[jford]

I read about six months ago that Rodinal is no longer being manufactured, so I don't think I'd select it as my developer. (Although when I did a lot of b/w about thirty years ago, I did use Rodinal almost exclusively - loved it.)

The liquid/powder convenience issue isn't as much of a factor as you might think, because typically you make up the powder into, e.g., a gallon of liquid, then use that. Depending on the developer, the concentrated solution can last several months. Some liquids are diluted to a working solution, which is discarded after each use. I believe D-76 concentrated liquid (i.e., as made from powder) lasts several months, and is used 1:3 for developing, discarding after use. Bit grainier than Rodinal, but decent. Not terribly fussy in use, widely available. Get yourself "squeezable" bottles, from which you can exclude air, for storage of the developer. Generally storing in the refrigerator will preserve chemicals longer, but (a) LABEL CAREFULLY and keep children from accidently drinking; and (b) some developers can't be cooled without some components coming out of solution, could spoil developer.

I suggest you get a copy of Minor White's "Zone System Manual" and follow his advice about standardizing your own combination of film, exposure, developer, development process to give the best results for you. Fair amount of effort, but well worth it, IMO. If you can't find a copy, let me know and I'll write up a brief explanation.

I used HC-110 for a while, but my recollection is that I had some trouble being as reproducible as I'd like - which I attributed to the difficulty I had in reproducibly diluting it since I was making up small volumes - like a cup for a single roll, or some such stupidity. Might have been my "use copy film in highly dilute developer" phase. (Gives incredibly small grain, high resolution - at a speed of about ASA 1 or so. Not real practical.)

You might want to check out the old Kodak Darkroom guide as well.

As for films, excepting that High-Contrast Copy craze, I pretty much used only the old Tri-X emulsion. Not much help. Sorry.

Take care.