Tri-X in Rodinal Failure

[Arvee]

1:50 dilution?

Also, nikon's metering is generous; all my nikons give generous exposures from the FE2 up through the F4S and F100. Center weighted is slightly less generous compared to matrix in those cameras that have the matrix option.

 

[MattKing]

Using Kodak products as examples, film that is properly developed with 13 minutes at 68F should give similar results if developed for 8 minutes at 78F.
Temperature consistency really does matter.
Try to keep it at 75F or cooler - 9.5 minutes should work at 75F.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Using Kodak products as examples, film that is properly developed with 13 minutes at 68F should give similar results if developed for 8 minutes at 78F.
Temperature consistency really does matter.
Try to keep it at 75F or cooler - 9.5 minutes should work at 75F.

I‘ve just never ever been overly concerned with temperature, but I’ve always used D76 or similar too.

When I do this roll in the morning I’ll ice bath the solution to 68 and be extremely well timed on agitation etc.

 

[takilmaboxer]

Armpit of Texas? Yikes!

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Armpit of Texas? Yikes!

oil refinery central. Smells like armpits all the time.

 

[mrosenlof]

definitely too hot. 68 degrees and agitate 10 sec per minute or 5 sec every 30 sec, you'll probably be much happier. I'm more of an HC-110 user for Tri-X, but Rodinal should be OK with the right time/temp.

 

[MattKing]

When I do this roll in the morning I’ll ice bath the solution to 68 and be extremely well timed on agitation etc.

That is too much work!
If you bring down/control the temperature at 75 degrees and use the shorter time, you should be fine.

 

[glbeas]

I‘ve just never ever been overly concerned with temperature, but I’ve always used D76 or similar too.

When I do this roll in the morning I’ll ice bath the solution to 68 and be extremely well timed on agitation etc.

You do have to compensate for the temperature if you are not cooling it to the ideal temp. Massive development chart has a function to determine the right time for the temperature, use it. Otherwise you are just being sloppy.

 

[MattKing]

You do have to compensate for the temperature if you are not cooling it to the ideal temp. Massive development chart has a function to determine the right time for the temperature, use it. Otherwise you are just being sloppy.

I'm sure that function is useful, but I prefer the analogue approach - just spin the dial in one of my Kodak Darkroom Dataguides.
One of these:

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I know diddly squat about Tri-X... I know there is 320 and 400. I did shoot some 400 waaaaaay back in '93 and I found the shadows to be dead. This was back when I was still learning. Today, I'd probably shoot it at EI 200 and develop in Rodinal at 1+25 (if that was using Rodinal)... but would most likely develop it in Pyrocat-HD.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

You do have to compensate for the temperature if you are not cooling it to the ideal temp. Massive development chart has a function to determine the right time for the temperature, use it. Otherwise you are just being sloppy.

None of my art, photography, painting, or otherwise has ever been overly technical. Lol “sloppy” is like a “thing” for me.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

I just got the new roll loaded, and I’ve taken the distilled water out. It’s supposed to get down to 65 tonight and we have all the portholes on the boat open so it should be primed to go in the morning.

 

[Jarin Blaschke]

Accurate temperature is critical. Temperature variation has much greater effect than developing time. Go out and buy a thermometer now! These examples look absolutely cooked.

J

 

[Arvee]

FYI: an important bit of information to keep in mind regarding temperatures of developing solutions: rate of reaction doubles for every 10C increase. In your case, assuming processing taking place at 78F, you experienced a 55% increase in rate of reaction which resulted in overdeveloped negs and exaggerated grain. Let us know how it goes today.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Looking better this morning. Temps were 68-70, 1:50, 12 min, 10sec agitation each minute. AND NO LIGHT LEAKS!

 

[glbeas]

Good, now get a thermometer and use it! Doesnt have to be laboratory accurate, just consistant so you can make adjustments to get useable results. Sloppy has a place in the world, just not in this case.

 

[pentaxuser]

Looking better this morning. Temps were 68-70, 1:50, 12 min, 10sec agitation each minute. AND NO LIGHT LEAKS!

View attachment 245853

Yes I am not surprised about the improvement. I seemed to have missed the temperature at which you were developing at when I replied saying that my Agfa times showed that at 13 mins it was only one minute over. If we assume that Agfa has got it right at 12mins then at 13 and 78F you were close to at least 5.5 mins over which is very large percentage of your original time

pentaxuser

 

[BradS]

Looking better this morning. Temps were 68-70, 1:50, 12 min, 10sec agitation each minute. AND NO LIGHT LEAKS!

View attachment 245853

Nice!

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Good, now get a thermometer and use it! Doesnt have to be laboratory accurate, just consistant so you can make adjustments to get useable results. Sloppy has a place in the world, just not in this case.

Already ordered a proper thermometer!

 

[darkosaric]

Nothing wrong with your photos. In the sky some grain, but that is not bad. I always use Rodinal 1+25 with Trix, @400 box speed. I find this a nice combo, here are two examples:

 

[Arvee]

Nothing wrong with your photos. In the sky some grain, but that is not bad. I always use Rodinal 1+25 with Trix, @400 box speed. I find this a nice combo, here are two examples:

Nice, Darko, 1+25 adds a nice 'punch!' Feels like Salgado!

 

[ChristopherCoy]

These are better, but I'm still not satisfied. Tri-X 400, 1/500th, F16, Rodinal 1:50, 12 mins. 10sec agitation each minute.

These are still much to grungy for me. Not sure if it's the camera/film combo, for film/developer combo, or what. But these aren't doing it for me.

 

[Arvee]

These are better, but I'm still not satisfied. Tri-X 400, 1/500th, F16, Rodinal 1:50, 12 mins. 10sec agitation each minute.

These are still much to grungy for me. Not sure if it's the camera/film combo, for film/developer combo, or what. But these aren't doing it for me.

View attachment 245929
View attachment 245930

Hmmm, for my taste they need to be printed down harder. The highlights aren't printed down enough and when you bring them down you'll get nicer blacks. Just my $.02...

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Hmmm, for my taste they need to be printed down harder. The highlights aren't printed down and when you bring them down you'll get nicer blacks. Just my $.02...

They’re just straight scans right now.

 

[Pieter12]

Are those scans of negs or prints? Here's 35mm Tri-X @ 200 in Rodinal 1+25--a square crop from an 8x10 print.