Hi, 1st time posting! =)
Thought I would ask for some advice with a school project I am doing.
Tonight I will be shooting a still life using Efke 25 120 and processing it in Rodinal (1+50). This is my first time using Efke 25. Wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions to share when processing.
I plan on processing two rolls of 120 in a tank.
Hi Shawn,
At the risk of bringing down the wrath of others, use standard ASA agitation. Thirty seconds constant, gentle at first, then five seconds on each thirty. I still have my official AGFA instructions for Rodinal which give that regimen.
Also, since EFKE 25, builds up contrast quickly, I, myself, would opt for 1:75 or 1:85 unless your lighting is very flat.
I have had success with developing Efke 25 in Rodinal at 1+50 for 5 mins at 18C. If your images are really critical, though, probably best to shoot a test roll first.
These films were all flat for me the first time (following manufacturer's recommended times). They needed more development by a good 25%. I would recommend that you overexpose a little bit on some shots and shoot some normal. Personally, I would shoot two identical rolls, each shot bracketed from normal to over one stop (in half or third stops). I would process and proof one on your paper and contrast grade of choice, and use the results to decide what to do with the other roll. If in doubt, err on the side of a flat negative versus a contrasty one, so despite my experience with these films needing more development than recommended, I might recommend to just use manufacturer's recommended times the first time and just see what happens.
I shoot a lot of Efke 25, shoot it at 25, and develop it in Rodinal. I've done 1:25, 1:50, and 1:100. For the first two I went by the Massive Dev chart, doing inversions every minute. For the last I inverted for two minutes and let stand for 90. I think that the results are great with all three.