I souped some Kodak Ortholith in Rodinal ...

**Lee Christopher** · 16-Aug-2009, 04:44

... and the negs are FUNKIEEEE to say the least!

Looks almost like a reversed cream coloured pencil/chalkish drawing! Both negs look kinda super dense!

I exposed at ISO 12 for the 'correct' EV, and souped two water pre-soaked (2-3 mins) sheets in Roddie 1:150 starting at 18 deg for 18 mins with a finishing temp of 21.5 deg, then used the Ilford aroma-less stop and normal Ilford fixer. 5 slow inversions every minute. I used a Paterson system 4 tank and just put the film sheets curled emulsion side inwards. The negs look very evenly developed.

I'm wondering what went wrong ... should I try a 1:200 Roddie dilution and keep everything the same, or shoot st say ISO 18 or 25 and develop with Roddie at 1:200?

I'll try and scan the negs later and see what results I get.

**EdWorkman** · 16-Aug-2009, 08:19

Have you seen Mr. Galli's web examples of Arista sheet lith?

**Lee Christopher** · 16-Aug-2009, 08:42

Hi Ed, yes, I've seen that page, as well as read about using restrainers to tame the contrast more.

I'm not sure if it's a contrast issue per se I'm facing, but perhaps one of development itself.

I really have no idea what's going on at the moment, but it looks like a lot more experimentation with ISO ratings and development formulas are in order.

Either that or the film is gone (which I think unlikely since I've often read that ortho films keep almost forever, and this box was said to have been refrigerated).

I wonder if anyone has used Perceptol and at what ISO ratings/dilution times for ortho film?

Rodinal is exceedingly rare in my country.

**Nathan Potter** · 16-Aug-2009, 10:23

Lee, what are you trying to achieve? Are you after a continuous tone image with say a density range of about 1.5? If I look at some of my old data on Kodalith Ortho for continuous tone work I find I used Dektol or Selectol at 1:2 or 3 as the developer. It appears I used ASA 6 or 8 for the speed. Kodalith is very dense stuff - even in old age I suspect.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

**Lee Christopher** · 16-Aug-2009, 12:18

Thanks Nathan.

Yes, I was trying to achieve a continuous tone. My bad, I did not mention my objective in the first post.

I'll try your Dektol or Selectol suggestion. I think the shops may still have some of it, and i remember coming across it being mentioned in my searches about developing Ortholith.

Thank you.