This was my step back into HP5+ after not using it for somewhere around 8-10 years. I wished to get myself back into using it as my go to 400 film as I have picked up 200 sheets of it.
Wishing to use it mainly for flat weather, or where I need a kick, I chose a subject that was flat as a pancake for my test, along with suitable flat weather and background.
4x5" Wooden Shen Hao folding field camera, Fujinon f/6.7 250mm lens.
I have used D76 1:1 for ages and had notes from the last time I used this combination. Development was 11 minutes at 23ºC in an SP445 tank; two sheets instead of the maximum of four sheets. Agitation is three inversions every 30 seconds taking 10 seconds to do the agitations. According to the designer of this tank, noticeable swirls of liquid slow to a virtual stop after 20 seconds in their design tests. By using this method, agitation is almost constant. I was one of the Kickstarter people with this tank and have been mightily pleased with it.
My previous 4x5" HP5+ sheet films were all processed in my Jobo rotary processor, which I still have and use, but I have switched to the SP445 as I believe it is the most convenient unit to use for sheet film processing. Funnily enough, I still process my 35mm film in my Jobo and that is my preference for that format.
Readings were taken from highlights and shadow areas of the bike. Highlight reading was taken from the radiator shroud which is directly under the headlight, it is a light silver, shadow reading was taken from the tonneau cover of the chair; the part facing the camera. Six stops difference in this lighting. Background stuff had a three stop range by comparison when reading the light covered dirt and reflecting leaves from the foliage. Two stop range otherwise.
This is a scan of the negative, cropped heavily on the bottom, right and top; the left is virtually uncropped. This is what the print cropping will be.
Mick.