First Rodinal

[kenneth_amorino]

I just developed my first roll of HP5 @ iso 800 in Rodinal. I have to say that

the results are spotty at best. The film is under developed and slightly

streaky. I developed the film for 16 minutes, from the "massive developing

chart", and agitated the tank for ten seconds every minute. I was wondering if

the problems could be one of two things. Did I not mix the Rodinal (1+50) well

enough? Did I over agitate the tank? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[frank.schifano]

More likely not enough agitation. In any case, HP5+ and Rodinal are not very nice playmates. I've done a few rolls of HP5+ in Rodinal and never got happy with the results. The grain looked terrible and the resulting negatives had weak shadows and dense highlights. As pedestrian as they are, D-76 or ID-11 are about the best developers around for this film.

[thirteenthumbs]

The published developing times are general starting points. Actual developing time will depend on the camera-lens-shutter-light meter-metering method combination in use. Processing techniques will also affect the final result. The two problems you note are directly related. Insufficent agitation will result in underdevelopement; contineous agitation will give over developement at the same developement time. Streaks are an indication of insufficent agitation. Did you agitate one every minute? Once every 30 seconds? What type of tank and agitation pattern did you use?

[kenneth_amorino]

I was using a "regular" Patterson single rolls tank for 120 film. I was agitating for fifteen seconds out of every minute. Any suggestions for agitation improvement?

[rustys pics]

I would agree with a previous poster that Although I like both Rodinal and HP5+, they are not compatible. Rodinal is best used for ISO 100 or slower films like FP4+ and Delta 100. About the only 400 speed film which looks good in Rodinal is Kodak Tri-X. And even that is an acquired taste.

[frank.schifano]

Ten seconds each minute is sufficient. The key is to make the agitation sufficiently agressive enough to thoroughly mix up the contents of the tank in that period of time. You really can't overdo this part. It's the rest time between agitation cycles that determines how quickly or slowly development proceeds.

[stan_belyaev]

Avoid Delta 400 or HP5+ in Rodinal. Use DDX instead.

Rodinal is very good with slow films.

[tripanfal]

As stated, agitation sounds good but a better developer would be Diafine or D76. I have used both with this film with good results. I would not personally use rodinal for any kind of a push.

[Mike Gammill]

I've had good results using Microphen with HP5+.

[gnashings]

Preferences or optimal results aside (I know that only a grain-o-phile would recommend this combo, and even then probably suggest a different film!), there is no actual reason why HP5+ should not be developed in Rodinal 1+50, and developed properly. What I mean to say is that while the results may not be aesthetically pleasing, Rodinal will develop HP5+, at that or any other dilution, and do so "properly". I would suggest that there may be in order of likely hood:

1)issues with agitation

2)issues with temperature

3)contamination of tank or chemistry or both

 

and maybe (highly unlikely) a problem with that particular roll of film.

 

Unless going for that specific look, I would not recommend Rodinal for any 400 speed film, especially not a traditional emulsion and never when pushing. And I love Rodinal, and grain for that matter - but that like Mr Rosener astutely pointed out, the only film of that speed that looks good in Rodinal is TriX, and it is very true that its an acquired taste.

 

I did a couple of rolls of HP5+ @400 in Acufine, I just can't recall the time I used (actually provided by a helpful p.net member - it was spot on, thank you!) and got very pleasing results, about the smoothest look I got out of that film with any developer.

[chris_waller]

Rodinal is not recommended with HP5 at 1:50 dilution. I usually downrate HP5 to 160 ASA and dev in Rodinal at 1:50, 20 C, for 9 minutes.<div></div>

[thirteenthumbs]

Kenneth,<br>In your initial post you say you agitate for 10 seconds every minute then in your reposence you say 15 seconds every minute but still did not state the technique.<br>The way I was taught and I still use when doing 35mm/120 processing is: Every 30 seconds-pick up the tank, turn the tank up side down then back to top side up (1 inversion) 3 to 5 times (5 to 7 seconds), tap the tank to disloge any air bubbles, sit tank down and let rest until the next 30 second interval starts. Recheck chemical level ocassionally and keep the tank full.<br>I have been shooting HP5+ in 4x5 format and processing it in Xtol 1:1 with continuous agitation in a JOBO tank system on a roller base. <br> If you stick with the Rodinal try a 10% to 15% increase in time, modify your agitation technique to alleviate the streaks (uneven developement), but make only one change at a time so that you can see what effect each change does to the finished negetives.<br>Charles

[dweezil]

I've never developed HP5+ @ 800 in rodinal.

 

I have done some @ 400 in rodinal and a lot of APX100 in rodinal. I've tried different dilutions but for me 1+25 seems to be working and the times I've tried 1+50 it didn't seem to add any thing significantly compared to 1+25

As always YMMV

[christer_almqvist2]

I have done a lot of HP5 in Rodinal 1+25 because I like it very much. I would not use it for

portraits though, unless in special cases. Tastes vary.

 

Agfa disencouraged higher dilutions for HP5.

 

I'll try to downlad a sample picture

[christer_almqvist2]

That did not work. I'll try again<div></div>

[jeff_drew4]

Make sure you have the tank full of solution as well.

Agfa's version of Rodinal intended design was to work best with medium & slow speed films. Tri-X & HP5 can be done in it, but the resulting grain etc should not be a surprise and you pushed 1 stop as an added challenge. I am not saying you can't or shouldn't use Rodinal, but it is not an optimal developer choice for high-speed & pushed films, IMHO. There are other Rodinal recipes, BTW, as it is one of the oldest ones still on the market and relatively popular.

[peter_schauss1]

I have tried HP5+ in Rodinal 1+50 and got decent results although I like the film better in HC110 dilution H. For agitation, I get the best results by with three inversions at time 0 and then three inversions every other minute. I find that this technique works very well with Plus-X and FP4+.

[machts gut]

HP5+ in Rodinal is IMHO a good combination. You get grain of course, but it's a beautiful, not mushy grain. You might reduce the temperature to not more than 19 degrees Celcius to get finer grain.

 

This is an example of a friend of mine, Ulrich Drolshagen, posted in a german forum some time ago:

 

HP5+ EI 800 mit Rodinal 1+50, 19?C, 17', Ilford-Kipp, 35mm Olympus OM

 

http://www.ulrich-drolshagen.de/grafik/nmz/vase_hp.jpg

[chris_waller]

I should have made clear that Agfa did not recommend HP5 in rodinal at 1:50 AT 400ASA. Hence my decision to downrate to 160 ASA, which also reduces contrast.