Better results with Rodinal

Horatio · Jul 11, 2020

I like this grain much better.

Bronica SQ, 150mm, f 3.5 1/4 second exposure. Ultrafine Extreme 100, Rodinal 1:50, 20C for 13 minutes, minimal agitation. V600 scan. Minimal enhancements in PS, cropped to 4x5.

Horatio · Jul 11, 2020

Another image from the same roll:

Donald Qualls · Jul 11, 2020

Hmmm. I wonder if it's the film or the scan?

.EDU Ultra 100, EI 400, Parodinal 1:50

This is about a 3/4 frame crop -- from 35mm, with a two stop push.

chriscrawfordphoto · Jul 11, 2020

Donald Qualls said:
Hmmm. I wonder if it's the film or the scan?

View attachment 250141
.EDU Ultra 100, EI 400, Parodinal 1:50

This is about a 3/4 frame crop -- from 35mm, with a two stop push.

Rodinal is nearly the WORST developer for push processing. It does not give any increase in shadow detail (unlike a developer like Tmax or Xtol) and since it starts out grainy, pushing just increases that.

Horatio · Jul 11, 2020

And one more...

Can't wait to set up a darkroom, but that may be a long time off.

Donald Qualls · Jul 11, 2020

chriscrawfordphoto said:
Rodinal is nearly the WORST developer for push processing. It does not give any increase in shadow detail (unlike a developer like Tmax or Xtol) and since it starts out grainy, pushing just increases that.

Sure, and Fomapan doesn't push all that well anyway (though at the time, I was using Parodinal 1:50 with extended processing time and agitation only every 3rd minute, which produced some compensation, letting the shadows fill in a little without blowing the highlights).

I inserted that because my grain, from 35mm, pushed, with a film that doesn't push particularly well, wasn't significantly worse than his, from 6x6 at box speed.

Horatio · Jul 11, 2020

Donald Qualls said:
Hmmm. I wonder if it's the film or the scan?

I won't know until I can wet print. Who knows, my crusty 135 negatives (shown in my April Rodinal post) might print ok with an enlarger.

Paul Howell · Jul 11, 2020

If fine grain is important then Rodinal is just the wrong developer, no matter what tech other developers with more of a solvent action that will produce finer grain. With slow films Rodinal provides excellent acuity, good shadow detail, and decent film speed. For fine grain try studional, I think it's still being made.

Horatio · Jul 11, 2020

Paul Howell said:
If fine grain is important then Rodinal is just the wrong developer, no matter what tech other developers with more of a solvent action that will produce finer grain. With slow films Rodinal provides excellent acuity, good shadow detail, and decent film speed. For fine grain try studional, I think it's still being made.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I've only found it (grain) objectionable on the Edu 400 roll I developed in April, but I think most of that was from developing in a higher than normal temperature solution. I have another roll of Edu 400 I will process at 20C for comparison. I like the grain quality on this last roll, but I'm planning to try D23 at some point.

Paul Howell · Jul 11, 2020

I develop ISO 400 and 200 4X5 and 6X9 in Rodinal, but just way too grainy with 35mm,for my taste even 6X6 is a little too grainy for me. For a compromise between fine grain and acuity you might want to think about Microdol X 1:3, a fine grain developer diluting 1:3 dilutes the solvent action so gain is little larger with good acuity. Freestyle sells a Microdol X clone in gallon sizes. For other options if you had not read The Edge of Darkness by Berry Thornton might be worthwhile to dig up a copy.

Donald Qualls · Jul 12, 2020

I haven't used it a lot, yet, but I've been very happy so far with Xtol (stock, replenishment seasoning in process) for fine grain. If you're already using Xtol and want greater acuity, then you can dilute (the replenishment stock, if you're replenishing) 1+1 to as far as 1+3 (recommended that you observe requirement of minimum 100ml stock for each 8x10 equivalent, of course, but replenishment would replace only 70ml for that film area). And if you're mixing your own developer, you can mix Mytol directly to your target dilution rather than making stock and then adding water to that. Since it can be mixed at room temperature (or so says the Xtol packaging, but I don't know if they have something to enhance solubility of the phenidone, or use dimezone or some other equivalent that dissolves more easily), you can do that when you're ready to process and don't need to let it stand for hours to cool.

BAC1967 · Jul 12, 2020

I may try Coldinal next time I develop with Rodinal.

https://medium.com/@renatorepetto/coldinal-method-of-b-w-film-development-c2cdb9cceed9

Paul Howell · Jul 12, 2020

William Mortensen, who Ansel Adams called the antichrist, would leave film in the developer in the refrigerator for 24 hours. He was looking for max gamma with he called gamma infinity without fog, the negative was some what underexposed then developed to max, I guess 24 hours at about 38 degrees would to the trick. Dont recall where I read that the negatives developed in the very cold developer were printed on grade 1 paper. I've been tempted to experiment, never got around to it.

Horatio · Jul 12, 2020

BAC1967 said:
I may try Coldinal next time I develop with Rodinal.

https://medium.com/@renatorepetto/coldinal-method-of-b-w-film-development-c2cdb9cceed9

I’ll try this with my roll of 135 Arista Edu 400.

pentaxuser · Jul 12, 2020

All the coldinal pics look very good and would seem to indicate that 1 stop under box speed is OK as in the HP5+ @800. What would have been useful is the equivalent film with the equivalent scene, speed etc but developed normally in Rodinal to see what it is the benefits conferred by coldinal on a compare and contrast basis

pentaxuser

john_s · Jul 12, 2020

BAC1967 said:
I may try Coldinal next time I develop with Rodinal.

https://medium.com/@renatorepetto/coldinal-method-of-b-w-film-development-c2cdb9cceed9

Interesting about using Rodinal cold. I have read numerous times in posts that relate to old (pre-internet) writings that Rodinal should be used a bit cooler than 20C.

RoboRepublic · Mar 5, 2021

BAC1967 said:
I may try Coldinal next time I develop with Rodinal.

https://medium.com/@renatorepetto/coldinal-method-of-b-w-film-development-c2cdb9cceed9

This article has vanished, anyone have any decent links to literature that can get me started on coldinal? Thanks!

pentaxuser · Mar 6, 2021

The author appears to have deleted it for reason or reasons unspecified. A pity but that's humans for you

pentaxuser

NB23 · Mar 6, 2021

Try hotinal

Wayne · Mar 6, 2021

RoboRepublic said:
This article has vanished, anyone have any decent links to literature that can get me started on coldinal? Thanks!

Why don't you contact him https://www.renatorepetto.com/contact

I see he is offering photographic consultation too, for a fee...

Auer · Mar 6, 2021

I prefer roomtempinal

Horatio · Mar 6, 2021

If I recall correctly, coldinal is Rodinal stand development in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

RoboRepublic · Mar 6, 2021

Horatio said:
If I recall correctly, coldinal is Rodinal stand development in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

At which dilution? 1:100?

Horatio · Mar 6, 2021

RoboRepublic said:
At which dilution? 1:100?

I think so. I never tried it. Too bad it was deleted. I get no other hits with Google.

Greg Kriss · Mar 6, 2021

First take a few steps back in time... In the 1980s and 1990s my favorite film developer was Edwal FG-7 when I mixed at 1:15 in a 9% solution of Sodium Sulfite, I got the very slightest increase in speed, better highlight separation, and noticeably finer grain.

Probably around 2010 FG-7 was discontinued. R.I.P. Unfortunately when I learned this, the dealer's stock of FG-7 had already been depleted. Happened to try Rodinal with a 9% solution of Sodium Sulfite instead of water. Marginally better highlight separation, but definitely finer grain.

Better results with Rodinal

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