Rant: My local shop ran out of D-76 and I had to pick between HC-110 and Rodinal for a roll of Tri-X

I was all set to develop this roll of Tri-X 400 I shot at a car show, but my usual spot was totally out of D-76. The guy behind the counter basically said my only choices on the shelf were Ilford's HC-110 or some old Agfa Rodinal he had in the back. I had never used either. I went with the HC-110 because the idea of that super long Rodinal development time, like 45 minutes with stand developing, just seemed like a pain. The HC-110 was fast, which was nice, but man, the grain is way more noticeable and the shadows just didn't have the same detail I'm used to. The whole roll came out looking a bit more harsh and contrasty than I wanted. Has anyone else had to make a quick developer swap like that? What's your go-to when your first choice is gone?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.mason3mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. I grabbed some random developer once when my usual was out and my negatives came out so thin you could barely see them lol. Total waste of a roll.

avery_roberts6724d ago

Oh man, I've been there too (well, sort of). Had this one time where I grabbed some off-brand developer because my usual shop was closed and I was impatient. The negatives turned out so muddy and flat you couldn't tell if I'd photographed a landscape or a gray wall. I felt like such a fool, especially since it was a whole roll of Tri-X I'd been saving for something special. The worst part was blaming myself for a solid week before I realized it was the chemical and not my technique. Learned my lesson though, never again with the unknown stuff unless I'm desperate (and even then I'd rather wait).

rivershah3mo ago

Actually thin negatives usually mean the developer was too weak or exhausted, not random. Tough break though @lopez.mason.