How should I develop Kodak Tri-X 400 at box speed in Rodinal?

Asked 10/12/2019

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I have Kodak Tri-X 400 exposed at ISO 400 and only Rodinal available. What Rodinal dilution is a good starting point for normal development: 1+25, 1+50, or 1+100? Should I use stand development, or follow standard times such as those in the Massive Dev Chart?

developing kodak-tri-x black-and-white film rodinal

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

2 Answers

There's no useful definition of 'best'. For a long time I used 1+25, now I used 1+50, both using pretty much the massive dev chart's times (and I always use it at 400). 1+25 is possibly a little grainier, but both look fine enlarged to 12x16, assuming what you want is something that looks like a print from 35mm Tri-X.

Originally by user82065. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user82065

6y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For Tri-X 400 shot at box speed, a practical starting point in Rodinal is standard development rather than stand development. Based on the community input, both 1+25 and 1+50 can work well, using normal times from the Massive Dev Chart.

A useful rule of thumb:

1+25: slightly stronger developer action and possibly a bit more visible grain
1+50: also works well and is often preferred as a balanced starting point

If you’re looking for a normal Tri-X look, 1+50 with standard published times is a safe choice. 1+100 is more commonly associated with stand or semi-stand approaches, which are not necessary if you just want straightforward box-speed development.

So: follow standard development times rather than stand development, and choose 1+50 unless you specifically want to experiment with a stronger 1+25 dilution.

How should I develop Kodak Tri-X 400 at box speed in Rodinal?

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