Wither Rodinal?

[GeneW]

I first used Rodinal over forty years ago and was hooked instantly and I've kept a bottle on my shelf ever since. I experiment with other developers but keep coming back to Rodinal as one of my mainstays.

Now I'm worried. With Agfa apparently going belly up, where will we get Rodinal? I read somewhere once that there's another Rodinal-type formula on the market, but I've lost the info. I'm not interested in mixing my own from raw chemicals.

Makes me wonder if I should wean myself off Rodinal completely and take up something like XTOL -- something that will, hopefully, be around a while longer. One of the reasons I'm experimenting with HC-110 is that I prefer liquid concentrates over mixed developers for convenience.

What are other Rodinal users doing?

Gene

 

[Mackinaw]

Apparently R 09, made by Calbe Chemical in Germany, is the same as Rodinal. Do a query on APUG (Analog Photo Users Group) for more info.

Jim Bielecki

 

[thpook]

When I've used up all of my supply of Rodinal, I'm going to switch completely over to Tetenal Ultrafin. It gives really nice results, and development time is low. (HP5+ and Neopan 400 are in the soup for 4.5 minutes, tri-x 5 minutes.)

 

[Roman]

Yes, Calbe makes 'original' Rodinal (R09), as well as Foma (called F09).

Roman

 

[ray_g]

Got myself a few big bottles from Adorama. They should keep well, and thier price is lower than the "other-branded" rodinal formulations, as far as I can see on the web. Should last me a few years.

 

[GeneW]

That sounds like a good idea, Ray. I'll shop around and see if anything is left on the shelves.

Gene

 

[ray_g]

I figured for $7.50 each, I'd just pay the $15 and not worry about it anymore.😉

 

[doubs43]

When my present bottle of Rodinal - purchased from Freestyle - is used up, I'll begin on my HUGE bottle of R-09 (original formula Rodinal) that I bought from JandC Photo.

IMO, Agfa will survive and so will Rodinal.

Walker

 

[Trius]

I'm thinking Rodinal will survive, but then that's just a hunch. FWIW, I recently processed a roll of Pan F Plus in Ilford DD-X on the recommendation of one of the OM list members who knows his stuff. I don't have a contact sheet, much less an enlargements (no real darkroom right now,) and have only glanced at the negs under a loupe. I'll inspect the negs again tonight and try to evaluate tonal range, grain, acutance, etc. Some of the shots were bracketed to test for speed.

I have some other B&W rolls waiting for processing, including one roll of APX 100 and I may do that one in Rodinal.

Trius

 

[GeneW]

Trius, I hope you're right -- I'd like to see Rodinal survive (Agfa too, for that matter). Rodinal is my favourite 'pull' developer -- HP5+ shot at 200 for instance. I'm getting promising results with HC-110 1:100 as a push / partial-stand developer. One developer I've never tried is XTOL.

Gene

 

[MrBuhl]

As a Rodinal/XTOL user, I can tell you that XTOL is actually very easy to use and mix - the big drawback is the larger storage amount necessary at this point. The working solution is 5 liters, and with fast development times I have begun diluting 1:2 - which means 10 liters at a time... a bit much for me - guess I have to start shooting more!

XTOL does give nice results though, fine grain, good density and sharpness, especially at the longer development times.

 

[GeneW]

XTOL does give nice results though, fine grain, good density and sharpness, especially at the longer development times.

Once XTOL is mixed, I'm assuming its shelf life is similar to D-76 -- about six months in tightly stoppered bottles? I like D-76 but find the six-month expiry awkward, which is why I tend to use long-lasting concentrates. For years I used Edwal FG-7 and got consistently good negatives with it. It too had good keeping properties. I saw some in a camera store recently but I'm not sure who makes it now.

Gene

 

[MrBuhl]

I started on Rodinal for exactly the same reasons - easy to mix, long storage times and long shelf life of the concentrate. I have not used D-76 or the Edwal - I wanted to get the feel of a couple before I started trying other stuff and just haven't. I like the XTOL a lot though, and use it more and more - it's a little better for the environment and definitely a finer grain structure.

I have read SOME places that XTOL has a sudden death point - at around 6 months where it works one day and not the next, and I have read OTHER places that this is a myth.... I have also read that a shot of canned air into the top before you close the lid helps with the oxidation process as canned air is not "air" persay but an inert gas - I don't do that though.

I can tell you that to be safe, I try to shoot enough that I burn through it by then - but I shoot 4x5 as well and develop by hand in daylight tanks which helps to eat a lot of developer, I also only use my developer once which eats it up fast too.

Ed

 

[titrisol]

I have not used Xtol but have read that the method we used long time ago for d76 still works.

Mix the full gallon, then break into 250ml or so bottles filled to the brim.
D76 lasted 8-12 months like that.

 

[dcsang]

Does anyone know just how long the shelf life is on Rodinal? 🙂
I've got a small bottle from last year spring sometime and I figure it's still good according to legend 😉

Dave

 

[GeneW]

Does anyone know just how long the shelf life is on Rodinal? 🙂

I think after 30 years it may lose a little potency, resulting in a 1/2-stop loss of speed 😀

Gene

 

[titrisol]

The truth is that I don;t know.
When we moved last winter I found 1/4 a bottle of Rodinal that was forgotten in a shlef, probably 3 or 4 years old.... It worked as good as fresh stock

PS If you see some undissolved stuff at the bottom of your rodinal it is normal!

Does anyone know just how long the shelf life is on Rodinal? 🙂
I've got a small bottle from last year spring sometime and I figure it's still good according to legend 😉

Dave

 

[GeneW]

I stopped by Downtown Camera on Queen St E in Toronto today and there was plenty of Rodinal on the shelf. I bought another large bottle, along with a replacement bottle of HC-110 syrup. I was glad to see Rodinal is still in stock, at least for now.

Gene