Hi all,
Until now, I developed my Rollei Retro 400S roll films (the Retro 400S, which is more like the Rollei Infrared 400 than like the Retro 400) in Rodinal Special (4m10s, 1+15, 20 degrees). Unfortunately, I'm unable to find this developer anywhere anymore. I really like this film, got very nice and very subtle infrared effects with it, but one thing that bothers me is that the development times I find on the net are very different. The Rollei website (http://www.maco-photo.de/files/images/Entwicklungszeitentabelle_Retro_400S.pdf) gives a 8m30s development time, which gives me a density of 2.60 above the film base (checked with the densitometer at my photography class). My 4m10 gives a nice maximum density around 1.50 to 1.60, which prints perfectly.
So I tried with Rollei RHS High Speed. 6 minutes, 1+7 at 20 degrees as in the instructions on the bottle and what I found with google. But the film comes out almost blank. I know what's on the film, and I can more or less recognise the people on it, but it's very very light. Unscannable and definately unprintable. No idea what's wrong.
So I tried the next two rolls with Rodinal. 10m00s, 1+25 at 20 degrees. Slightly overdeveloped at first sight (still wet), but definately printable. The problem is that I find times between 6m00s and 12m00s for Rodinal 1+25 and between 10m00s and 22m30s for Rodinal 1+50, all specified as 20 degrees. I used to use Rodinal quite a lot, but my photography teacher really hates it, so I haven't used it for years until this evening.
Can anyone help me out for the almost blank negatives in RHS or the wildly varying development times found in different places? I know it's a bit of a personal taste and for most films you find differences up to 30% or so, but for this film, I find differences of up to 100% for quite a lot of developers. Suggestions or experiences of other members with this film and various developers are also welcome.
As for my experiences: Very, very nice in Rodinal Special 1+15, 4m10s at 20 degrees. Never got detail in both the highlights and the shadows at the same time with D76/ID11, nor in the stock solution, nor in the 1+1 dilution (my photo shop has the same experience and recommends Rollei RHS for this film).
Any experience with this film is welcome, because I have absolutely no idea what's the best way to proceed.
Until now, I developed my Rollei Retro 400S roll films (the Retro 400S, which is more like the Rollei Infrared 400 than like the Retro 400) in Rodinal Special (4m10s, 1+15, 20 degrees). Unfortunately, I'm unable to find this developer anywhere anymore. I really like this film, got very nice and very subtle infrared effects with it, but one thing that bothers me is that the development times I find on the net are very different. The Rollei website (http://www.maco-photo.de/files/images/Entwicklungszeitentabelle_Retro_400S.pdf) gives a 8m30s development time, which gives me a density of 2.60 above the film base (checked with the densitometer at my photography class). My 4m10 gives a nice maximum density around 1.50 to 1.60, which prints perfectly.
So I tried with Rollei RHS High Speed. 6 minutes, 1+7 at 20 degrees as in the instructions on the bottle and what I found with google. But the film comes out almost blank. I know what's on the film, and I can more or less recognise the people on it, but it's very very light. Unscannable and definately unprintable. No idea what's wrong.
So I tried the next two rolls with Rodinal. 10m00s, 1+25 at 20 degrees. Slightly overdeveloped at first sight (still wet), but definately printable. The problem is that I find times between 6m00s and 12m00s for Rodinal 1+25 and between 10m00s and 22m30s for Rodinal 1+50, all specified as 20 degrees. I used to use Rodinal quite a lot, but my photography teacher really hates it, so I haven't used it for years until this evening.
Can anyone help me out for the almost blank negatives in RHS or the wildly varying development times found in different places? I know it's a bit of a personal taste and for most films you find differences up to 30% or so, but for this film, I find differences of up to 100% for quite a lot of developers. Suggestions or experiences of other members with this film and various developers are also welcome.
As for my experiences: Very, very nice in Rodinal Special 1+15, 4m10s at 20 degrees. Never got detail in both the highlights and the shadows at the same time with D76/ID11, nor in the stock solution, nor in the 1+1 dilution (my photo shop has the same experience and recommends Rollei RHS for this film).
Any experience with this film is welcome, because I have absolutely no idea what's the best way to proceed.
