Old Rodinal

[Newt_on_Swings]

Does anyone know which component in rodinal that causes to it to get darker over time? Ive got a bottle that hasn't separated but it does look much darker than the off the shelf sealed bottles.

 

[nworth]

The old Agfa Rodinal, which came in small, sealed, one-use bottles, seemed to last forever. There are tales of 20 year old samples still being good. The same can not be said for the current clones, especially those mixed from dry chemicals when stored in larger containers. They can fail in a year or so. A common failure mode is for the developer simply to go flat - no longer work. Color is not an indication. Good Rodinal can be quite dark, and bad Rodinal can be only slightly colored.

 

[AgX]

haha, yea I felt like that until I learned that Adox had bought the patent a few years ago... so I assume there were some patent things going around.

What are you talking about??

Rodinal had been patented more than 120 years ago!

 

[dorff]

The old Agfa Rodinal, which came in small, sealed, one-use bottles, seemed to last forever. There are tales of 20 year old samples still being good. The same can not be said for the current clones, especially those mixed from dry chemicals when stored in larger containers. They can fail in a year or so. A common failure mode is for the developer simply to go flat - no longer work. Color is not an indication. Good Rodinal can be quite dark, and bad Rodinal can be only slightly colored.

As I mentioned further up, the reason has to do with using incorrect quantities and incorrect chemicals. If made correctly, home-made Rodinal or Parodinal will last much longer than one year.

 

[AgX]

Agfa Rodinal was only made in one facoty in Vaihingen, it still is, sold as Adonal.

I thought so too, but today Mirko from Adox stated that Rodinal production at the Vaihingen plant ended and that they are having it produced elsewhere:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[miha]

And you are from Germany... Yes, I have also read his remark... well there are still many mysteries that have not been solved.

 

[StoneNYC]

I thought so too, but today Mirko from Adox stated that Rodinal production at the Vaihingen plant ended and that they are having it produced elsewhere:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Just because that factory isn't making it doesn't mean it's not being made still the original proper way.

About your patent comment, I don't know when the NEW Rodinal patent was created, I think you're probably thinking about "old" Rodinal when you are thinking of when it was patented 120 years ago.

Regardless somehow Adox are able to claim that the others who make R09 are not making the exact same formula, and he couldn't say that if it weren't true on an online forum because the company would be sued if he were not telling the truth. So somehow either by patent or by keeping the exact formula so secret that no one can make it exact, I'm not sure, but obviously ADOX Adonal is the real Rodinal and it's good to know you're getting the real stuff!

Again I can only speculate that when the Vaihingen plant stopped making the formula, the other companies couldn't get the official formula made anymore so they made something similar. ADOX somehow was able to produce the exact formula somewhere and is still selling the original formula.


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[StoneNYC]

When you say "exact formula", how do you know which exact formula? Agfa played around with the formula.

They played around with the formula by testing it on their customers? That seems odd.

I thought there were only two formulas the "old" Rodinal and current Rodinal ... Care to elaborate on that?

Also, when is Adox going to come out with Rodinal HD? Haha, same tonality and shelf life and sharpness, but finer grain...?




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[AgX]

Studional is still made by Agfa. They call it now TonalDev.

 

[StoneNYC]

Can you post a link to this news, please?

I think it starts at or around post #41

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)


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[Terry Christian]

Rodinal gives honest grain. If you want fine grain, use a finer-grained film and/or a solvent developer. End of story. *drops the mic*

 

[PhotoJim]

Rodinal gives honest grain. If you want fine grain, use a finer-grained film and/or a solvent developer. End of story. *drops the mic*

Honest grain, and honest sharpness. Make the grain softer, you make the sharpness softer too.