What's the most current version of Rodinal?

[BetterSense]

I've been told that one can still get Rodinal, but it always seems to be in a different bottle, sold by a different company, or sold under a different name all the time.

The last time I bought it it came in a milky plastic bottle and was still called Agfa Rodinal. If I want to get the same thing today, what do I have to buy?

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

I believe Adox Adonal is what you are after. It is currently available from Freestyle Photographic Supplies here.

Ken

 

[R.Gould]

I believe that all the versions of rodinal are the same, be it adona or ro9, still made by Agfa and sold to the other companies in bulk and they re sell it under their own brand name.
Richard

 

[piu58]

> still made by Agfa and sold to the other companies

No. After WWII the Rodinal formula was published. Many companys produced Rodinal under different names. The Adox R09 comes from the chemical plant in Calbe which produced a Rodinal type developer for ORWO in the GDR. ORWA was the successor of the original "Agfa Wolfen" film factory.
Agfa Leverkusen got the rights of all Agfa brands in 1965. It produced Rodinal until 2005 using the Rodinal brand. The formula was slightly changed in the course of years. I don't know whether any institution has the right to produce Rodinal using this name. But the recipe is well known and some companies offer an identic developer.

 

[cmacd123]

I believe that all the versions of rodinal are the same, be it adona or ro9, still made by Agfa and sold to the other companies in bulk and they re sell it under their own brand name.
Richard

Not quite. It can be very confusing.

WWII split Germany and the Original Agfa plants were around Wolfen Germany. The WWII formual was made and sold in the Soviet satellite area, often as R09. The East german Chemical plant is alive as Calbe.

Agfa reopened in the west and changed the formula slightly over the years. They sold there Consumer photo business to a Start up called "Agfa-Photo" including the rights to make and sell the "western" Rodinal. Agfa Photo reorgainized and much of the business was worth more for the real-estate than the photo business. In the process we lost APX series films. and the chemicals were sold to an outfit called A&O imaging, who was more interested in the Mini-lab part of the business.

The factory which made (Makes) rodinal is now owned by a contract Chmical maker. They will make almost any chemical you want. They don't have the right to call the Rodinal they make Rodinal or use the agfa or Agfa Photo name.

SO whoever orders a batch has to provide a name. Confusingly some use the R09 Name. Some also sell the east version as "original Rodinol Formula" (true since it is the older version from before WWII)

I think here in Canada the official name is Blazinal I am not sure as I am still using some A&O bottles, as I only use Rodinal for some films.

The way that may help is that the eastern stuff often was mixed 1 to 40 with Water, while the western stuff is generaly mixed 1 to 50. if the product you are looking at mentions 1+40 it is probably the eastern product. Calbe is in the unified germany so it also can say "Made in germany" and I think that Foma may make the R09 version as well.

Looking at Freestyles page the
The adolux APH 09 seems to be the eastern (since 1918) version.
Compard R09 one shot is Claiming to be the western version ! ("This is not an imitation or previous/older Rodinal formulation.")
The Fomadon R09 is probaly the eastern version .

 

[zsas]

You had me all the way to the last sentence, then I read:

....The Fomadon R09 is probaly the eastern version .

And thought did he mean "....probably the western version"....???

 

[Curt]

So......what's the available product today that's closest to what we, in the west, used in the 70's, 80's, 90's ????

I bought a case of the last Agfa Rodinal before that named product disappeared from history.

 

[M. Lointain]

It looks to me like Adox Adonal and Compard R09 are the current Rodinal versions according to the Freestyle website.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/12054-Adox-Adonal-17-oz.-500-ml-Rodinal-Formula?cat_id=301

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/9725-Compard-R09-One-Shot-Film-Developer-500ml-17-oz.?cat_id=301

 

[trotkiller]

Foma R09 was the "eastern" version in the past, the current stuff is the "western" version.

My understanding is that the "eastern" version is used at dilutions 1:40 and 1:80, where as the "western" version is used at dilutions 1:25, 1:50 and 1:100

 

[Brian Legge]

I've been using Adox Adonal exactly as I used Rodinal.

 

[Curt]

Adox Adonal sounds like Charlie Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel.

"east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet"

Even as the big Rodinal races around the globe.

Pyrocat hd is singing in my ears since Panatomic-X is no longer either. It's singing for Ilford FP-4. What's in a lable I ask?

 

[R.Gould]

I use the Rollei RO9 in the sane way and at the same dilutions/timing as the Agfa product, in the U.K. it is a little cheaper. I also have used the Adox APH 09,which is the same as Foma RO9, made by Calbe, but now with a dilution of 1/50, in the same way, same times and just as good negatives,and I have also used the APH09 a few years ago at the 1/40 dilution, before the strength was altered, at the same timing, and with no discernable difference in the quality of the negatives, conclusion, there is no real difference between the various versions.
Richard

 

[piu58]

there is no real difference between the various versions.
Richard

+1

 

[TareqPhoto]

Wish i can get any of those versions shipped to me :-(

 

[Michael W]

In my experience, Adox Adonal is exactly the same as the Agfa Rodinal. I use it exactly the same & get the same results.

 

[BetterSense]

Thanks everyone. Added some Adox Adonal to my shopping cart.

 

[agfarapid]

Well, to add to the confusion, after I exhausted my last bottle which bore the "Rodinal" label, I've used Foma's RO9 version at the same 1:50 or 1:100 dilutions. I haven't seen any difference.

 

[cmo]

Wish i can get any of those versions shipped to me :-(

What's the problem with ordering a botte and getting it shipped? Are there any import restrictions?

 

[Rhodes]

My "original" rodinal is almost gone so I bought a new bottle, from a online shop here, that still had the picture of the agfa rodinal bottle. When I open the package I had a R09 bottle. So I took the front stiker of a older rodinal bolttle and put it in the R09, so to have the Agfa Rodinal!

 

[daveandiputra]

What's the problem with ordering a botte and getting it shipped? Are there any import restrictions?

I can't speak for tareq in the UAE. But importing liquid chemicals to my country (indonesia) would be to much of a hassle. Hence the popularity of PaRodinal for people who wants for try out Rodinal.

 

[cmacd123]

What's the problem with ordering a botte and getting it shipped?

Rodinal is not mailable.. for shipping it is equivalent to liquid K-OH. If you look at freestyles chemical list you will find many items that can only be "shipped Ground in the contenental USA". Many items would require special shipping arangements to obtain, and of course it is not really welcomed in your travel Luggage.

For me, I am fortunate that I have Henry's nearby in Kanata to get some items. if a Product is in their system I get them to bring it in and then I pick it up in person, but they have nowhere near the selection that Freestyle caries in darkroom and Film. So far Rodinal (or Blazinol) is on their list

http://www.henrys.com/14922-BLAZINAL-DEVELOPER-500-ML.aspx