Rodinal Dilution for 4x5 film

[cinetango]

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow I have some time to develop my first shots with a LF camera. In the smaller format world I have used HC-100 as my developer. Now I want to try Rodinal...
from what I have read, the dilution is 1+50. Is this correct for 4x5 paper film? What recipes do you guys use with Rodinal? I shot T-Max 400 and HP5.

Thanks in advance for all the advice...

Raul

[Leigh]

Hi Raul,

I've used Rodinal for many decades with slow films (100ASA). I absolutely love it.

I suggest you start with the 1+50 dilution, then move up or down if needed.
Dilutions over the range of 1+25 to 1+100 are commonly used.

It may not be the best choice for higher-speed (400) film since it's not specifically "fine grain".
Obviously you must decide for yourself whether or not the results are optimal.
I have no recommendations for fast films since I don't shoot them.

- Leigh

[faberryman]

Paper film?

[cinetango]

Paper film?

t-max 4x5 paper film
HP5 4x5 paper film

[cinetango]

Hi Raul,

I've used Rodinal for many decades with slow films (100ASA). I absolutely love it.

I suggest you start with the 1+50 dilution, then move up or down if needed.
Dilutions over the range of 1+25 to 1+100 are commonly used.

It may not be the best choice for higher-speed (400) film since it's not specifically "fine grain".
Obviously you must decide for yourself whether or not the results are optimal.
I have no recommendations for fast films since I don't shoot them.

- Leigh

Thank you Leigh
Good point in regards to the ISO...
I will provably try both HC-110 and Rodinal to be able to compare them both...

[Leigh]

A word about the concentrate and dilution...

A 500 ml bottle of concentrate is rated to develop 50 "sheets" of film.

That works out to 10 ml per sheet*.

You must always use at least that amount of concentrate per sheet regardless of the dilution.

- Leigh

*Note: A "sheet" of film is any combination that can be proofed on a single 8x10 sheet of paper, so
one 8x10 film or four 4x5 films or one 120 roll or one 35mm-36exposure roll.

[koraks]

I've developed 4 to 6 sheets of tmax100 in 1 liter of 1+100 rodinal several times. This is surely pushing the limits a bit in terms of developer volume per sheet. I would hesitate developing any 400 speed film in rodinal; not just because of the grain (which is usually not so much of a problem with sheet film), but because most films are up to a stop slower in rodinal.

[Leigh]

but because most films are up to a stop slower in rodinal.

I've never found that to be true in several decades of using it.

I only shoot slow films, so perhaps faster films lose speed.

Or perhaps their box speed is "optimistic" in the first place, since I've heard similar comments with fast films in other developers.


- Leigh

[Doremus Scudder]

t-max 4x5 paper film
HP5 4x5 paper film

Sheet film (as opposed to roll film).

Paper is photographic printing paper to make prints with. I suspect that there is a translation problem going on here.

Doremus

[koraks]

I've never found that to be true in several decades of using it.

I can't speak for all films, but e.g. Fomapan 100 is about 50 in rodinal, but around 80 in e.g. pyrocat. With TMX I found the difference less obvious. It depends on the film and more importantly on your requirements in terms of shadow detail. Perhaps my statement was a bit too bold, but especially for films like HP5+, rodinal wouldn't be my first choice if I wanted to shoot at box speed and still get decent shadow detail.