Ouch! My Rodinal went bad.

Robin Guymer · Aug 18, 2017

Every day is for learning and I've learnt the hard way with 2 thin / clear films from bad Adox Rodinal that is only 18 months old. I bought this stuff to alternate with Caffenol and all the hype led me to believe it lasted for years. Now with more research I find that it is crucial to clip test Rodinal before every development as it can turn on you suddenly and strip the film to clear. Maybe Caffenol doesn't get the kudos it deserves on APUG but it is always made fresh and whether good, bad or indifferent, if the measurements and temps/times are correct then an image is guaranteed. Shall give XTOL a go and tidy up my storage arrangements.

lantau · Aug 18, 2017

Mine is just as old without trouble. I hope you didn't refrigerate it!

Robin Guymer · Aug 18, 2017

lantau said:
Mine is just as old without trouble. I hope you didn't refrigerate it!

No it was in a cool dark room. Looking back at previous results I can see now that it was turning the corner in January this year. I thought it was something to do with my agitation. Lucky the films I lost were mainly test rolls in newly acquired cameras - but it still hurts!

AgX · Aug 18, 2017

lantau said:
Mine is just as old without trouble. I hope you didn't refrigerate it!

Here is Mirko's statement on this issue:
http://www.adox.de/Photo/keeping-properties-of-developers/

David Lyga · Aug 18, 2017

Did you dilute it weeks before using it? Rodinal does not keep if diluted, unlike other developers. - David Lyga

BAC1967 · Aug 18, 2017

I've been using the same bottle since January 2014 and it's still working. I just developed a roll with it a few days ago which worked fine. I did notice it has crystals sloshing around in the bottom and it has turned quite dark. I have kept it in a dark cupboard in my house since I got it. In the 3.5 years that I've had it I have only used about 2/3 of the bottle. I only use it for a few types of film, mostly I develop with Caffenol. I guess it's probably about to go bad, it may be time to order more.

R.Gould · Aug 18, 2017

I finished my last bottle of Adox Adonal, ,last week, I had been using it for around 31/2 years and the last film was as good as the first, Normally I use RO9/one shot, the Rollei/Maco version of rodinal, it is easier to get, and comes in a soft pack which allows air to be excluded easily, but used to come in a normal plastic bottle, it would, as did the adonal, go as black as night, but even after 2 0r 3 years would still be working as well as newly opened
Richard

Gerald C Koch · Aug 18, 2017

AgX said:
Here is Mirko's statement on this issue:
http://www.adox.de/Photo/keeping-properties-of-developers/

One particular bit of advice in the article struck me. That is what I have been saying for a long time "Do not buy more developer than you can use in a reasonable time."

removedacct1 · Aug 18, 2017

I'm still using a "vintage" bottle of the original Rodinal from 1983, and it works as well as ever. Why some people report theirs "going bad" when others do not is a mystery to me.

Pioneer · Aug 18, 2017

I have had recent experience with Beutler going stale on me so I am mixing less of it than in the past.

I have had pretty good luck with Rodinal and it has lasted over 4 years for me (which based on testimonials on this site is not very long.) I just started a new bottle recently purchased.

I use a lot of D-23 which is usually only mixed up from chemicals a liter at a time. I use that up in a week or two, sometimes much less.

Robin Guymer · Aug 18, 2017

David Lyga said:
Did you dilute it weeks before using it? Rodinal does not keep if diluted, unlike other developers. - David Lyga

Not diluted and it appeared to be getting lighter in colour with some gunk forming in the bottom and crystals under the cap. The same supplier now has Adox Adonal rather than Adox Rodinal in the same bottle and label except for name change. This developer caused me grief from first use with lots of sparkle in the negs particularly noticeable in photos of waterfalls. It only ever worked okay at 1:25 when first purchased. Any stand development of 1:50 or 1:100 had poor results. I think it was going bad when I bought it.

Here is a comparison result of the Rodinal and Caffenol. I cut a film in half and developed each separately. This photo of an F18 was cut in half so I scanned the two halves together. There is more detail in the Caffenol neg.
https://flic.kr/p/Th3UpX

grommi · Aug 18, 2017

paulbarden said:
Why some people report theirs "going bad" when others do not is a mystery to me.

It`s no mystery at all if you read the OP. All reports I know of dying "Rodinal" - including my very own experiance - refer to Adox Adonal, period. The real Rodinal and also the recent one obviously use raw chems of higher quality. Mirko from Adox also confirmed this on his own German fotoimpex board. Adonal died in my hands after about 2 years within one week, my 20 years old black Rodinal still works fine like my 3 years old homebrewed and still clear light red Parodinal.

And yes, I never had a single failure with my Caffenol-C-recipes in 7 years of usage. Single shot of course.

Gerald C Koch · Aug 18, 2017

It also depends on the bpttle and what plastic it is made from. It is better to transfer the contents to a glass bottle on purchase. Keeps much better.

AgX · Aug 18, 2017

Robin Guymer said:
The same supplier now has Adox Adonal rather than Adox Rodinal in the same bottle and label except for name change.

Which is strange, as Adox Rodinal is the more fresh bottling. (Adox some years ago acquired the trademark rights for Rodinal and thus changed the labelling from Adonal to Rodinal.)

Helios 1984 · Aug 19, 2017

paulbarden said:
I'm still using a "vintage" bottle of the original Rodinal from 1983, and it works as well as ever. Why some people report theirs "going bad" when others do not is a mystery to me.

I'm using a 25 years+ bottle of the original juice and it work as if it was brewed yesterday. *thumbs up

R.Gould · Aug 19, 2017

AgX said:
Which is strange, as Adox Rodinal is the more fresh bottling. (Adox some years ago acquired the trademark rights for Rodinal and thus changed the labelling from Adonal to Rodinal.)[/QUOTE
I understand that, except in rare cases, Adox Rodinal can't be sold under that name in Europe, but Adonal is sold as Rodinal in North America, but sold as Adoal in Europe, same formula different name. at the one supplier I know of that sells the Adox product in the UK it is Adonal, they once got a batch of Rodinal, but it is back to Adonal now, I get RO9/one shot, the Maco version, in what they call a soft pack, which is a soft squeezeable package that you can exclude air, the latest I got from my supplier 6 months ago is still the same color as when it was opened, and still working fine

AgX · Aug 19, 2017

Sorry, but you are misinformed over the current legal status.
That is why I deduce that all Adonal bottles are older fillings. And I assume the Rodinal bottle you were offered was still the even older Agfa bottling, then succeeded by the Adonal one. Then the Adox Rodinal would still have to arrive at that dealer...

tezzasmall · Aug 19, 2017

Helios 1984 said:
I'm using a 25 years+ bottle of the original juice and it work as if it was brewed yesterday. *thumbs up

Wow!!! I thought that I was a slow user of film. Even with my usage, a bottle of rodinal only lasts a year or two = nothing like your 25+ years!

Terry S

R.Gould · Aug 19, 2017

AgX said:
Sorry, but you are misinformed over the current legal status.
That is why I deduce that all Adonal bottles are older fillings. And I assume the Rodinal bottle you were offered was still the even older Agfa bottling, then succeeded by the Adonal one. Then the Adox Rodinal would still have to arrive at that dealer...

The rodinal bottle that I bought was Adox, from what appears to be the only Adox Adonal/rodinal supplier in the UK that I can find, they told me that the Rodinal was sent to them by mistake, and in future supplies would be back to Adonal for legal reasons, I normally get RO9/One shot, easier to get here, at least for me, and just as good, I have used RO9 from 4 or 5 year old bottles or older, there is always some left in the bottle that I keep for emergcys, such as if an order is held up by whether problems(Fog has been known to stop flying to my Island) and I have films to develop, I go the old bottle, and use it, last time it was black as tar with crystals at the bottom of the bottle and still worked fine, although these days it comes, at least from my supplier, in Soft paks, which makes it easy to squeze the air out, bottle been open for 6 weeks in soft pak and is still clear

Helios 1984 · Aug 19, 2017

tezzasmall said:
Wow!!! I thought that I was a slow user of film. Even with my usage, a bottle of rodinal only lasts a year or two = nothing like your 25+ years!

Terry S

I'm slow but not that slow I bought "New Old Stock" bottles which happened to be more old than new.

Ouch! My Rodinal went bad.

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