Black-and-white negative film · Discontinued

Ilford FP3

Ilford FP3 is a black-and-white negative film rated at ISO 64, developed in Black-and-white. Below: specs, an exposure guide and similar stocks.

ISO 64Black-and-whiteDiscontinued135127120
ISO 64
Box speed
Black-and-white negative
Type
Black-and-white
Process
Discontinued
Status
1942–1968
Years made

Film specifications#

Manufacturer
Ilford
Film
FP3
Speed
64/125
Process
B&W
Formats
135, 127, 120, 620, 116, 616, 828, sheet film
Base
Triacetate
Made in
UK
Status
Discontinued — replaced by FP4

Character & history#

General purpose panchromatic film. Originally 64 ASA, changed to 125 ASA in 1960.

Description adapted from Wikipedia’s “List of discontinued photographic films” (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Exposure guide at ISO 64#

Sunny 16 for this film: f/16 at 1/60 s in bright sun. Negative film tolerates 2–3 stops of overexposure; slide film needs accuracy within about ⅓–½ stop.

Lightf/2f/4f/8f/16
EV 16 · Snow / beach, bright sun—1/2500 s1/640 s1/160 s
EV 15 · Bright sun—1/1250 s1/320 s1/80 s
EV 14 · Hazy sun1/2500 s1/640 s1/160 s1/40 s
EV 13 · Cloudy-bright1/1250 s1/320 s1/80 s1/20 s
EV 12 · Overcast / open shade1/640 s1/160 s1/40 s1/10 s
EV 10 · Sunset1/160 s1/40 s1/10 s0.4 s
EV 8 · Bright interior1/40 s1/10 s0.4 s1.6 s
EV 5 · Home interior at night1/5 s0.8 s3.2 s13 s
EV 3 · City street at night0.8 s3.2 s13 s1 min

Push & pull options#

Tell your lab how many stops you pushed or pulled so development is adjusted for the whole roll.

AdjustmentRate the film atEffect
Pull 1 stopEI 32Lower contrast, finer grain
Push 1 stopEI 128More contrast and grain
Push 2 stopsEI 256Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows
Push 3 stopsEI 512Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows
Developing Black-and-white: Traditional black-and-white development (e.g. D-76/ID-11, HC-110, Rodinal, XTOL) — easy to do at home.

Long exposures#

Most films suffer reciprocity failure beyond about 1 second: they need more exposure than the meter says. As a rule of thumb add ⅓–1 stop for 1–10 s and 1–2 stops beyond 10 s for older emulsions; modern T-grain films (and Fuji Acros) need much less. Check the manufacturer's datasheet.

More Ilford films#

Frequently asked questions#

What ISO is Ilford FP3?

64/125 — set your meter to ISO 64 for box speed.

Is Ilford FP3 still made?

No, it has been discontinued (1942–1968).

How do I develop Ilford FP3?

B&W process. Traditional black-and-white development (e.g. D-76/ID-11, HC-110, Rodinal, XTOL) — easy to do at home.

Is Ilford FP3 available in 35mm?

Yes — formats: 135, 127, 120, 620, 116, 616, 828, sheet film.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources

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