Ilford Ortho Plus 80

B&W NegativeISO 80

Characteristics

  • Grain: fine
  • Contrast: high
  • Latitude: narrow
  • Formats available: 35mm, 120, 4x5

Ilford Ortho Plus 80 is Ilford's orthochromatic B&W film — sensitive to blue and green light only, NOT red. The orthochromatic spectral response was the standard for B&W film through the 1920s before panchromatic emulsions became dominant; Ortho Plus 80 is the modern revival of that aesthetic, used today for portraiture (skin appears darker because red is rendered as black), copy work, and printing reproductions of orthochromatic-era originals.

Key features

  • ISO 80 rated under daylight; ISO 40 under tungsten
  • Orthochromatic spectral response — sensitive to blue and green; insensitive to red
  • Moderate cubic grain
  • Safe-light handling possible — Ortho Plus 80 can be developed in red safelight (like paper), which is impossible with panchromatic film
  • Available in 35mm and 4×5 sheet (no 120 in current production as of 2026)
  • Modern revival — Ilford reintroduced Ortho Plus around 2020 after a long absence

Workflow

  • Daylight exposure: meter at ISO 80; place skin tones at Zone V (skin renders darker than panchromatic film would render it)
  • Tungsten exposure: meter at ISO 40 — tungsten light is heavy on red and yellow which Ortho doesn't see
  • Standard development: D-76, HC-110, Pyrocat-HD all work
  • Develop in red safelight — visible inspection during development is possible (this is the operational distinctive)
  • Standard stop, fix, wash

Practical notes

  • Skin appears darker than panchromatic film renders it — lips and freckles especially. Some photographers seek this aesthetic for portraiture
  • Sky renders dramatically with no filter — clouds appear bright against bluer-than-panchromatic skies (Ortho is naturally yellow-filter-equivalent)
  • Use case: traditional B&W portraiture aesthetic, reproduction of historical photographs, copy work for line art
  • Ilford Ortho Plus 80 is the only widely-available orthochromatic film in 2026; alternatives include Adox Ortho 25 (slower)

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