Rodinal went bad

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Ronald M

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Really bad, kaput. It worked last year. This year NADA. A very feint image and no edge markings at all. 99.9% clear film

So much for my test with T M100. Fortunately it was 8 images of two neighborhood homes and my patio furnature.

I just cant figure what happened. I decanted the plastic bottle to well sealed brown glass bottles and I have been testing it annually since 1998. I have no idea when it was purchased.

Guess 10/12 years is the limit.
 
And I thought the stuff could last forever.

I was actually quite shocked to read it had gone bad until the last line. A decade for an open bottle of developer seems like a pretty good run, to be honest.
 
Wasn`t black, just a little dark. Half full bottle with usual Rodinal crud on the bottom otherwise I would not have run the test.

Not complaining either. I was actually considering ordering more, but then I remembered how well last years sample went.

Maybe I will run a more controlled experiment and report again in 2026. Stay tuned.
 
Ronald, You not the only one with bad Rodinal. Mine went bad in eight months. Initially it looked like I missed exposure of about 1 stop, so I was blaming the light meter, bought brand new one but in no avail. I changed developer and discovered, that there is life after Rodinal. And pretty good one to.
I think, that the last batches of original Rodinal before Agfa went belly up, did not have the same quality.
 
I think, that the last batches of original Rodinal before Agfa went belly up, did not have the same quality.
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Same stuff, same factory in Germany, Vaihingen-Enz and even the same Silar HD-Polyethylene packing 125ml/500ml. So I think you have to watch out with non checked comments.

New will be a 330ml "softpack" which is light in transport, still strong in practical use and can be used till the last drop. Compard in Germany is filling up the "old type" Agfa chemicals. Rodinal new name is "R09 one shot" BTW.

Best regards,

Robert
 
Fotohuis said:
Same stuff, same factory in Germany, Vaihingen-Enz and even the same Silar HD-Polyethylene packing 125ml/500ml. So I think you have to watch out with non checked comments.
Click to expand...
It is my privet opinion based on my past expirience with Rodinal and companies on the brink of bankrupcy. I said "I think" not "I know".
By the way, do You know for sure, that Agfa sold to Compard their patent for Rodinal ? Or maybe Compard is brewing old Calbe recipe for developer always called R09 and always being "one shot" ? R09 was made by ORWO (in it's oryginal factory) and Foma - as R09. So nothing new and rather not a Rodinal, however in efects very similar. Some say : better.
 
Compard is not brewing chemicals. They are just filling up from barrels or cans and label and pack them.

R09 (Calbe) and Rodinal (R09 one shot) are very similar although the Calbe version gives a little bit more grain. In my Flickr photo stream there is a 1:1 comparision between them on Rollei retro 100 / APX 100 film. At that time Fomadon R09 (old type) was the Calbe R09 version.

The difference in packing is that the Rodinal R09 version is also packed under Nitrogen.
 
Fotohuis said:
Compard is not brewing chemicals. They are just filling up from barrels or cans and label and pack them.

R09 (Calbe) and Rodinal (R09 one shot) are very similar although the Calbe version gives a little bit more grain. In my Flickr photo stream there is a 1:1 comparision between them on Rollei retro 100 / APX 100 film. At that time Fomadon R09 (old type) was the Calbe R09 version.

The difference in packing is that the Rodinal R09 version is also packed under Nitrogen.
Click to expand...
So, who is delivering those drums of a Rodinal (R09 one shot)to Compard ? Adox has Adonal and claims that it is exact same developer version as the world renowned Agfaphoto Rodinal.

Beside the point. Point is, that bottle of true Rodinal with AGFA logo on it, failed after six months form opening in regular conditions of storage. My previous bottle lasted two years, was almost black and worked like new until the end. I have my conclusions.
 
So, who is delivering those drums of a Rodinal
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CCP&S the new owner of the chemical factory.

I even doubt Adox are filling their own chemicals. It's not so difficult to make an agreement for putting another type sticker on the same content of the bottle.

Even Amaloco chemicals under own label are possible to buy. However the factory closed in 2008 in Holland. Tetenal is doing a small production and putting an Amaloco label on it. If the manufacturer, distributor and the clients are happy with it, it can be sold in this way.
 
Sorry for my ignorance. What is CCP&S ? I know one, in Texas, making pools and spas. I think it's not the one.
BTW. Regarding Your gallery. Nicely done, many interesting photographs, I enjoyed it. One question; What You present are scans from film ? Or from final paper copy ?
 
What is CCP&S ?
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It's a pharmaceutical company from the U.K. who is the owner of the old Agfa chemical plant.

Normally I scan from film but there are also some examples from a wet photo print. I am working with the Split Grade unit from Heiland Electronics from Germany.

http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/BasicSplitGradePrinting.pdf

How it works in practice:
http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Split_Grade_Manual_V23_Englisch.pdf

Best regards,

Robert

Ps. The Split Grade unit is just upgraded to a new smaller case. A cold light unit (LED) is also available.
http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/LED_Coldlight.pdf
 
Thank You for the links, it looks very interesting as I am on the verge of buying good darkroom light meter. Now I will consider this unit to. Maybe Heiland Electronics has dealer in America. I will check this out.
Now for the "old Agfa plant" You mean former Agfa Leverkusen factory ? For my unerstanding "old Agfa" is in East Germany: Wolfen and (especially) Calbe
 
I am talking about the Agfa (Photo) chemical plant. Agfa (Photo) Leverkusen went completely in bankruptcy in 2006.

OrWo (former DDR) is between 1964 - 1990 (when they received from Agfa - Gevaert , W- Germany) a large sum of DM. to change their name. Most OrWo (ORginal WOlfen) factories went in bankruptcy after the fall of the iron curtain in 1989. Filmotec is with Calbe the only survivors of this old DDR Agfa.

Heiland Electronics GmbH: Yes, they have an USA distributor.
 
Fotohuis said:
OrWo (former DDR) is between 1964 - 1990 (when they received from Agfa - Gevaert , W- Germany) a large sum of DM. to change their name.
Click to expand...
And before 1964 ORWO was just Agfa. But settlement of 1964 was not only about the name, but about intellectual property, which went to Agfa Leverkusen, but the technology and equipment was still in DDR. They continued making Rodinal, just could not use the name. Agfa Leverkusen had to rework Rodinal formula from known (published) information. So the assumption is, that they got close, but never the same, however they got the Rodinal label. ORWO got R09. Basically the same stuff. What is interesting now, the word "Rodinal" is gone from all the labels. No one bought the rights to use it ?
I still have to get thru the pdfs from You. It looks, like this is a system for color heads, but there is a solution for guys without it, like me (Omega D2).
Regards.
 
Yes, Lupus bought the Agfa Photo name. And J&C did something with the registration of Rodinal.

But in general it's called R09 one shot now.

Split Grade: Yes for enlargers with diffusion box. But now also on all systems due to their cold light LED version.
 
Fotohuis said:
Split Grade: Yes for enlargers with diffusion box. But now also on all systems due to their cold light LED version.
Click to expand...
And what would You think about RH Design Analizer ? It has a desitometry capabilities which one of my friends says is very handy and exact.
BTW. Thank's for that discussion about Rodinal. It gave my better understanding what is hapening with the remnants of film division of R.I.P. Agfa. To bad it went under and I am affraid that Kodak might be next. I am not very big on using Rodinal, TMX however is my basic film.
Regards.
 
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Yes, RH is a very good B&W analyzer. So is the FEM-Kunze SWA-2000. But all these instruments you have to calibrate yourself. The Heiland is the only one you can immediately use without any calibration if the film paper type is in the (big) list.
Further the automatic Split Grade unit has some advantages (glowing of the bulb is out).
All people who have seen a demo of the Split Grade and who are interested in such a device are going to buy it. Further the upgrades in the software (download via your own PC) are free of charge.

Best regards,

Robert

BeNeLux distributor of Heiland.
 
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