I Learned My Lesson

[scorpius73]

I got my new to me Contax G2 last week. I put a roll of Arista Premium 400 in it to test it out. I got the wise idea to develop it in Rodinal 1:100 for 20 min at 20 degrees celsius. I agitated the first minute and then 5 inversions every 3 minutes thereafter. The negatives are very thin. I assume they will be low contrast. My usual is Rodinal 1:50 for 13 min with the same agitation method with no problem. I will not do this again. :bang:

 

[lam]

I always thought dilutions of 1:100 require much longer times?

 

[JoshuaMB]

I was expecting to see longer dev times too....

live and learn....

 

[gsgary]

When i use 1+100 its always for 1 hour, agitate first 30 seconds then just leave it, this is very old 20 years + out of date Tmax100 shot at 400 and stand developed for 1hr in Rodinal + 12 grams of sodium sulphite

 

[gsgary]

1:25=7 minutes
1:50=14 minutes

What chart suggested only 20 min?[/QUOTE

the massive dev chart

Just had a look and i think it say 24degs you developed at 20degs

 

[zuiko85]

Have you developed other ISO 400 B&W films with this dev-dilution/time/temp/agitation cycle with good results before? Are you sure of the exposure accuracy of your new camera?

It is very important to go over such basics before assuming the problem is in one area only.

 

[scorpius73]

Just had a look and i think it say 24degs you developed at 20degs

Arista Premium 400 Rodinal 1+100 400 20 min 20C

From Massive Dev Chart

 

[scorpius73]

Have you developed other ISO 400 B&W films with this dev-dilution/time/temp/agitation cycle with good results before? Are you sure of the exposure accuracy of your new camera?

It is very important to go over such basics before assuming the problem is in one area only.

I have never done 1:100 before with Arista Premium 400 for this time. I usually do 1:50 with Rodinal. Even the frame numbers are thin on this roll. I'll run another roll but I'm pretty sure it's the development time. But thanks for thinking of other variables.

 

[gsgary]

Arista Premium 400 Rodinal 1+100 400 20 min 20C

From Massive Dev Chart

I clicked on the wrong film, what were the lighting conditions when you shot the film ?

 

[Highway 61]

The Massive Dev. Chart times are all off by about 30% (too short).

Aside from this, Arista Premium 400 being Tri-X, why do you want to develop it in Rodinal ?

Whatever dilution, Tri-X will never look good if processed in Rodinal even with the correct time.

Huge grain, high contrast, blown highlights. So ?

Since it's been marketed, Tri-X has always been at its best in D76 1+1 when exposed at 400. This is the recipe used by the most famous photographers of the late years of the XXth century. Why looking for something else ? Why, why, why ?

 

[scorpius73]

Have you developed other ISO 400 B&W films with this dev-dilution/time/temp/agitation cycle with good results before? Are you sure of the exposure accuracy of your new camera?

It is very important to go over such basics before assuming the problem is in one area only.

The Massive Dev. Chart times are all off by about 30% (too short).

Aside from this, Arista Premium 400 being Tri-X, why do you want to develop it in Rodinal ?

Whatever dilution, Tri-X will never look good if processed in Rodinal even with the correct time.

Huge grain, high contrast, blown highlights. So ?

Actually, I have gotten negs that I personally like with Rodinal. I used it today because I didn't feel like mixing my new batch of Xtol.

 

[Dana B.]

Ditto. Rodinal seems to be a drug, for some. And stand development a lingering fad. I wish I could understand the allure.

Tri-X and D-76 or HC-110 is a winning combo at standard developing times.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Whatever dilution, Tri-X will never look good if processed in Rodinal even with the correct time.

Huge grain, high contrast, blown highlights. So ?

Yep huge grain, blown highlights who'd develop Tri-x in Rodinal?

Oh yes it can NEVER look good...

 

[scorpius73]

I had a brain fart! I'm not sure what possessed me to do 1:100 for 20 min when I usually stand develop for 1 hr with that concentration! I just looked at some of my other stuff and it did not dawn on me that was my concentration for stand development.

 

[scorpius73]

Yep huge grain, blown highlights who'd develop Tri-x in Rodinal?

Oh yes it can NEVER look good...

Nice tones!

 

[_lou_]

The negatives are very thin. I assume they will be low contrast.

In my experience thin negatives makes very contrasty (harsh) prints.

 

[gsgary]

Yep huge grain, blown highlights who'd develop Tri-x in Rodinal?

Oh yes it can NEVER look good...

Your right TriX is awful in Rodinal
26 years out of date TriX in Rodinal

 

[gsgary]

I had a brain fart! I'm not sure what possessed me to do 1:100 for 20 min when I usually stand develop for 1 hr with that concentration! I just looked at some of my other stuff and it did not dawn on me that was my concentration for stand development.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

 

[ChrisN]

Nice images above, but they do appear to be a little lacking in brilliance and tonal separation. Personal taste of course.

With Rodinal there seems to be a great deal of wisdom lost and being rediscovered. Regarding the 20 minute time for Rodinal diluted 1:100, consider this opinion from Mike Johnston (The Online Photographer) at the tail of an article about sensitometry.:

"When I first tried extended development in dilute Rodinal—1:100 or 1:150 for 45 minutes or an hour, I think it was—I mentioned in an email to Phil that I'd gotten very pretty negatives but that I'd nearly driven myself out of my gourd with boredom. "Anyway, it works," I concluded. About half a day later Phil emailed me back and told me to try the exact same technique, but for 18 minutes or whatever it was. I did, and the negatives were...to my amazement, essentially identical with the first ones. He had run some quick tests in the intervening time and determined what I conveyed to you above."

 

[sreed2006]

Might I suggest the possibility that the Massive Dev Chart time of 20 minutes depends on an agitation of 5 seconds every 30 seconds, instead of the agitation routine that you used (5 inversions every 3 minutes)? I suggest this because 5 seconds every 30 seconds is the agitation that the Massive Dev Chart's iPhone application shows. (I just ran the app to see.)

With much more frequent agitation, the dilute Rodinal would have more chance to chemically react with the negatives. It might be worth a try next time you have an unimportant roll of Arista Premium 400 to process.