Question about Rodinal Special (Studional) for TRI-X

[Rodinalforever]

Hello guys,

i've started to develop b&w film since 4 years, in particular in the medium format, and I enjoy to print in darkroom when I find some spare time.


In order to standardize my process, I've used only 2 film-developer combination:


Ilford FP4 @ 80 in Rodinal 1+50 (13 min)
Kodak TRI-X @ 250 in HC110 1+63 (10 min)

and I'm satisfied.... but I'm a fan of Rodinal, so I've just bought a bottle of R09 Special (Studional) and I'd like to try with the TRI-X film


On the R09 Special datasheet I've found: TRI-X 400 1+15 3,5 min

Since this developing time is too short to manage, I would start with a higher diluition (1+30); what developing time do you suggest?
6 min - 7 min?

Does anyone experienced Tri-x in Rodinal Special?


Thank you for your suggestion and your tecnhical support.


Thomas from Italy (Bologna)

 

[Xmas]

H

Rodinal Special was an Agfa developer but it is not a paraaminophenol developer llke Rodinal, it is a PQ like Microphen.
Never used it myself, but
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-114527.html

Noel

 

[antmar]

+1 ^^
Rodinal and Rodinal Special have no much in common.

 

[Rodinalforever]

I know that Rodinal and Rodinal Special are very different developer, in fact I will to continue to use Rodinal on Ilford FP4 because I reached satisfing result with them; I'd like to try Rodinal Special only with TRI-X because it seems to be suited for medium speed film and should show less grain than the Rodinal.

 

[Xmas]

Hi

Yes it is likely to show less grain but a similar foot speed.
But you need to be more careful with shelf life like a year rather than decades, or rather whatever it says on bottle..
And I don't know how all the PQs react to dilution beyond 1:3, apart from some working well at 1:30.
There is an old Agfa data sheet somewhere on the web...

Noel

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Studional is essentially a standard PQ developer. However it uses triethanolamine as the alkali instead of an alkali such as sodium metaborate. The presence of TEA should result in finer grain since it is also a silver halide solvent.

 

[Xmas]

http://mauglee.kitox.com/files/agfa_bw_film_chemicals_en.pdf

 

[thefizz]

I use Studional with Tri-X at 1:30 for 8 minutes with agitation every minute. Works well but I have not yet done my film speed and development tests for this combination so it may change.

 

[Rodinalforever]

@ xmas: thanks for the complete datasheet


@thefizz: i feel that 1+30 for 8 min is on the long side; your negatives should show high contrast which is useful for scanning but difficult to manage in the wet-darkroom. Consider that, according to Agfa, the devoloping time of 3,5 min at 1+15 should deliver a 0.65 gamma index (high level of contrast if you print in darkroom).

 

[thefizz]

Not very high at all, print easily.

 

[Xmas]

In the distant past...

There were distinct types of enlargers so I seem to recall some film data sheets has two soup times to get 'standard' negs on to grade 2 cause multi grade was not as pervasive or I never saw it in my shops.

The condenser enlarger had high contrast the diffusion enlarger lower and intermediates existed as well in addition to non tungsten filement bulb light sources.

Today with VC paper the 'only' stocked type and many people hybrid soup time is a difficult call, and some people try for grade 3...

p.s.
I treat Tx, HP5+, 5222, APX400, Neopan400, etc the same rodinal 1+100 20c 60 minutes pour in soup leave undisturbed pour out soup. You can separate the fomapan 400 from the 5222 on grain on similar subjects unless you have a microscope or scanner.

 

[Rodinalforever]

In the distant past...

There were distinct types of enlargers so I seem to recall some film data sheets has two soup times to get 'standard' negs on to grade 2 cause multi grade was not as pervasive or I never saw it in my shops

p.s.
I treat Tx, HP5+, 5222, APX400, Neopan400, etc the same rodinal 1+100 20c 60 minutes pour in soup leave undisturbed pour out soup. You can separate the fomapan 400 from the 5222 on grain on similar subjects unless you have a microscope or scanner.

I've never tried "stand development" because some years ago, during a workshop, an italian professional printer told that this technique give only an apparent acutance on small prints, but as you go with bigger enlargement the grain starts to appear as "mushy" and not well defined. So I used to stay with standard-short developing time for Fp4 or Tri-x

 

[Paul Howell]

I have returned to Studional after a number years using Edwal 12 and MCM 100, for roll and 35mm, so far with Foma 200 or Tmax 400 no issues with the short development times in either SS or Paterson tanks.