Rodinal Special

Mmmm after your comment on the heathen "Tmax developer" you may have to do 5 Hail Rodinal souped rolls before we can allow entry to the sacred place

Forgive me, I am weak and the temptation was so strong. I will repent.

We have the deep shadows of the Rodinal dungeons (in Mortens castle) for those that give in to the temptation

Yes, yes, this is all very entertaining but still... does anyone have anything meaningful to contribute about Rodinal Special? Any empirical experience revealing its characteristics compared to R? By the way, in AGFA's new 'Black and White Manual' RS and Studional are listed as two seperate products. Any explaination, oh great High Priest?

Also, does anyone know where one can purchase RS or Studional in the US. My usual sources (B&H and Adorama) do not list it.

thefizz said:

Forgive me, I am weak and the temptation was so strong. I will repent.

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You call now call yourself prospect! But we will follow your ways to see if you remain on the right path.

H.P. Morten

B. Poetz said:

By the way, in AGFA's new 'Black and White Manual' RS and Studional are listed as two seperate products. Any explaination, oh great High Priest?

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The two are the same soup. The same dev times and dilutions. My experience from other products (cameras, musical instruments et.al) manufactures use different names in different parts of the world. Apparently due to marketing issues (correct if I am wrong).
In Europe I have only found Rodinal Special (in 125 ml. bottles) and have heard that Studional is not available here (and it comes in 1 l. bottles where it is available). Rodinal Special is apparently named the way it is because of the great reputation Rodinal has. But the two developers are very different from each other, so don't think that RS is just a special kind of Rodinal.

But this is what I have experienced. Agfa has confirmed that it is the same soup, but haven't given me any reason for the two names and amounts.

Morten

Rodinal Special is a conventional phenidone-hydroquinone developer. It also contains TEA, potassium sulphite, EDTA and potassium bromide, according to the Australia/New Zealand MSDS.

Finding Studional

pschauss said:

Also, does anyone know where one can purchase RS or Studional in the US. My usual sources (B&H and Adorama) do not list it.

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You can get it from B&H, just call them and ask, or walk in, if your nearby. I know Calumet also sales it, and has a shop in the city as well.

I started using Studional (1:15) 6min 68F back in '94. Back then I was an Agfa dealer, so there was no problem getting it. Also packed up on some 4x5 APX400 (sadly, long since gone).

I've used it with all Agfapans (25, 100, 400) looks soooo beautiful w/APX25 (got a stash of 35 & 120 in the freezer from the last run),also Tri-X, Neopan 400 & Acros.

Used some on Berrger & Forte, but have only scoured the negs as it will be sometime before my darkroom is back up : (

Have more film loaded to process specifically in Rodinal (always 1:25 6min 68F), cause sometimes you just gotta have "that" look. It's my standard developer for Neopan 400 really fine grained, and prints/scans like a breeze.

You'll love it.

Joe

thefizz said:

With so many people using good old Rodinal developer, I am surprised not to hear many of you talk about Rodinal Special.

Do many of you use it?

I understand it gives finer grain that ordinary Rodinal. If so, why does it seem that Rodinal is more widely used?

Peter

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As someone who has only Rodinal Special and planning to shoot indoors Kodak Tmax 3200 at 3200 (as my camera doesn't allow me push or pull). Is rodinal special too short a dev time for it... ..any recommendations ?

Trying to avoid a trip up to Wicklow street for yet more supplies !!

Simplicius

In the last few years I have used Rodinal Special a lot and love it, but the recommended times for 1:15 dilutions are too short. I have done tests to work out times for a dilution of 1:30 so problem solved.

Don't forget to drop into the Ireland section and say hello in the Introductions thread.