Arghhh - Rodinal gone bad!

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Roger Vadim

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Something what should never happened (if you believe the internet) actually happened: Rodinal died sudenly. (NO not Xtol;))

To be precise: not Rodinal but the - supposedly same formula: Adolux APH09. The bottle (1 liter from Fotoimpex) was about 4 1/2 years old and two thirds empty.

Just souped 5 films (APX 100) in it - 1:40 as recommended and they came out totally blank! Not even the rebate with the numbers is visible.

Total bummer! All my pics from a hilarious 3 day trip to Athens are lost. and I've now got 5 sad clear filmstrips hanging in the bathroom. :( That truly sucks!

So be aware: R09 goes bad, and when it dies it dies totally. I found this thread where the dutch distributer claims that the shelf life of R09 is just 1.5 years in bottles without any air in it!

http://photo.net/black-and-white-photo-film-processing-forum/00PM3a

This is the danger with Internet myths (Rodinal and R09 / APH09 are the same and they NEVER go bad...:bang:) WRONG !

Be careful, its a dangerous world out there...

apendix: just checked with the film leader - developed & fixed in daylight (should come out black) - completely blank...

grrrrmbl
Michael
 
I can tell by the 1:40 dilution that your R09 is the older formulation and not the current offering now sold as R09 which is in fact the later branding of Rodinal as made in Germany. German Rodinal has a 1:50 dilution and is a lot more durable. Just to confuse it is now sold as R09 "Made in Germany".
 
Roger Vadim said:
Something what should never happened (if you believe the internet) actually happened: Rodinal died sudenly. (NO not Xtol;))

To be precise: not Rodinal but the - supposedly same formula: Adolux APH09. The bottle (1 liter from Fotoimpex) was about 4 1/2 years old and two thirds empty.

Just souped 5 films (APX 100) in it - 1:40 as recommended and they came out totally blank! Not even the rebate with the numbers is visible.

Total bummer! All my pics from a hilarious 3 day trip to Athens are lost. and I've now got 5 sad clear filmstrips hanging in the bathroom. :( That truly sucks!

So be aware: R09 goes bad, and when it dies it dies totally. I found this thread where the dutch distributer claims that the shelf life of R09 is just 1.5 years in bottles without any air in it!

http://photo.net/black-and-white-photo-film-processing-forum/00PM3a

This is the danger with Internet myths (Rodinal and R09 / APH09 are the same and they NEVER go bad...:bang:) WRONG !

Be careful, its a dangerous world out there...

apendix: just checked with the film leader - developed & fixed in daylight (should come out black) - completely blank...

grrrrmbl
Michael
Click to expand...

You have to take into account that the new formulas of Rodinal don't have the legendary longevity/keeping of the old formula. So, I experienced developer failure with a bottle that had been 3/4 used and 1 year old. The cap was on tight but I think once you open the bottle, oxidisation will occur a lot faster.

You said that your bottle was 4 and 1/2 years old - there is no way in this world that I would put my important film into any chemical that is that old without testing a practice roll. I've also had a 1 year bottle of fixer go bad that had been half used and left in a hot room after only 1 year as well.

The way I see it, a lot of photographers (I'm not finger pointing here, just making a general statement) spend a lot of money on expensive gear, then skimp on fresh chemicals and film. It should be in reverse.

Perhaps the new formula of Rodinal is like a lot of modern electronic gadgets that have a short life span and are expected to be replaced or updated after only a couple of years. It could be an another indication that we are truely part of the modern world.
 
Jaaans, I do develop a lot of film, and normally not cheapskate on developer - for the occasional roll of APX in Rodinal I had this bottle & the wisdom I've heard from everywhere was that it lasts "forever". My bad.

After some reading I found out that the formula of all this "09" Rodinal clones resembles Rodinal, but they use different stabilizers or QC - so from now on just the original - oh wait, it doesn't exist anymore...
Any comments on which of the new stuff is the god stuff? Adonal?
 
Hmmm. I've got an entire liter of APH 09 that is probably six years old. I haven't used it in at least 4 years. I just got into an HC110 and Pyrocat HD habit and quit using the APH 09.

According to the Adox site, the shelf life of the Adolux APH 09 concentrate is "up to 50 years".


Thanks for the heads up. I'll test my APH 09 before I commit any important film to it.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.
 
Now I'm confused.....!

So, can Jaans and John please battle it out, which is which, John says the new one is more durable, Jaans say the new formula isn't as durable as the old one. :bang:

I have what I (now) think is Rodinal, the real rodinal, the rodinal that you can store and abuse and that "never" dies on you.
It says on the bottle :

R09 One shot 500 ml
B&W film developer

It indicates 1+25 and 1+50
"Made in germany"

This: http://shop.fotoimport.no/analoge-fotoprodukter/kjemi/filmfremkaller/rodinal-r09-500ml-agfa


The product link from my shop takes me here:
http://www.novadarkroom.com/product/244/Film_Developer.html

Now, in all this confusion; What is it and how long will it last me?
- I've developed this using 1+25 and 1+50 and the Rodinal times on MDC with great success. So, is it the real McCoy, or is it the lousy one that will suck when you need it the most ? :confused:
 
I just bought a bottle of Adonal and tried it for the first time yesterday and have finally managed to get HP5+ to give me the look I was searching for. After some frustration with HC110 and Xtol it amazes me that this formula constantly seems to give me what I want ... with almost any film.

Welcome back grain! :)

As for how long it may keep ... ???
 
The OP is using the terms "Rodinal", "R09", and "APH 09" as though they were all the same. They aren't, actually. I have read that R09 and APH 09 are the same, made by Calbe and based on the original Rodinal formula. But Agfa Rodinal has evolved from the original recipe and has a different formulation. It is similar to, but not the same as the ones that claim to be "original".
 
To clear any confusion, "Proper" Rodinal, the sort with the legendary keeping properties is now sold as R09 Made in Germany and has 1:25 and 1:50 dilution options. It is highly confusing since there is a heap of older Calbe and Adox R09 still in circulation with 1:20 and 1:40 dilution options. However all supplies are now harmonised despite labeling and "FRESH" stocks will ONLY say 1:25 and 1:50. It is entirely to do with the rights to the name Rodinal and the ownership of said name which no longer resides with the owner of the manufacturing plant. If there is any doubt what so ever in anyones mind, please do a clip test before commiting a valuable film. Use the leader and develop in a dish in daylight and fix. If it doesnt go black, don't use the developer.
 
Keith said:
I just bought a bottle of Adonal and tried it for the first time yesterday and have finally managed to get HP5+ to give me the look I was searching for. After some frustration with HC110 and Xtol it amazes me that this formula constantly seems to give me what I want ... with almost any film.

Welcome back grain! :)

As for how long it may keep ... ???
Click to expand...

Hi Keith.

If it says 1:25 and 1:50 and made in Germany, you are safe. The dodgy stuff says 1:20 and 1:40.
 
John Bragg said:
...
If it says 1:25 and 1:50 and made in Germany, you are safe. The dodgy stuff says 1:20 and 1:40.
Click to expand...
Usually, but not always.
Adox APH09 ist similar to the old Calbe formula, just with strenght (dilution/time) adapted to the dilution/times of Rodinal/Adonal (new formula). :)

But I don't know, if the formulation makes the difference.
I have never experienced a death of Rodinal...
I use a bottle of 25 years old Orwo R09 at the moment, works fine as far...
 
haempe said:
Usually, but not always.
Adox APH09 ist similar to the old Calbe formula, just with strenght (dilution/time) adapted to the dilution/times of Rodinal/Adonal (new formula). :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. (My current bottle of Rodinal is only 17 years old).
 
Roger Vadim said:
Jaaans, I do develop a lot of film, and normally not cheapskate on developer - for the occasional roll of APX in Rodinal I had this bottle & the wisdom I've heard from everywhere was that it lasts "forever". My bad.

After some reading I found out that the formula of all this "09" Rodinal clones resembles Rodinal, but they use different stabilizers or QC - so from now on just the original - oh wait, it doesn't exist anymore...
Any comments on which of the new stuff is the god stuff? Adonal?
Click to expand...

Roger: Like i said I wasn't pointing fingers, I was just making a general statement. Actually, I also had the same experience, but with a bottle that was only 1 and half years old. I broke my rule and used it without checking and lost 2 films that were extremely underdeveloped.

I think that it is fair to say now that we should probably treat this new recipe of Rodinal (whatever incarnation it takes) like other chemicals and just use when fresh.
 
znapper said:
Now I'm confused.....!

So, can Jaans and John please battle it out, which is which, John says the new one is more durable, Jaans say the new formula isn't as durable as the old one. :bang:

I have what I (now) think is Rodinal, the real rodinal, the rodinal that you can store and abuse and that "never" dies on you.
It says on the bottle :

R09 One shot 500 ml
B&W film developer

It indicates 1+25 and 1+50
"Made in germany"

This: http://shop.fotoimport.no/analoge-fotoprodukter/kjemi/filmfremkaller/rodinal-r09-500ml-agfa


The product link from my shop takes me here:
http://www.novadarkroom.com/product/244/Film_Developer.html

Now, in all this confusion; What is it and how long will it last me?
- I've developed this using 1+25 and 1+50 and the Rodinal times on MDC with great success. So, is it the real McCoy, or is it the lousy one that will suck when you need it the most ? :confused:
Click to expand...

The R09 One shot "Made in Germany" bottle that you have, is the one that failed on me after only a year and a half. The bottle was a third full if memory serves me correctly and the room was hot in summer which probably accelerated this degenerative process. However, I always kept the lid on tight, so it is safe to say that it wasn't my error (except leaving it in the hot room).

What I mean is that this one shot R09 you and I have uses the same times and dilution as the original ancient Rodinal recipe BUT in my opinion and experience it doesn't exhibit the legendary keeping properties of the ancient formula (I'm using the word ancient for want of a better word - there are just so many different formulas floating around!^)

I hope this makes sense. The funny thing is that there is so much conjecture on ther net about the variations in the different brands. I'm sure there is a PHD paper waiting to be written by someone who is scientifically minded to clear up all of this conjecture between the different brands.

At the end of the day, it is quite fun trying to make sense of it all and reminds me why I shoot film to begin with. You could never get this same fascinating plotline with a memory card:bang:
 
Sure you didn't develop with fixer and fix with developer?
I've done that and the film was stripped clear just like yours.
 
Jaans said:
The R09 One shot "Made in Germany" bottle that you have, is the one that failed on me after only a year and a half. The bottle was a third full if memory serves me correctly and the room was hot in summer which probably accelerated this degenerative process. However, I always kept the lid on tight, so it is safe to say that it wasn't my error (except leaving it in the hot room).

What I mean is that this one shot R09 you and I have uses the same times and dilution as the original ancient Rodinal recipe BUT in my opinion and experience it doesn't exhibit the legendary keeping properties of the ancient formula (I'm using the word ancient for want of a better word - there are just so many different formulas floating around!^)

I hope this makes sense. The funny thing is that there is so much conjecture on ther net about the variations in the different brands. I'm sure there is a PHD paper waiting to be written by someone who is scientifically minded to clear up all of this conjecture between the different brands.

At the end of the day, it is quite fun trying to make sense of it all and reminds me why I shoot film to begin with. You could never get this same fascinating plotline with a memory card:bang:
Click to expand...


Thank you for your reply.

I find this very strang though, because the product page on Nova Darkroom says about this bottle:

"R09 One Shot (Agfa Rodinal The 1891 formulation world famous Rodinal one shot Film Developer suitable for all film types - For maximum contour sharpness and maximum film speed. Contrast can be varied by dilution of the concentrate. Dilution 1:25, 1:50 1:75 or 1+100.
Long-life liquid concentrate.
Identical formula and manufacturing as Agfa Rodinal."


:confused::eek:
 
I'm going to test my APH 09 tonight and see if it is still active.

If anyone does ever write a book or research paper that straightens out all the confusion over the history, names, and formula variations of Rodinal, I'm sure it'll be on the darkroom enthusiast's best seller's list. That is doubtless a huge market. It should sell several copies. :)
 
Adolux APH09 comes from Calbe and is R09. They changed the concentration of the formulae so it's also 1+25 and 1+50 now. Very confusing to Adolux and Rodinal/R09 one shot which is original (Agfa) Rodinal 1+25 and 1+50 in the regular dilution.
APH09 and Calbe R09 has a limited life span. Adolux and R09 one shot unlimited.
But after 5 years the activity is going to be slightly less when I look for the same film/batch on my densitometer.

So you're warned about above failure of APH09/R09.

Robert

(indeed, Dutch distributor of Rodinal)
 
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