Rodinal 1:50 Stand Development?

[Darkroom317]

I have two rolls of Tri-x at EI 1600. Rodinal 1:50 is my normal developer but when I used at regular times for the last Trix at 1600 I shot, I was disappointed. I want to use stand development. Would 1:50 be ok, (I have does this before) or would 1:100 be better. The 1:50 results were little less than ok. I have always heard 1:100 for stand development. Also, how many hours is usually best?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

From the Covington HC-110 website www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110

"Where HC-110 really shines is in scientific work or push-processing, where film is deliberately overdeveloped to increase contrast and speed. HC-110 gives surprisingly little fog even with very prolonged development."

Kodak recommends HC-110 dilution B for 15 min at 70oF with normal agitation.

 

[Darkroom317]

I don't have HC-110 and I don't have time to order it. So, Rodinal will have to do. These photos are for a project due next week.

Thanks for the information though

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It's a bit of trial and error, actually. But a good starting time for 1:100 is somewhere around 60 minutes.

You should agitate a little at the beginning, like gently for the first minute or so, just to get everything evenly started.
Keep in mind that standing development is not fail-safe. It may go wrong with uneven development to follow.

What you really want from stand developing is the compensating action. Longer developing time with reduced agitation helps you develop the shadows more, while keeping your highlights in check. If you have time to experiment with one sacrificial roll of film before you develop anything important, then try using 1+50, but agitate only every 5 minutes. That gives you the best of both worlds with regard to normal agitation (avoiding uneven development), but getting the benefit in shadows from prolonged development time.

Whatever method you pick, there are no guarantees, unless you do a little trial and error first.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Following the advice of an old master, I use Rodinal 1:150 for 60 minutes or so, inverting the film once every 15 minutes after 10 seconds of gentle agitation to start. I am not very careful about that timing. It has worked great for me for small format film (35, 2 1/4). Larger formats can show bromide drag in open areas such as the sky.

 

[juan]

Previous posters have made a couple of important points - there should be some agitation, and that agitation should be inversion, not just moving the tank around a little.
juan

 

[Darkroom317]

I always use the inversion method. I watch the Photo I students at my university just move the tank in a circular in a very meek fashion. No wonder they get low contrast prints. I transferred in and have been doing my own development for three years. I don't get what instructor is teaching them.

Anyway, thanks for all of the advice. I have decided to do 1:100 for a single roll in a two roll tank. This will give me 6ml of developer for that roll.