X 125: FP4+ is the closest current product. Times in D-76 1:1 are within seconds of Plus-X's; the tonal palette is slightly cooler but comparable.

Related films