Rodinal versions

redbandit · Dec 19, 2022

what one actually is worth the cost?

Rollei Compard
Bellini whom say use the "original" recipe or Agfa with the "2004" recipe per freestyle product pages?

halfaman · Dec 19, 2022

I have used Compard and Adox Rodinal. The first supposed to be a clone and Adox the "true" Agfa Rodinal.

From keeping point of view both behaved extremely well, a couple of years with the bottles opened and they worked just fine. It is supposed that Adox Rodinal should give less grain but for me both were equally good as I used it mainly for 4x5" (there is no grain in LF).

albireo · Dec 19, 2022

redbandit said:
what one actually is worth the cost?

Rollei Compard
Bellini whom say use the "original" recipe or Agfa with the "2004" recipe per freestyle product pages?

I have been using the Foma one (Fomadon R09) and the Adox one (Adox Rodinal).

Both great products, though in my experience whereas the Fomadon R09 will last for 1 year or so at most (opened original bottled, no gas, no marbles) the Adox one will last for much longer. My current bottle, opened years ago, still performs as new. No gas, no marbles, original bottle, etc.

koraks · Dec 19, 2022

redbandit said:
what one actually is worth the cost?

Subjective question. Some will argue all of them because the cost per film is so low compared to the cost of the film itself, even if performance would be bad in many ways, it would still be a good deal. Others will argue for a very similar reason that rodinal by definition cannot be worth the cost, because they feel the film they invested in (financially and otherwise) should not be compromised by inferior results in the light of superior alternatives. All these aspects are entirely subjective, as is your question, so it's a question only you can answer.

gone · Dec 19, 2022

It's confusing isn't it? I had the Compard years ago. Not sure if it's exactly like the current one, but it went off very quickly. I think they had issues w/ the bottle and it leaked air. Is the R09 a separate formula than the Compard?

Even I'm getting confused now. I had something called R09 that was sold as one shot, but the bottle gave dilution ideas of 1:40 instead of the usual 1:50. My negs did not come out like the Agfa version.

Go for the Adox version. I know for sure it works and lasts a long time. Great developer, very consistent results with it. Foma 100 loves that stuff!

relistan · Dec 19, 2022

I used to use Rodinal a lot 10-12 years ago, but haven't regularly used it in a long time. At that time Foma's product was noticeably different from ADOX's product. However, Foma stopped producing it themselves and were then selling Compard's R09. I do not know what happened since, but I suspect that only Compard, Bellini, and ADOX are actually making it. And Compard may be making it for ADOX for all I know (this is likely IMO).

What I do know for sure is that this bottle is 12 years old, has been moved from Portland, OR to Europe and back three times, and I developed a roll with it 6 months ago and it works great.

Ernst-Jan · Dec 19, 2022

halfaman said:
I have used Compard and Adox Rodinal. The first supposed to be a clone and Adox the "true" Agfa Rodinal.

There is no such thing as the true Agfa Rodinal. In fact, until 3 years ago, Adox made a second version "APH 09" which was an older recipe from the 1950's with lower grade of the developing agent. Back in the day, that was also a true Agfa Rodinal.
As far as I know, only Adox has/knows the latest (2004) recipe of Rodinal. Other companies use older recipes or even their own iteration of it.

In practical use, most of them are nearly identical, same times can be used and differences are hard to see. Foma's version seems to be quite different and needs other developing times.

Ernst-Jan · Dec 19, 2022

relistan said:
And Compard may be making it for ADOX

I am sure Adox makes their own powdered chemicals and I was always assuming they also making their own liquid chemicals.

aparat · Dec 19, 2022

I tested Adox Rodinal and Rollei R09 One Shot and found them to produce nearly identical results, at least for my needs, using a semi-stand development. This is far from a definitive test, but, in my experience, I can use these two interchangeably. In other types of development, the differences might be greater. I am planning to test this further.

Henning Serger · Dec 19, 2022

relistan said:
I used to use Rodinal a lot 10-12 years ago, but haven't regularly used it in a long time. At that time Foma's product was noticeably different from ADOX's product. However, Foma stopped producing it themselves and were then selling Compard's R09. I do not know what happened since, but I suspect that only Compard, Bellini, and ADOX are actually making it. And Compard may be making it for ADOX for all I know (this is likely IMO).

Sorry, but no, no, no!!!
Compard is not producing any chemistry by themselves! They are not a chemical production company, but only a very small rebottling / refilling / confectioning company.
They buy big barrels of chemistry at the real chemical manufacturers, and fill the chemistry in the final bottles for the end consumer and put their own label on it.
They buy the chemicals from different chemistry manufacturers, and also change their suppliers if needed.

Most of the Rodinal-clones are produced by one German photo chemistry producer. And then sold under different names by rebranding companies.

ADOX Rodinal is the "real stuff" in the sense as they are the only company using the latest (improved) original Rodinal formula used by Agfa (and produced in their photo chemistry factory in Vaihingen, Germany) before the German Agfa part (separated AgfaPhoto, Leverkusen) got in insolvency in 2005 (the chemistry production in Vaihingen continued for some more years).
Therefore the simple rule:
To be on the safe side and getting the best Rodinal on the market: Take ADOX Rodinal (or ADOX Adonal, they are exactly the same).

Best regards,
Henning

relistan · Dec 19, 2022

Henning Serger said:
Sorry, but no, no, no!!!
Compard is not producing any chemistry by themselves! They are not a chemical production company, but only a very small rebottling / refilling / confectioning company.
They buy big barrels of chemistry at the real chemical manufacturers, and fill the chemistry in the final bottles for the end consumer and put their own label on it.
They buy the chemicals from different chemistry manufacturers, and also change their suppliers if needed.

Most of the Rodinal-clones are produced by one German photo chemistry producer. And then sold under different names by rebranding companies.

ADOX Rodinal is the "real stuff" in the sense as they are the only company using the latest (improved) original Rodinal formula used by Agfa (and produced in their photo chemistry factory in Vaihingen, Germany) before the German Agfa part (separated AgfaPhoto, Leverkusen) got in insolvency in 2005 (the chemistry production in Vaihingen continued for some more years).
Therefore the simple rule:
To be on the safe side and getting the best Rodinal on the market: Take ADOX Rodinal (or ADOX Adonal, they are exactly the same).

Best regards,
Henning

Thanks for clarifying, Henning. But it sounds like it is not the case that ADOX is manufacturing tier version, though they are using a different formula. I thought the one producer was Compard, apparently it is someone else (not named). Edit: Ahhh, I think Calbe was the name I was reaching for, not Compard.

aparat · Dec 19, 2022

Here's a summary table, comparing Rollei R09 One Shot and Adox Rodinal in 40 min. semi-stand. The differences are very small, but this is just one test. These differences could be greater or smaller in, say, 15 min. 1+50, or 8 min. 1+25, etc. This needs to be tested further to be sure.

Henning Serger · Dec 19, 2022

relistan said:
Edit: Ahhh, I think Calbe was the name I was reaching for, not Compard.

Calbe has never been involved in a "Rodinal-clone" type product. They made in the past the former, older (WWII-era) Rodinal formular.
Rodinal-clone type products like 'R09 One Shot' have a different formular and are produced by a different chemistry manufacturer.

When I need Rodinal I use ADOX Rodinal. Because
- I know what I get
- ADOX is a company really completely dedicated to film photography and permanently investing in new products and production capabilities; and it is worth to be supported.

Best regards,
Henning

relistan · Dec 19, 2022

Henning Serger said:
- ADOX is a company really completely dedicated to film photography and permanently investing in new products and production capabilities; and it is worth to be supported.

Definitely! I use mostly ADOX stuff, including their paper (when I can get it).

aparat · Dec 19, 2022

Henning Serger said:
When I need Rodinal I use ADOX Rodinal. Because
- I know what I get
- ADOX is a company really completely dedicated to film photography and permanently investing in new products and production capabilities; and it is worth to be supported.

I agree. Adox has been clear about what version their "Rodinal" is. However, Adox Rodinal was out of stock in the US for a long time. Meanwhile, the Rollei R09 One Shot has been readily available.

redbandit · Dec 19, 2022

i THINKS ill take the Adox, not seeing as many hydroqounone, etc ingredients.. And im tired of mixing big volumes.

And more conistency?

Alex Benjamin · Dec 19, 2022

Here in Quebec we have Blazinal, which, I've been told, is a rebranding of Rodinal. I assume it is one of the clones Henning mentions. It has "Compard KG" written on the bottle.

Henning Serger said:
Compard is not producing any chemistry by themselves! They are not a chemical production company, but only a very small rebottling / refilling / confectioning company.
They buy big barrels of chemistry at the real chemical manufacturers, and fill the chemistry in the final bottles for the end consumer and put their own label on it.
They buy the chemicals from different chemistry manufacturers, and also change their suppliers if needed.

Most of the Rodinal-clones are produced by one German photo chemistry producer. And then sold under different names by rebranding companies.

koraks · Dec 19, 2022

redbandit said:
not seeing as many hydroqounone, etc ingredients..

Rodinal, by definition, doesn't contain hydroquinone. That goes for all Rodinal variants in the market.

Steven Lee · Dec 19, 2022

@redbandit You may want to read this thread, where ADOX themselves explain the history of Rodinal, including their own product and the origins of several rebrands.

FotoD · Dec 19, 2022

redbandit said:
i THINKS ill take the Adox, not seeing as many hydroqounone, etc ingredients.. And im tired of mixing big volumes.

And more conistency?

The main ingredient of Rodinal is p-aminophenol. Structurally it's similar to hydroquinone, you just replace one of the hydroxyl groups with an amino group (-OH vs -NH2).

P-aminophenol is a suspected mutagen. Hydroquinone is a suspected carcinogen.

Pieter12 · Dec 19, 2022

Try them both and see what you like. Who cares which one is original and what does that mean yo you anyway? More importantly, which one will most likely continue to be available if you like the end result?

Steven Lee · Dec 19, 2022

FotoD said:
P-aminophenol is a suspected mutagen. Hydroquinone is a suspected carcinogen.

Pieter12 said:
Try them both and see what you like.

logan2z · Dec 19, 2022

FotoD said:
P-aminophenol is a suspected mutagen. Hydroquinone is a suspected carcinogen.

Don't tell me that, I'm paranoid enough as it is using darkroom chemicals

guangong · Dec 19, 2022

Free from worry. I still have several remaining bottles of original Agfa Rodinal, so this won’t be a problem for me for at least a few more years.

aparat · Dec 19, 2022

guangong said:
Free from worry. I still have several remaining bottles of original Agfa Rodinal, so this won’t be a problem for me for at least a few more years.

I wish I did. My three-year-old bottle of Rollei R09 One Shot went bad last spring. I lost a roll of film. My last Agfa Rodinal lasted well over six years before I finished it back in 2015.

Rodinal versions

redbandit

halfaman

albireo

koraks

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gone

relistan

Ernst-Jan

Ernst-Jan

aparat

Henning Serger

relistan

aparat

Henning Serger

relistan

aparat

redbandit

Alex Benjamin

koraks

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Steven Lee

FotoD

Pieter12

Steven Lee

logan2z

guangong

aparat

Rodinal versions

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