I’m using a different developer: Kodak XTol. I’ve been using Rodinal for everything up to this point, and it has been doing well. I still like Rodinal and will continue to use it in the future. It’s a very nice and sharp developer. However, the problem with Rodinal is that it makes the grain nice and sharp as well, which may take away from the photograph depending on the situation. There’s ways to tone it down, but for a smoother picture, a different developer should be used.
That’s where Kodak XTol comes in. It’s a relatively new formulation, which improves upon Kodak’s D76 developer. After it’s mixed (it comes in a two-part powder) it’s pretty easy to use, as the development times are not too short for room-temperature tank developing. The grain should come out smoother, and the overall photo should retain its sharpness. However, XTol does decrease the overall contrast compared to Rodinal, which depending on the situation may or may not be a bad thing. Since I adjust my pictures anyway, you may not see much difference.
You can also “one-shot” XTol in a 1:1 dilution like Rodinal, but I’m not sure how economical that would be. Also the data sheet says that doing that will increase contrast but increase graininess. For now, I’m going to use the stock solution and re-use it until depleted.
I really do like how these first pictures came out. There will definitely be more of these coming up.
Development Details
- Film: Fomapan 200
- Camera ISO setting: 200
- Developer: Kodak XTol
- Development Time: 6 Minutes
- Development Agitation: Kodak Style (5x inversions every 30 seconds)