Buying rodinal for the first time

mark · Jun 25, 2016

Is there anything special I need to know about stand or semi-stand development with it? I will be using hard rubber tanks with 5 8x10 x-ray sheets.

pdeeh · Jun 25, 2016

you need to know that the two things people most love to hate at apug are rodinal and stand development.

so stand by for a deluge ...

darkosaric · Jun 25, 2016

I use Rodinal for 95% of the time, I love it. I use also often semi-stand (because I am lazy).
Important is to know one thing: there is no magic bullet - for your photography it is 99% the same if you use Rodinal, or D76, or HC110, or something else.

pentaxuser · Jun 25, 2016

pdeeh said:
you need to know that the two things people most love to hate at apug are rodinal and stand development.

so stand by for a deluge ...

Give this thread a few more posts and I think you then can add "I rest my case"

pentaxuser

gone · Jun 25, 2016

I think there is more dislike for stand development than Rodinal. I personally like Rodinal a lot, as I'm sure others do here. It's a unique developer in terms of it's grain, which is not always that apparent believe it or not, especially in larger formats than 35mm. My negs look significantly different when developed in Rodinal compared to D76. The D76 negs have a beautiful tonal range w/ Tri-X, the Rodinal negs w/ Tri-X have beautiful grain and more sharpness. You pays your money and gets whichever one you like. And yes, the differences come through loud and clear on the prints too. I have no knowledge of stand development and have never used stand developing for anything, so sorry I can't help you on your LF sheet film developing question.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 25, 2016

I use Rodinal 1+49 and like the results. Not a fan of semi- or stand development.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 25, 2016

Just use it as it's supposed to be at first. Then once you get it dialed in experiment with the stand developments if you want. I did. It was a huge waste of time. What exactly is it about stand or semi-stand you're looking to do? It has its purpose but it's not the magic bullet some think or claim it to be. In fact what developer(s) are you currently using and what's making you think to change?

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 25, 2016

Any particular reason you're looking at starting with a new developer and an edge-case technique like stand and semi-stand?
Other than waiting on answers when you've added more information, the only thing you need to know is that with stand development... don't touch it and with semi-stand maybe touch it once or twice

Après moi, le déluge

StephenT · Jun 25, 2016

I occasionally use stand development and I use Rodinal 1+100 for 60 minutes. I do usually agitate one time gently at 30 minutes. In your case, using hangers, just lift and re-submerge. It works fine.

What xray film are you using? I use Carestream 8x10, single sided emulsion.

TheToadMen · Jun 26, 2016

Maybe this will help:
http://jbhildebrand.com/2011/tutorials/workflow-tutorial-2-stand-development-with-rodinal/

mark · Jun 26, 2016

I haven't developed a sheet of film in over 8 years. Economic down turn and lack time put LF on hold. I will be using fuji double sided green sensitive. Looking at stand or semi stand development to control scratches on the film during development.

I am changing developer because Pyrocat HD has such a short shelf life. I found cheaper film not more time. Rodinal lasts for ever, or so they say.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 26, 2016

HC-110 last forever too. How does stand development prevent scratches?

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 27, 2016

Richard S. (rich815) said:
How does stand development prevent scratches

If he's using xray film then the sheets have emulsion on both sides, in that case any manipulation of the sheets (shuffling in a tray for example, or even sliding against the bottom of the tray) has a very good chance of scratching something.
The large format photography forums have good coverage no xray films.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 27, 2016

Kawaiithulhu said:
If he's using xray film then the sheets have emulsion on both sides, in that case any manipulation of the sheets (shuffling in a tray for example, or even sliding against the bottom of the tray) has a very good chance of scratching something.
The large format photography forums have good coverage no xray films.

Got it. Thanks.

Rick A · Jun 27, 2016

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...film-technical-discussion-with-example-images

As far as Rodinal and xray film, I use it 1+100 for 9 minutes in a rotary drum, tray development would be around 10-10.5 minutes, forget stand or semi-stand with this combo.

seezee · Jun 27, 2016

Mark, there is a HUGE discussion of x-ray film at the LF forum. It's a lot to wade through, but it's worth it. Many of the participants are using stand or semi-stand, and many of them use Rodinal (it seems to be a 50/50 split between Rodinal & Pyro).

I personally have used semi-stand on both Carestream Ektascan & Carestream half-speed-blue in Pyrocat-HD with good results. 60 seconds agitation at start, 30 seconds at the 30 minute mark, stop bath at 60 minutes. I did switch to tank development from trays when I moved to the double-emulsion film because I couldn't get the back to develop in the tray on my first go, but I've since been able to process some negs in a tray with no problem — just flip the film halfway through during the 2nd agitation. FWIW, I use brush agitation when tray developing.

I've only dabbled with Rodinal & semi-stand, but the results were very similar to Pyro once I figured out the dilutions & got my technique nailed down.

How long are you keeping Pyrocat around that it is going bad? You aren't mixing up a working solution in advance and letting it sit, are you?

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 27, 2016

I thought you did not need stop bath for stand or semi-stand as the developer is exhausted anyway. No?

seezee · Jun 27, 2016

Richard S. (rich815) said:
I thought you did not need stop bath for stand or semi-stand as the developer is exhausted anyway. No?

It might be exhaused, it might not, depending on how long you leave it in the soup. I always rinse in tap water & then submerge for 1 minute in a plain-water stop bath, just in case. That way I can also be sure I don't get any developer in my fix.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 27, 2016

Ah yes. Plain water. That's all I ever use for all my developing. I thought when you mentioned it above you meant actual Stop Bath chemical.

ColColt · Jun 27, 2016

I use Rodinal 1+49 and like the results. Not a fan of semi- or stand development.

Agreed-Rodinal is good right out of the bottle at 1:50, 1:60, 1:75 or whatever. It doesn't need any "stand" developing. It's all I use with FP-4.

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 28, 2016

Richard S. (rich815) said:
did not need stop bath for stand

You're thinking of a different paradigm like two-bath developers where the active goop is absorbed in bath #1 and activated to exhaustion in bath #2. Stand features local exhaustion, but the soup itself still has full potency once swished around (hence semi-stand adding the occasional swish).

Xmas · Jun 28, 2016

The stop bath or water is there for the fixer not for the developer.
Tempered water or stop shake then fix.

Buying rodinal for the first time

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