Black and white film strips photography back to tone, contrast and grain, and remains a favourite for street, documentary and fine art photographers. It's also the easiest type of film to develop at home, needing nothing more than basic chemistry and a changing bag or darkroom. Compare black & white film prices from UK retailers on Filmproof.


















































































































































































Black and white, or monochrome, film records an image using only light and dark silver tones rather than colour, developed traditionally using black and white chemistry rather than colour C-41 chemistry. Some chromogenic black and white films, like Ilford XP2 Super, are the exception, formulated to be processed in standard colour C-41 chemistry for convenience.
The format has never gone out of fashion, partly because monochrome tone, grain and contrast are often seen as more expressive and timeless than colour, and partly because it's genuinely simple and affordable to develop at home without a colour darkroom.
Ilford is the UK's own black and white specialist, with HP5 Plus, FP4 Plus and the Delta range covering everything from classic grain to modern fine-grain technology. Kodak's Tri-X 400 and T-Max range remain industry standards, while budget-friendly options like Kentmere and Fomapan make black and white an affordable way to shoot more.
Specialist black and white brands including Rollei, Adox and Lucky offer distinctive traditional emulsions, while chromogenic films like Ilford XP2 Super are processed in standard colour C-41 chemistry for anyone who wants black and white results without a dedicated darkroom process.
Standard black and white film needs its own chemistry, developer, stop bath and fixer, rather than colour C-41 processing, but it's genuinely simple to do at home with basic equipment, which is why many black and white shooters develop their own film even if they don't process colour.
Filmproof tracks black and white film prices and stock across UK retailers, so you can compare classic and budget stocks before you buy.