A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

By Phil Harrison

I had without realising it been spoiled by a lab that used Fuji Negastar B/W developer. This developer made all the films I sent, especially 400asa films, look great. Fine grain, great contrast and definition, hard to fault. Kentmere 400 was my favourite film in this developer, even pushed 3 stops to 3200asa. Unfortunately I guess due to unavailability of the developer this lab changed to Ilfotec DD. Ilfotec DD is designed for lab use and is now very common.

Sadly, in my humble and personal opinion, this developer really doesn’t work well with 400asa films. Grain becomes large and with Kodak T-Max 400 contrast becomes a real problem when scanning. Kentmere 400, Delta 400, HP5+, Tri-X and Fomapan 400 if processed in Ilfotec DD are just way too grainy for me.

So I’ve decided to use Ilford XP2 Super which is a chromogenic B/W film processed in C41 colour chemistry, there is no variation in processing whichever lab you use. It has very fine grain and high definition. During processing Chromogenic films replace the exposed silver with dyes, in colour films it’s usually 3 dyes, magenta, yellow and cyan. In XP2 it’s a single magenta dye.

Occasionally I really enjoy blasting through a film in a short period of time and the Classic car meet seemed a suitable occasion to get familiar with XP2. When doing this I get very into the camera and come out the other side with a greater intuitive feel for using it quickly and accurately. So was it a successful session? You can decide that, but I was happy with the resulting images. I’ve not had the camera long but I seem to have got the hang of it and feel comfortable in it’s operation.

Here are some of the photos taken in less than an hour, just for fun. For the nerds I used a 1938 Leica IIIa, a 1949 Leica Summitar 50mm f2 coated lens and Sekonic Twinmate L208 meter set to 300asa. You can find articles on Leica III cameras here and here.

WW2 Jeep with the owners using very un-WW2 like apparatus
American WW2 Jeep interior
Nice horn
A serious business these Classic Cars
Ford Popular 103E
1936 Daimler 17
1936 Daimler 17 Interior

One thing that I realised from this roll of film how extraordinarily good was the 1949 Summitar 50mm f2 lens, fabulous definition.

The XP2 was processed at ‘Come Through Lab‘ in Manchester, a lab I can hand in my film personally. Convenient and safer than posting.

Thank you for reading this bit of fun.

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About The Author

By Phil Harrison
Phil spent 25 years as a professional photographer after leaving Photographic College in the mid 1970’s. In his early years, he worked as a medical photographer, based in a hospital in the north of the UK and later came upon a change of direction to industrial photography and film/TV production. In the late 90’s Phil gave up professional photography after taking redundancy then found work as a Train Guard, now retired. He doesn't specialise with his photography, enjoying photographing anything that appeals.
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Comments

Geoff Chaplin on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

As you say the Summitar is an excellent lens, and great photos to prove it! Several of those cars bring back memories - mostly bad, slipping clutches, dying engines - but thanks for posting anyway. It looked like a great day and a lot of fun with the screw Leica.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

Thank you Geoff

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A.J. Boer on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

Funny pictures!

Gr., Aad
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

Thank you

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Daniel Castelli on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

US Army Jeep w/a M-1 carbine and a cell phone…?
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Peter Roberts on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

Great shots, Phil.
As as a frequenter of classic car meets either behind the wheel of one or behind a camera I can say you've really captured the atmosphere. I particularly liked the serious business one. There's a lot of sitting around envolved when you take a vehicle, it makes up for the hard work envolved in keeping these beauties in running order.
Such a pity that photography can't capure the smell of the Daimler interior.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 26/06/2024

Thank you Peter

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Kodachromeguy on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 27/06/2024

Nice work! I need to try XP2 again because my last trial was not very satisfactory. I, too, have a 1949 Summitar, and I agree, it is remarkably capable. Is amazing for a design computed in the 1930s.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 27/06/2024

Thank you Kodachromeguy

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Tony Warren on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 28/06/2024

I use XP2 occasionally and find it a very good film, and convenient too. Those Summitar images though! Something else indeed. Such lovely tones and crisp detail. These older lenses definitely have character, down to computation and coating I guess. Very nostalgic article, Phil. Happier memories than some have had I guess.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 28/06/2024

Thank you Tony

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Dan on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 29/06/2024

XP2 can be home processed in HC110 1:47 dilution for 20 minutes at 68f. Does not need C41 processing.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 29/06/2024

An excellent alternative. Thank you Dan. unfortunately I am not in a position to home processor scan.

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David Hill on A Classic Car meet with XP2 Super and a bit of help from a Leica 111a

Comment posted: 02/07/2024

What a great presentation. I love the tonal quality of XP2, but it’s a nightmare to print in the darkroom!! There’s no granulation to focus your grain-focuser on :)

Forgive me saying, but back when I owned a Leica IIIf, I thought the older Leica series nomenclature was I (or i), II (or ii), III (or iii), that is a Roman numeral 1 or 2 or 3. By those lights you’ve a IIIa, not a 111a. But maybe I got that wrong.
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Phil Harrison replied:

Comment posted: 02/07/2024

Your quite right I should have written IIIa, I have edited the mistake, however whilst the editing works with the main text font, the title font dosen't allow the correct look, but it is better than 111a. Thank you for your comments on the presentation. Phil

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