Please help me make up my mind: HP-CP or Infinity?

M

Mihai

Guest
Hello everyone!

As I am done with my exams is finally the time to start building some kits. I have everything ready except for one thing: an airbrush.


After lots of searching a while ago it came down to two models:
1) Iwata HP-CP
2)H&S Infinity CR Plus

I can buy either of them...both with 0.2mm needle/nozzle.
I am torn between them and I do not know what to choose.

On one hand I like the Iwata because is a very good brand and from what I've heard everyone is very pleased with their Iwata airbrushes. I am pretty sure the 0.2mm needle/nozzle with be good for details which is what I want....and overall I trust that this airbrush would make me pretty happy.

On the other hand I like the Infinity CR Plus a lot as well. I like the fact that the preset handle has the option to always choose from a few configurationss (1 2 3 etc). I also like the fact that it can be cleaned easely.


I've read lots of reviews online...and overall people seem to go for the Iwatas. I do not know if that's for us population mostly or for the europeans aswell. I am an european and I can get replacement parts for both...so please take this into consideration.

Some people say that the H&S airbrushes are not as durable as Iwatas but the reason I am still considering this is beacuse the youtuber that I look up to ( Plasmo) is using an Infinity for his work.

I am leaning a bit more towards the HP-CP...but then I am thinking abut Plasmo and what he's capable to achieve with his Infinity and start considering it again. He should be able to get a similar result with the HP-CP too, right? Or is there a difference between them and what you can do with them?


Today I went to a few local shops. One guy from one shop recommended both buy since he was selling H&S airbrushes he told me I should get that one...and another guy from another shop said that he used both Iwatas and H&S...and that H&S airbrushes are built the same and they mostly work the same...and that he would recommend the Iwata...HP-CP being way batter than the Infinity. (His shop was selling both)


What should I go for? I am really confused and I need guidance. Which one would you pick and why? Please give me reasons.


Best regards,
Mihai Ilie
 
Either one you choose is a good decision! Pre set handles aren't really anything to look for, you will learn how much you need to pull back and there is a risk of them pushing the needle too far forward if it gets bumped. The other thing to remember is it's not the brush as much as the operator that gets the fine detail. I've seen 25 skulls painted on a coin with a 0.38mm nozzle. For me I am a fan of the Iwata's. If they are the same price go with the Iwata IMHO.
 
I would have to say it is a difficult choice- You will be painting models you said? As opposed to painting portraits and artwork? I would say the Infinity may be a little better suited for that work- you can go from a .15mm needle all the way up to a .6mm needle. I own an Infinity and I really love it. On the other hand, there are many here that would recommend the Iwata. Neither option is a bad choice. In the end it comes down to what your gut tells you. The Iwata probably atomizes paint slightly better, but the Infinity is slightly easier to maintain. The quick fix feature is nice too- I have been told it works better than the Iwata version.

Of course the best option is to buy both lol. Maybe not at the same time, but if you can eventually afford to do so, thats an option.

Like I said, in the end it all comes down to your gut feeling. Have fun!
 
Thanks for both of your answers! I am still waiting for more opinions.

Best regards!
 
Mihai said:
Thanks for both of your answers! I am still waiting for more opinions.

Best regards!
Click to expand...
At the end of the day you are going to get a whole heap of people saying one thing or another and it is unlikely you will get any help. If you are looking for any glaring issues with either model perhaps you should ask that question instead.

Problem with asking opinions is every one has one and they are all correct but might not be correct or helpful for you. I don't know if you have reviewed this post linked here but it has a whole heap of useful information that will only get repeated in this thread. Please have another read with your questions in mind. :)
http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/looking-for-my-first-airbrush-please-help-me.18259/

We can't make the decision for you, breathe in, breathe out, make a choice... :)
 
I have both, I find the infinity doesn't like the createx paint with the reductions that I normally use, but like most brushes ETAC EFX loves the Infinity.
 
I have both, and I still can not answer your question. Maybe not for the reasons one might think, but...

I will say that I have and have had, plenty of Iwata airbrushes. The one thing I would say about them, even over the decades, is that they are extremely consistent. For this reason, I would call the HP-CP a tried and true, solid performer.

I purchased an H&S Infinity CR thinking that it would become my "go to" brush. It is absolutely beautiful - perfect finishes, some of the best machining I have seen, etc. Now, mine has not worked out to be as good a performer as I was hoping it would. I find lots of inconsistency in paint flow initiation. I feel like i never know when to expect the paint to start flowing, and wind up having to pull further and further back on the trigger sometimes, as compared to others. I should mention here, that I am no newcomer, having been airbrushing since about the mid 80's - this is not a simple matter of having my air pressure or paint reduction wrong. I have also struggled a little coming to terms with the trigger feel on the Infinity. There is just something about that captured auxiliary lever that tends to make the feel a bit mushy when you get to about half way back, and it gets worse the further back you pull...

So, at this point one would wonder why I just didn't say get the Iwata and don't look back. It just is not that simple - With the iffy feel and performance of the Infinity, it is a brush that I did not reach for very often. That is until I purchased a Grafo T1, also made by Harder & Steenbeck. Many of the parts, needles, nozzles, air caps, etc are interchangeable between the Grafo and the Infinity, so they are very similar. Once I started getting used to the Grafo, I am super impressed with the way the brush works.

I am using a .15 set up in the Grafo. The kind of little detail that it will produce is very impressive, yet it will also lay down a bit of color for wider coverage when needed. The atomization is very nice and smooth. I have the same set up for the Infinity - although the air caps and needle caps are different, in that the Infinity have a "crown" style needle cap. It is removable, so that you can see in a bit closer to your work. The needle cap on the Grafo is also removable, but the air cap is a bit wider diameter than that of the Infinity, so I thought to switch them. They are supposed to be directly interchangeable.

When I put the .15 Infinity head set on the Grafo, it worked like crap in comparison to the standard Grafo parts. I also tried the Grafo pieces on the Infinity - and they worked very well on that brush, too. Well enough that I took the Infinity back out, and have been working with it regularly. I have been able to get the trigger adjusted to be more to my liking - there is a lot of built in adjustablility to it. Working like this, it is a brush I would not hesitate to recommend.

Now, I have no idea why the original head set on the Infinity does not work as well as that on the Grafo. I have ordered another complete Infinity head set, (needle nozzle, air cap, and needle cap) to see if there is a difference in performance. If that does not work, I will order another complete Grafo head set, and go that route in trying to get the most out of the Infinity.
 
I am a little confused. The Iwata which you are mentioning does not exist. The Iwata HP-C plus is what I think you are talking about is a .3mm needle nozzle. The HP-B is a .2mm needle nozzle. I think the B would be a better choice for modeling. It is small and easy to spray with. It also depends on the paint you will be using. If it is a heavier paint you may be better off using the C or even considering the CS with a .35 needle. One nice thing about the C is the long tapper on the needle give you better spray control as well as the B. With the CS it can easily flood the paint is your not real experienced with trigger control. As for the infinity I can tell you because I have never used one but I know Some who do amazing work with it. I do own all these Iwata brushes and they are all worth their weight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
http://fredaw61.wixsite.com/the-artist
 
DaveG said:
I have both, and I still can not answer your question. Maybe not for the reasons one might think, but...

I will say that I have and have had, plenty of Iwata airbrushes. The one thing I would say about them, even over the decades, is that they are extremely consistent. For this reason, I would call the HP-CP a tried and true, solid performer.

I purchased an H&S Infinity CR thinking that it would become my "go to" brush. It is absolutely beautiful - perfect finishes, some of the best machining I have seen, etc. Now, mine has not worked out to be as good a performer as I was hoping it would. I find lots of inconsistency in paint flow initiation. I feel like i never know when to expect the paint to start flowing, and wind up having to pull further and further back on the trigger sometimes, as compared to others. I should mention here, that I am no newcomer, having been airbrushing since about the mid 80's - this is not a simple matter of having my air pressure or paint reduction wrong. I have also struggled a little coming to terms with the trigger feel on the Infinity. There is just something about that captured auxiliary lever that tends to make the feel a bit mushy when you get to about half way back, and it gets worse the further back you pull...

So, at this point one would wonder why I just didn't say get the Iwata and don't look back. It just is not that simple - With the iffy feel and performance of the Infinity, it is a brush that I did not reach for very often. That is until I purchased a Grafo T1, also made by Harder & Steenbeck. Many of the parts, needles, nozzles, air caps, etc are interchangeable between the Grafo and the Infinity, so they are very similar. Once I started getting used to the Grafo, I am super impressed with the way the brush works.

I am using a .15 set up in the Grafo. The kind of little detail that it will produce is very impressive, yet it will also lay down a bit of color for wider coverage when needed. The atomization is very nice and smooth. I have the same set up for the Infinity - although the air caps and needle caps are different, in that the Infinity have a "crown" style needle cap. It is removable, so that you can see in a bit closer to your work. The needle cap on the Grafo is also removable, but the air cap is a bit wider diameter than that of the Infinity, so I thought to switch them. They are supposed to be directly interchangeable.

When I put the .15 Infinity head set on the Grafo, it worked like crap in comparison to the standard Grafo parts. I also tried the Grafo pieces on the Infinity - and they worked very well on that brush, too. Well enough that I took the Infinity back out, and have been working with it regularly. I have been able to get the trigger adjusted to be more to my liking - there is a lot of built in adjustablility to it. Working like this, it is a brush I would not hesitate to recommend.

Now, I have no idea why the original head set on the Infinity does not work as well as that on the Grafo. I have ordered another complete Infinity head set, (needle nozzle, air cap, and needle cap) to see if there is a difference in performance. If that does not work, I will order another complete Grafo head set, and go that route in trying to get the most out of the Infinity.
Click to expand...
I find this very interesting, because according to my parts manuals, the Grafo and Infinity use the same exact part numbers for tbe nozzle and aircap. I'm pretty sure the needles are the same as well. Therefore, you aren't ordering a nozzle for an "Infinity" or "Grafo". I wonder if maybe you just got a defective aircap assembly?
 
Jurien72 said:
I find this very interesting, because according to my parts manuals, the Grafo and Infinity use the same exact part numbers for tbe nozzle and aircap. I'm pretty sure the needles are the same as well. Therefore, you aren't ordering a nozzle for an "Infinity" or "Grafo". I wonder if maybe you just got a defective aircap assembly?
Click to expand...

No, there is a difference in the way they come standard. The Infinity has a crown cap type head assembly, the Grafo has a more conventional needle cap with several vent holes in it.
18920702_1142723185833268_4231016325893219063_n.jpg


The three pieces on the bottom are from my Infinity CR. I tired these three parts on the Grafo (above) and they worked like crap. I also tried the Grafo's head set up on the Infinity, and it worked much better than the parts I have here. To test if the head set is off, I ordered another complete head set for the Infinity CR (air cap, needle crown cap, nozzle, and needle). I have not tested the new parts yet. If they do not work any better than the first set, I will order the parts from the Grafo (will only really need the air cap, and needle cap).
 
Aha! I have figured it out! The parts diagram for the Infinity shows both the "Grafo" part, but also the "Fineline" setup which is what you show in the picture. I really need to print these pages out so I can better compare them.
 
Airbrush Dreams said:
I am a little confused. The Iwata which you are mentioning does not exist. The Iwata HP-C plus is what I think you are talking about is a .3mm needle nozzle. The HP-B is a .2mm needle nozzle. I think the B would be a better choice for modeling. It is small and easy to spray with. It also depends on the paint you will be using. If it is a heavier paint you may be better off using the C or even considering the CS with a .35 needle. One nice thing about the C is the long tapper on the needle give you better spray control as well as the B. With the CS it can easily flood the paint is your not real experienced with trigger control. As for the infinity I can tell you because I have never used one but I know Some who do amazing work with it. I do own all these Iwata brushes and they are all worth their weight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
http://fredaw61.wixsite.com/the-artist
Click to expand...

there is a .2mm conversion for the HP-CP...
 
DaveG said:
No, there is a difference in the way they come standard. The Infinity has a crown cap type head assembly, the Grafo has a more conventional needle cap with several vent holes in it.
18920702_1142723185833268_4231016325893219063_n.jpg


The three pieces on the bottom are from my Infinity CR. I tired these three parts on the Grafo (above) and they worked like crap. I also tried the Grafo's head set up on the Infinity, and it worked much better than the parts I have here. To test if the head set is off, I ordered another complete head set for the Infinity CR (air cap, needle crown cap, nozzle, and needle). I have not tested the new parts yet. If they do not work any better than the first set, I will order the parts from the Grafo (will only really need the air cap, and needle cap).
Click to expand...
The head assembly in the grafo is the one that came whith the non CR Evolution, is the cheapest one.
 
As the others have already mentioned... only you can make the decision. If you know someone that owns one or the other, see if you can take it for a test drive. In the end it's what you are comfortable with and every artist is different. I haven't tried every airbrush available out there, but I've tried the majority of them over the last 25 years. Most are great quality and they worked fine, but I always go back to Iwata. Very precise fine lines can be achieved with almost any airbrush. My go to brush is the Iwata HP-CS with a .35 needle. I can produce the same fine detail with it as I can with my Micron's. It all comes with experience! You'll likely be happy with either brush if you spend the time to learn it.
 
If doing small models the hp-sb may be better, needs less paint and no cup in the way.
The h&s brushes have a two piece trigger like my grex. I'm not a fan of the 2 piece trigger and prefer the feel of the iwatas. No matter your choice you will end up with a great brush.
 
Another question would be: is there a difference between iwata with 0.2mm and H&S with 0.2mm. Shouldn't both of them give me the same fine lines? Should there be a difference on what I can acheve between them? I know it comes with practice...but I am technically speaking.
 
My father used to said me, what's matter it's the magician ability and not the size of the stick!!! Technically speaking, both will give you the same lines!! Buy the one YOU like it most!!


Enviado desde mi iPad utilizando Tapatalk
 
Do not base it on what someone else can do with it . Both are great airbrushes , Both will serve you well But judging by your threads you are just starting out in the venture of airbrushing . So as a suggestion start with the work horse aka Iwata Eclipse CS ,
While you are just starting out you will not be able to get the fine detail that those who have been airbrushing a long time are getting. You will first have to start with Dots and daggers strokes to build the muscle memory needed to gain control.
That is where a lot of folks just starting out get frustrated is not being able to do as people do in the video . I was that way too until I stopped and thought these guys have been doing this a long time that is why they can do it fast and do it well.
The old saying you must learn to crawl before you can walk and must learn to walk before you can run .
But you are the one who know what your budget is , How much you will to gamble on in case you find it is not your thing.
 
I would got for the Infinity for one reason. Easy access to the nozzle. With the HP range you have to use a tool to remove the nozzle and a lot of times people overdo the tightening and snaps off the threads. Model paint is not so airbrush friendly as art paints and can be a mission to clean. Easy access to the nozzle makes it easier.
 
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