Rodinol/rotary processing

[Joseph Dickerson]

Hi All,

After years using other developers, I'm returning to Rodinol. Or at least retesting it to see how I like it with Acros.

I used it with T-Max in the past and thought it was a good match. Got away from it when the supply got "iffy" but it seems like it's available reliably now from several sources. So time to revisit an old friend.

Here then is my question: Are those of you who are using Rodinol in a JOBO drum (sheet film) loading six sheets per 2509 reel or only four as is often recommended with other developers? Any increase in solution or reduction in time?

Incidentally, the negs will be scanned probably not printed in a wet lab.

Not looking for definitive numbers just trying to get a good starting point.

Thanks...

JD

[Lynn Jones]

Hi All,

After years using other developers, I'm returning to Rodinol. Or at least retesting it to see how I like it with Acros.

I used it with T-Max in the past and thought it was a good match. Got away from it when the supply got "iffy" but it seems like it's available reliably now from several sources. So time to revisit an old friend.

Here then is my question: Are those of you who are using Rodinol in a JOBO drum (sheet film) loading six sheets per 2509 reel or only four as is often recommended with other developers? Any increase in solution or reduction in time?

Incidentally, the negs will be scanned probably not printed in a wet lab.

Not looking for definitive numbers just trying to get a good starting point.

Thanks...

JD

[Lynn Jones]

Hi JD,
It will work well with thin emulstion-high resolution films. Rodinal and similar developers are truly course grain developers but the fine result is because of the film itself which is fine grained and extremely sharp. Develop Rodinal with high speed films to normal contrast and the results are horrendous. Drum processing and continuous tray development will need about 20% less develpment times. Back in the 1960's I used Rodinal 150:1 for one hour at 70F and got sharp if grainy results in older TriX, but when I enlarged it above 8x10 the grain started to get overpowering. When I used D76 or Microdol at 200ASA I got barely visible grain up to 16X enlargement.

Lynn