Small-batch alternative to Rodinal?

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I shoot film pretty much every week, and have found myself using Rodinal pretty much exclusively. I like the results it gives me, but the main reason is that it lasts forever in the bottle and I can mix up small batches to just develop two rolls. At times (particularly with Tri-X) I prefer the relative smoothness of D76, but the trouble with D76 is that if I mix up a batch, I need to use just D76 for a while, or else it will go bad in solution.

Is there a developer that gives you a very tight grain, and comes in a liquid, like Rodinal, which can be measured into small batches?

 

[Trius]

John,

If you store D-76 in a (used but cleaned) wine box, I think it should store well for a long time. I am doing this with XTol (which is another very good option) and it keeps perfectly well for months. I'm sure you have friends who drink box wine, if you don't I have an extra empty container. Just to be clear, it's my wife who drinks the Almaden Mountain "Chablis"! 😀

I prefer the Ravines Pinot Noir myself. 😉

 

[Keith]

John,

If you store D-76 in a (used but cleaned) wine box, I think it should store well for a long time. I am doing this with XTol (which is another very good option) and it keeps perfectly well for months. I'm sure you have friends who drink box wine, if you don't I have an extra empty container. Just to be clear, it's my wife who drinks the Almaden Mountain "Chablis"! 😀

I prefer the Ravines Pinot Noir myself. 😉

I'm with you Earl ... I've been using this method for ages now and it works a treat.

Ahh ... 'Chateau Cardboard!' More uses than just the odd headache! 😛

 

[Bob Michaels]

Is there a developer that gives you a very tight grain, and comes in a liquid, like Rodinal, which can be measured into small batches?

Absolutely, HC-110

 

[Roger Hicks]

Try DD-X.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Larry Manuel]

I've always been please with DD-X for tight grain [nice on Tri-X, for sure], and it can be used 1+9 [add 60% to 1+4 times]. Keeps very well, much longer than Ilford says.

Agreed: HC-110 is great, too.

 

[JohnTF]

Absolutely, HC-110

I recall for a long time HC 110 and Tri X was The Classic combination.


In one of my different periods of career, I sold bottles, caps, corks, etc., and all the caps leaked, except when you put Saran Wrap under the caps.

Crown Caps (beer bottles) are cheap, simple, and very effective as well, plus fit champagne bottles.

Glass fitted stoppers are definitely old school, but very good, from my chemistry days. Stoppers were individually fitted to the container.

The enemy is not so much the "air" in the bottle as the air in the room. The air in the bottle is less than 20% oxygen, and if a reasonable amount, can do limited damage, unless there is a new supply coming in under the caps.

I also sold the "wine" boxes, before they were used as such commercially, as cubitainers? So you do not have to drink up too much. Kodak used to sell chemistry in them as well, Ektaflo comes to mind.

Sounds like a Google search in order?

Regards, John

 

[venchka]

GOOGLE can find a 1 gallon container similar to the wine in a box for about $5.00. I think it's billed as water in a box.

Emtpy wine bottles and a commercial product for resealing wine bottles is available. "With the wine bottles I use the Vacu Vin system to seal the bottle and pull a vacuum over the chems. Storing the chems in a thick glass bottle under vacuum is hard to beat."

D-76 keeps a minimum of 6 months. If you have space, keep 1 gallon in a bunch of 0.5L water bottles. Each will be full without any air in it. 0.5L is enough D-76 for two 36 exp. rolls of film. Pretty convenient, hey?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Yeah, I guess know that D-76 actually can last a while...in fact, I think the whole reason I got paranoid is that I'd mixed up a batch, then got into C41 developing, and only shot color and XP2 and digital for a while, then went back to TriX (well Arista 400 actually) and the D-76 was gone. But I LOVE the box wine idea, awesome!

I will try HC110 too. The nice thing about D-76 is that they sell it at the college bookstore, so I can pick up a package on my way home from work.

 

[charjohncarter]

I read, but have never tried it. Shoot the canned air for dust removal into the storage bottle (after each use) to replace the air (the canned air is not air). This was said to really prolong spoilage.

 

[Trius]

I used HC-110 as my sole developer fir many years. I was thinking of it as an option, but it has sufficiently different character from both Rodinal and D-76 that I thought it probably wasn't the look John was seeking ... But who knows! FG-7 wad another favourite of mine. Similar to D-76 in look, but with the option of using sulfite or not. Since it is one shot, storage is not a big issue.

 

[Fotch]

I mix up a fresh batch and then store in 16 250ML amber glass bottles, filled to the brim. No gas needed. Then use 1 bottle fresh each time, either stock or 1 to 1. Will last at least 6 months or more. For Xtol, I use 20 bottles.

I had to buy a case to get a good price and have many extra bottles if anyone needs any, let me know.

 

[venchka]

Last, but not least? Diafine.

Keeps forever. Reuseable forever.

Or a roll your own alternative: Barry Thornton's 2 Bath.

 

[nome_alice]

I love Ilford LC29 when i want finer grain or am pushing film. It's Rodinal for everything else. The two make a great pair, both are liquids with very good shelf life.

 

[nrb]

Now I use hc110, but I have also used fresh preparations of 20 g of d76 in 300 cc of water. You can see the result in my gallery.