Tried Stand Developing in Rodinal

[graywolf]

I tried this the other day. Out dated Plus-X 4x5 in a CombiPlan tank. Genuine Agfa Rodinal, if there is a difference. 10ml+1000ml. Since I just used distilled water that was under the sink, as was the chemicals, the temperature was about 15-16C. To casually compensate for the lower than normal temps, I let it stand for 90 minutes. agitation was about 5 inversions at the start, and 5 more in the middle. Plain water stop, a couple of minutes in odorless fixer 1+9.

Results were good. Plenty of contrast, not overly dense. I had one negative that came out nearly blank but I had put it in the wrong slot and it was emulsion against the back of another sheet. Another was very underexposed, I think that the blue press 25 flashbulbs have darkened over the years, I will have to do some tests, I had been using clear bulbs but I am running out of them.

This was the simplest stress free processing I had ever done. I think it is going to become my normal method, as I am quite lazy.

 

[BetterSense]

For laziness optimization, consider also Diafine. It only takes 6 minutes, and you process everything the same regardless of temperature.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

I like the idea of the economy of chemicals, and being able to walk away from it for awhile. Nice to know about the Diafine. I do have a can of Acufine laying around, does it process the same concerning temp? Because I'm having a bear of a time with 70f water in the darkroom. We got a tankless hot water heater, but the darkroom tap doesn't draw enough flow to activate it, and the 2.5g electric tank I bought will only keep 70f for about five minutes. I think it's basically ice water going in.

 

[BetterSense]

I don't know anything about Acufine. Diafine works at a constant time because it's a 2-bath developer.

 

[graywolf]

Well, did it again, this time with 120 film. Reading a lot of stuff about stand developing in Rodinal here and on other sites, I came up with the idea that the uneveness some would mentioning may be due to overly vigorous agitation, I did the roll with an absolute minimum. Just enough after pouring in the developer to make sure that it got to all areas of the roll. Too early to be sure, but i do not notice any obvious uneveness in the wet negatives.