Rodinal 25 50 100 200 mixes. HELP!

[qruyk12]

I use tmax and Hp5 a lot. on my M and my gsw690iii. Everyone seems to use rodinal in different concentrations. What is your fave at room temp and why? How long do you soak and agitate?

1:25 1:50 1:100 1:200

 

[FPjohn]

http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php

A great place to start.

HP5 at 20C 12-14min 320-400 ISO 1:50. Continuous agitation in a small tank for 30sec and two gentle inversions at one minute intervals there-after. Crisp and obvious grain.

yours
FPJ

 

[charjohncarter]

Tmax100, Rodinal 1+50, EI 50, 14 minutes, 30 seconds initial agitation, the 3 inversions at 10 minutes and 5 minutes.

Tmax400 (new) Rodinal 1+50, EI 250 or 200, 30 seconds initial agitation, then 3 inversions at 10 minutes and 5 minutes.

This is first Tmax400 and second Tmax100;

 

[Bingley]

John -- Those are lovely shots, and I very much like the look you've achieved (I'm also starting to use both versions of TMax developed in Rodinal 1:50). What's interesting to me is how little agitation you're using: Not the usual three inversions every minute. I need to try that.

What dev time are you using for TMax400 @ 250/200?

 

[Bob Michaels]

I develop all of my 120 Neopan 400 (develops just like HP5) in Rodinal 1:50 for 9 minutes at 20C. I do expose it at e.i. 250. I agitate for the first 30 seconds and then two inversions every minute.

But I cannot say anything about development times / techniques without also adding they are very personal and relate to how the negs are printed. I scan on a Minolta MultiPro.

My experience is that plain iso 400 films (Neopan 400, HP5, Tri-X) all lose about 2/3 stop when developed in Rodinal. I do better accommodating that in exposure rather than trying to get it back by extending development times.

 

[charjohncarter]

John -- Those are lovely shots, and I very much like the look you've achieved (I'm also starting to use both versions of TMax developed in Rodinal 1:50). What's interesting to me is how little agitation you're using: Not the usual three inversions every minute. I need to try that.

What dev time are you using for TMax400 @ 250/200?

Thanks, I got the agitation from this guy: #12 post:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/55796-tmx-rodinal-examples-2.html

And it works, it controls highlights and lets the shadow develop, the adjustment of time is for the midtones.

I use Rodinal 1+50 for 12 minutes/ 68 degrees.

Sorry, I edited my previous post; the second shot is Tmax100 at 50.

 

[drewbarb]

Use 1:50 for starters. It's a great dilution, and looks good with most films, even though it can reduce some film speed. 12-14 minutes should be about right, but of course a little testing will dial in the right time for you. And be gentle with your agitation; less is more with Rodinal, to help build up nice long tonal range in your negatives. Enjoy.

 

[charjohncarter]

Gruyk12, here is something else on dilutions. I couldn't quit figure out the reason for doing this, but I guess it is one way to use dilution to go N-1 or N+1:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/23370-contrast-control-via-hc-110-dilution.html

 

[jatiphoto]

for 400 asa's i always do 1:100, 20 min. room temp water.

 

[john_s]

for 400 asa's i always do 1:100, 20 min. room temp water.

I'm not so sure of using a single time for all 400 films. Agfa published a table of 1+100 times for many films at 15min and 20min, and the latter for the mainstream 400 films gave contrast ranges of from 0.50 to 0.70 (i.e. a bit on the low side to IMO rather too high) and some rather low effective film speeds too (160 to 250).

 

[Roma]

I normally agitate constantly for the first 30 sec., then gently tilt the tank every 30 sec. I use cc/roll instead of 1:whatever. If I want to be gentle with the highlights, I'll develop for 10min at 8cc/roll if I want more contrast, I'll do 8.5min, but 10cc/roll.
Try a few rolls with different things and keep the temperature and agitation constant, I'm sure you'll find something you like. Rodinal treats film beautifully!

 

[Trius]

Both TMY and TX give good results for me @ 1:100, 20C, 20 min, 30 seconds initial agitation and then either 3 inversions every 3 min or NO agitation. In addition to improving highlight separation, minimal/no agitation helps produce better grain and acutance. Or at least that's the idea. If I want more contrast, I'll use 1:50.

I have found that for nearly all the modern films I have tried, 20 min @ 1:100 is at least in the ballpark if not very good. I think the reason for this is that at this dilution Rodinal pretty much develops to exhaustion. I do need to do more testing, though.

 

[Bingley]

This is all very helpful information. I've used the Massive Development Chart online as a starting point for dev times w/ Rodinal 1:50 for different films. So far, I've liked best the results w/ Neopan 400 rated at box speed, although I'm continuing to experiment w/ TMax 400 and 100 as well as Tri-X at different speeds. But the look I'm after (or I think I'm after) remains elusive. Based on this discussion, though, I wonder whether I've been agitating too much. I will try John's method on my next roll of TMY. Need to get some more Rodinal, though.

 

[johannielscom]

Rodinal 1:100

Rodinal 1:100

Rodinal 1:100 stand development is my trick.

Two rolls in a tank, 500ml Rodinal and water added. 20 calm inversions and two bubble-bashes in the first minute, then let it be for a whole hour. No more inversions etc. Take a hike, go shopping, etc.

All at 20 degrees Celcius, but since it's stand development there's at least a two degree latitude either way. Just make sure to rinse with plenty tap water and make sure no reticulation appears when water temperature is way off.

I only just started this and still need to get the hang of it, but I got the approach from P. Lynn in this thread

 

[charjohncarter]

This is all very helpful information. I've used the Massive Development Chart online as a starting point for dev times w/ Rodinal 1:50 for different films. So far, I've liked best the results w/ Neopan 400 rated at box speed, although I'm continuing to experiment w/ TMax 400 and 100 as well as Tri-X at different speeds. But the look I'm after (or I think I'm after) remains elusive. Based on this discussion, though, I wonder whether I've been agitating too much. I will try John's method on my next roll of TMY. Need to get some more Rodinal, though.

One important thing, you have to zero in on your times (assuming constant {not constant agitation but consistent agitation method} agitation and temp): Tmax100 took me almost a year, Tmax400 (new) took three tries. I was so encouraged by the Tmax400 (new) that I took on the devil; Arista EDU ultra 100. I had fits from this film and gave up on it. After a year and a half away from it, I thought, after using it to check a supposedly repaired camera, I would zero it too. I got pretty close. The next roll should be the answer.

Quote (almost) from DF Cardwell: The mantra shouldn't be expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights but should be expose for the shadow, develop for the mid tones, and agitate for the highlights.

 

[Roma]

I forgot to mention that if you use Tmax 400, one of my very good friends and a pretty well known photographer, pulls Tmax to 320 and develops in Rodinal at 1:25. He says that with higher dillutions, the punch is gone. He is a master printer too, so I believe him.
Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[Fotohuis]

I use tmax and Hp5 a lot. on my M and my gsw690iii.

For your Leica M, I would forget Tmax 400 and HP5+ quickly in every Rodinal concentration and switch over for your M to:

Iso 100 and iso 25 film.
Acros 100 E.I. 64 in Rodinal 1+50
APX100/Rollei Retro 100 E.I. 80 in Rodinal 1+50
(Unfortunately this film is going to be discontinued soon)

Rollei Pan 25 E.I. 25 in Rodinal 1+50
Efke 25 E.I. 25 in Rodinal 1+50
Last two films are doing even better in the Beutler developer 1+1+10

Rodinal 1+50 is working as semi compensating developer, high sharpness and acutance suitable for slow-and medium cubical type films. Further you have reasonable (and practical) developing times.

Beutler is a real High Definition developer with an extreme sharpness (especially on single layer film) and high acutance and suitable to shoot on box speed.

Here an example with my M, Efke 25 in Beutler 1+1+10. You can enlarge without any problem on 40x50cm without any visable grain:

 

[Fotohuis]

The old gas lights in Ravenstein:
Fuji Acros 100 in Rodinal 1+50:

APX100/Retro 100 in Rodinal 1+50:

 

[Trius]

I forgot to mention that if you use Tmax 400, one of my very good friends and a pretty well known photographer, pulls Tmax to 320 and develops in Rodinal at 1:25. He says that with higher dillutions, the punch is gone. He is a master printer too, so I believe him.
Hope this helps somewhat.

Well, that depends on the original scene/contrast range, doesn't it?

TMY-2/Rodinal/1:100/20C

 

[Trius]

For your Leica M, I would forget Tmax 400 and HP5+ quickly in every Rodinal concentration

Why???????