• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

HP5 @800 in Rodinal

sly

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
Messages
1,675
Location
Nanaimo
Format
Multi Format
So if I shoot HP5 sheet film at 800, can I do semi-stand developing in Rodianl? Or would I be better off to use it (or another developer) at conventional dilution/time/agitation?
 

Venchka

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
692
Location
Wood County, Texas
Format
35mm
To date I have developed HP5+ rated between 250 and 1600 in the following with good results:

D-76 1:1, continuous agitation
Xtol 1:3, continuous agitation
Rodinal 1:100, semi-stand

I like HP5+!
 

fschifano

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
3,196
Location
Valley Strea
Format
Multi Format
There are some folks who just love Rodinal. I'm not one of them. For me it's just another tool in the box. I use it sometimes, and I've tried it with a lot of different films. I've even used it at 1+100 as a stand developer with some success on fast films when I wanted to get a lot of grain. What I don't see with Rodinal is full emulsion speed. If I over expose the film by 1/2 stop or more, everything is cool. If I try rating the film at box speed, it's no soap. This tells me that it's not going to be very good as a push developer. If anything, the shadow areas will be more devoid of detail than if you'd exposed the film at box speed.

If you must rate HP5+ at 800, you might want to try Diafine. I've done this a few times when working in dimly lit rooms with a moderate power flash and a relatively slow (f/4.5) lens on a press camera. It worked better than I'd expected. The negatives were relatively easy to print without too much dodging and burning.

I can't argue with results.
 

jim appleyard

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
2,421
Location
glens falls, ny USA
Format
Multi Format
While Rodinal is good for stand dev, it's not great for pushing. As Frank says (he always beats me to the same answer!) there are better devs for pushing. Diafine, Acufine, Microphen, D-76, X-Tol and others would be better suited for the task.
 

jim appleyard

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
2,421
Location
glens falls, ny USA
Format
Multi Format
Now that I said that Rodinal isn't for pushing, somebody goes and does it! See Uncle Bill's photosthere was a url link here which no longer exists)

He's done it with TX, not HP-5, but you should get close.
 

2F/2F

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
8,031
Location
Los Angeles,
Format
Multi Format
So if I shoot HP5 sheet film at 800, can I do semi-stand developing in Rodianl? Or would I be better off to use it (or another developer) at conventional dilution/time/agitation?

What are your reasons for wanting to do semi-stand developing in this case?
 

Andy K

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
9,420
Location
Sunny Southe
Format
Multi Format
I have shot HP5+ at 3200 and developed in Rodinal. See the picture of my cat in my gallery.