Ilford XP2 400 - 30m

This 30m roll has been my go-to for tricky contrasty scenes, the wide brightness range handling is genuinely impressive for a black and white film. The fine grain keeps things looking sharp even when I push the exposure a bit.

Shot a roll in mixed lighting and the XP2 handled the highlights better than I expected—no blown-out skies even at f/2.8. The grain is tight and scans nicely, perfect for portraits.

I've been shooting weddings with this for years and the way it handles high-contrast scenes without losing shadow details is incredible. The fine grain stays super clean even when I push it a stop or two.