Rodinal Availability

[Ian Grant]

Depends on what you mean by "Tame" Rodinal is known for very sharp images, but with very sharp clear distinct grain. I have never used it with any of the Delta films, but on most films it shows the grain more clearly.

With Agfa APX 100 and Tmax 100 Rodinal gives a better alround performance than D76 finer & tighter grain, great tonal range and better sharpness, dilutte or replenished Xtol is quite similar in performance.

Ian

 

[Роберт]

APX 100 / Rollei Retro 100 and Fomapan 100 are perfect matches in Rodinal (1+50, regular dilution). Also Efke 25-50 are good combinations although Beutler or FX-1 or Tetenal Neofin Blue are just superieur for Efke. These films like a very high acutance type developer.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

I have a bottle of Agfa Rodinal which may be 4 years old. When I reorder a replacement, what is the equivalent?

 

[Ian Grant]

I have a bottle of Agfa Rodinal which may be 4 years old. When I reorder a replacement, what is the equivalent?

Adonal.

Ian

 

[Rolleijoe]

Ian,

John at J&C seems to have disappeared from photography all together as far as I know. Perhaps a case for Paul Temple...

Tom

As Tom states, I recall J&C went beyond under when faced with lawsuits etc. This was years ago, and I sincerely doubt J&C "own" the name Rodinal. They were too small an operation to be able to afford it IF it were even up for sale.

John's business went under due to bad business practices and the like. I'm sure there's something around somewhere about the actual name Rodinal?.

 

[Rolleijoe]

There is no perfect developer and there is nothing magical about Rodinal. If you have been satisfied with the developers you have been using then why change. If you change developer then remember there is a learning curve which must again be mastered.

I wouldn't say that too loudly around here. Rodinal is the world's oldest film developer, and is indeed "magical". I'm fairly sure, everyone here has at least 1 bottle of it in their kit (I have 2, plus 2 Studional).

Sounds as though you've tried it, and didn't like it. That's fine, that's on you. But personally I wouldn't deter anyone from experiencing the magic that comes from printing (or scanning) a negative souped in Rodinal.

 

[Роберт]

I have a bottle of Agfa Rodinal which may be 4 years old. When I reorder a replacement, what is the equivalent?

4 y.o. could be Agfa Photo Rodinal or A&O Rodinal.

Replacement 1:1 can be:

R09 one shot/Rodinal CCP&S/Compard
Fomadon R09 NEW (Foma)
Adonal (Adox)

In fact all from the same manufacturer: CCP&S in Vaihingen - Enz, Germany. The old Agfa chemical plant.

 

[Роберт]

And the packings can be:
125ml or 500ml Silar (HD Polyethylene), old type Agfa packing.
250ml Polyethylene
330ml Softpack

 

[Roger Cole]

I tried it and didn't care for it though I'm willing and planning to give it another chance. But I don't believe any developer is magical either. Hoist the BS flag on that one. There is no magical developer.

 

[Ian Grant]

As Tom states, I recall J&C went beyond under when faced with lawsuits etc. This was years ago, and I sincerely doubt J&C "own" the name Rodinal. They were too small an operation to be able to afford it IF it were even up for sale.

John's business went under due to bad business practices and the like. I'm sure there's something around somewhere about the actual name Rodinal?.

Hate to tell you different but it's easy to find where John Mikakais of J&C registered the Rodinal Trade mark in the US it was over 5 years ago in the February and believe me it HAPPENED

Get your facts right before assuming it was up for sale it wasn't, Agfa just failed to keep up the registration. Yes he ran a very dubious business but his poisonous legacy is Agfa themselves had no interest in taking back their Rodinal trade name/mark so no-one else can use it either.

Remember that Orwo had been paid to drop Agfa trade names, and Calbe was the former Orwo chemical division, so both Agfa and Calbe would have been against J&C passing off Calbe RO9 as Rodinal.

Ian

 

[piu58]

... sold as Calbe RO9, APH09.

The problem is that the two versions don't behave quite the same. many German and Continental EU photographers prefer the older version which is why people like Mirko ant Fotoimpex sell and distribute both.

Ian

I tried them side by side. Same film (APX 100), same light, same object. The density was slightly different but nothing else.

Please keep in mind: Rodinal and sisters don't like overdevlopment and high developing temperture - this lead to grainy results.