HP5+ and Rodinal

[analoguser]

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I have ben experimenting with Rodinal and Ilford HP5 +. I rate the film at 400 as suggested on the box and stand develop with Rodinal 1-100 20 deg. C for one hr. My results have generally been very good. Especially on overcast days when excessive contrast is not a problem. Actually under these conditions I am occasionally astonished at how well these negatives print. However on bright sunny days when contrast is much greater I sometimes get highlights with out much detail (sometimes almost none) usually involving elements of the negative recording bright white subjects such as a white painted fence or wall or a light colored object in full bright sunlight.

 

When I shoot Ilford Delta 100 I find that under these same contrasty conditions I can reduce my development time (in Xtol) by 10% and retain good detail in the highlight situations as described above. My question is how does one do this with Rodinal using 1-100 stand development? Would similar time reduction have the same effect? Would the shadow areas be underdeveloped and rendered too dark? I ask this because I have read that most of the development with Rodinal using the stand technique takes place during the first 20 minutes and I don’t see how one could use reduced time in development to reduce overdevelopment in the highlights.

 

I would appreciate any feedback or comments about this problem. Or simply how do you other guys shoot HP5+ and get good results with Rodinal stand development?

[250swb]

It would help if perhaps you said why it was so important to use stand development?

 

If you used a normal 1+25 or 1+50 concentration and a normal development regime of agitation you could cut back the development time or compensate for plus or minus exposure.

 

I'm not saying stand development and Rodinal can't work, but there are so many variables that can be introduced (such as temperature drop or rise caused by ambient conditions during the hour, etc.), and then faults (such as streaking) that I use proper compensating developers when I do stand development. These work in a far more efficient way to Rodinal, and within a normal window of time.

 

Steve

Edited December 10, 2014 by 250swb

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[Doc Henry]

Look at post 2204 here

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/other/286747-i-like-film-open-thread-111.html

Best

Henry

[analoguser]

Thank you gentlemen for your comments. Perhaps Stand development is inappropriate for attempting to control highlights and more conventional dilutions (1-24, 1-50) are the answer. Still this process of setting things up and simply letting the chemistry work it’s magic is interesting. Developing film this way seems almost effortless which may prove the adage that one gets from things what you put into it.

[gsgary]

I sometimes stand develope HP5 in Rodinal, but i sometimes develope it in the fridge as i heard you can get better results with lower temperature

Here is a scan and a print from a fridge developed negative

 

Scan

 

Scan of print

[semi-ambivalent]

Thank you gentlemen for your comments. Perhaps Stand development is inappropriate for attempting to control highlights and more conventional dilutions (1-24, 1-50) are the answer. Still this process of setting things up and simply letting the chemistry work it’s magic is interesting. Developing film this way seems almost effortless which may prove the adage that one gets from things what you put into it.

 

au,

 

Screwing up can be pretty effortless too, but it's usually also the only way to move forward. I've never understood the venom seemingly reserved for stand development but, if you're in a mood to explore this further, take a look here:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/rodinal/discuss/72157608203774894/

 

and at this:

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

There can certainly be problems but there's lots of nice work everywhere by people who don't give a damn how something is supposed to be done. Thank goodness for that. Here's for kicks: Tri-X, EI 1000, Adonal 1:100, 68 degrees, 60 minutes, 30s. initial agitation and three gentle inversions at 30 minutes. Your mileage will almost certainly vary.

 

On California Street

 

Good luck, have fun and tell us how it goes,

s-a

Edited December 11, 2014 by semi-ambivalent
Accuracy

[spydrxx]

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I've been using Rodinal stand developing for Tri-x, but haven't tried HP5+ in it. I typically use solutions which are mixed from my fridge water (37 degrees Farenheit). Most of my reading on the subject of successful stand development suggests, as you indicated, that the 1st 20 minutes of development essentially use up most of the the developer on the highlights, with the remainder of the time and developer working gingerly on the shadows. To me, al least, it seems that you could try adjusting the quantity of developer/roll to accommodate different contrast situation or pushing/pulling. I'm using the term quantity, rather than concentration, to work under the theory that 3.5ml of Rodinal (straight) regardless of the concentration, is said to be used up to develop one roll in stand development without blowing highlights. I confess though, I haven't yet stepped into territory of further experimentation yet.

[Stealth3kpl]

Workflow Tutorial #2: Stand Development with Rodinal | J B Hildebrand Photography

[NB23]

Stand development is the WORST method one can possibly use. I have no idea why it got so popular but it is by all means absolutely pathetic.

 

There are so many misconceptions involving development. Like the one where, to get less grain one has to agitate less. This is just not true.

 

And what to say about the stand development magic all-ISOs-in-one?

 

I won't go further in this insanity. But tomsay this: if you want to savw time and get better results then stoopid stand, try Rodinal 1:10 or HC110:a for 3 minutes with vigorous agitations every 30 seconds. That's how it was done by press photographers (including HCB and the gang).

 

Stop this stand BS, please.

[NB23]

There can certainly be problems but there's lots of nice work everywhere by people who don't give a damn how something is supposed to be done. Thank goodness for that. Here's for kicks: Tri-X, EI 1000, Adonal 1:100, 68 degrees, 60 minutes, 30s. initial agitation and three gentle inversions at 30 minutes. Your mileage will almost certainly vary.

 

 

Good luck, have fun and tell us how it goes,

s-a

 

 

3 questions

 

1: Why three very gentle inversions? Why not three Vigorous ones?

 

2: Do you know after how many minutes exactly does Rodinal get exhausted? What if it actually exhausts after 12 minutes? Why are you making those three inversions at all, then? Why wait for 48 more minutes?

 

3: why develop for exactly 60 minutes? Why not 47 or 62 or 81:23 minutes? Is this totally and ludicrously arbitrary or have you made tests to reach an exact contrast index?

[semi-ambivalent]

3 questions

 

1: Why three very gentle inversions? Why not three Vigorous ones?

 

2: Do you know after how many minutes exactly does Rodinal get exhausted? What if it actually exhausts after 12 minutes? Why are you making those three inversions at all, then? Why wait for 48 more minutes?

 

3: why develop for exactly 60 minutes? Why not 47 or 62 or 81:23 minutes? Is this totally and ludicrously arbitrary or have you made tests to reach an exact contrast index?

 

I don't do exact; it's too limiting.

 

Thanks!

s-a

[250swb]

And what to say about the stand development magic all-ISOs-in-one?

 

 

I have to disagree on this point because with the correct compensating developer it is possible to develop different ISO films in one tank. I use Jay DeFehr's 'Obsidian Aqua' formula for a lot of my MF and LF film and it is indeed possible to use it as a stand or semi-stand developer and get the same density negative from both 100 ISO and 400 ISO in one tank.

 

But I agree with you entirely on the arbitrariness of Rodinal as a stand developer. I think it's seen as a free spirited and devil-may-care way to process film, but I would rather see the free spirit and anarchy impulse go into the images and not the development. You only need to read a few posts on RFF to understand the whole thing is more about the process than the images being processed.

 

And after all, you spend a day of your life photographing stuff, you've maybe driven many miles to get there and back, and then you allow pure luck to influence the film development. On top of which if you are working on any sort of project and not just random images you can't guarantee consistency, so your project still looks like a selection of random images.

 

Steve