Which Rodinal compound do you like best?

eli griggs

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Rodinal has been and is very popular, practically forever and is easy to compound yourself in the darkroom, so which variant do you prefer and why?
 

Pieter12

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The one that is available when I need it (which is often, it's the only developer I use). I prefer Adox Rodinal when I go shopping.
 

M Carter

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Just plain old Adox for me, 1+50 with a half-stop more exposure. Certainly not-for-everything developer wise, it does have some real "personality", but it's wonderful for the right subjects.
 

Cholentpot

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Pieter12 said:
The one that is available when I need it (which is often, it's the only developer I use). I prefer Adox Rodinal when I go shopping.
Click to expand...

After almost a decade I'm still on my first bottle. It's like Tabasco, a little goes a long way.
 

madNbad

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Adox Rodinal has been out of stock and the estimated arrival date keeps changing. Hopefully, it will be soon. Rollei R09 works well and you can get it in 250 ml bottles.
 

gone

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Adox is the only one I use. Probably should get the stuff to make it myself, supply issues have certainly changed things in the photography world.
 

Cholentpot

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Pieter12 said:
I generally go through two bottles a year. I buy at least two at a time when I can. But once again, it's all I use.
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D-76 and HC110 are available locally here. I really only use Rodinal for X-ray film these days. I was using it for stand development but I moved past that for now. I'll get back into Rodinal at some point. It goes well with Tmax100 and I have some of that to shoot.
 

logan2z

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I just developed my first roll of film using Adox Rodinal - a 35mm roll of FP4+ - and am very happy with the results. I'm tempted to develop a roll of Tri-X as well, although I'm not sure how objectionable the grain will be with a higher speed film.
 
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eli griggs

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It seems most of you simply use the Adox version, I did too, for years, but do any of you or others looking at this thread, compound your own from bulk chemicals, no to be confused with Parrodinal, and what tips on making this exclent and long lived film developer?

For example, whom is using potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide and why?
 

madNbad

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logan2z said:
I just developed my first roll of film using Adox Rodinal - a 35mm roll of FP4+ - and am very happy with the results. I'm tempted to develop a roll of Tri-X as well, although I'm not sure how objectionable the grain will be with a higher speed film.
Click to expand...

I’ve developed several rolls of Tri-X in Rollei R09 and found the grain is pronounced but not objectionable. Isn’t showing the grain a reason to use Tri-X?
 

logan2z

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madNbad said:
Isn’t showing the grain a reason to use Tri-X?
Click to expand...

I'm certainly not averse to grain, I'm just not sure I want it to be overly exaggerated. But I'll try a roll in Rodinal and see how it goes. It might suit some subject matter (eg. street photography, urban landscapes) more than others (eg. landscapes).
 
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eli griggs

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madNbad said:
I’ve developed several rolls of Tri-X in Rollei R09 and found the grain is pronounced but not objectionable. Isn’t showing the grain a reason to use Tri-X?
Click to expand...

Tri-x is often notable for it's pleasent grain and Rodinal makes it interesting to view.
 

AnselMortensen

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When Agfa Rodinal was discontinued, I moved to Adox.
No complaints...except that I'm almost out.
I hope Adox produces and distributes some soon!
I have the ingredients for D-23 waiting in the wings....if supply issues for Rodinal become an issue, I won't be left high & dry.
 

Ernst-Jan

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madNbad said:
Adox Rodinal has been out of stock and the estimated arrival date keeps changing. Hopefully, it will be soon. Rollei R09 works well and you can get it in 250 ml bottles.
Click to expand...
It is in stock.

ADOX Rodinal 500 ml conc. - fotoimpex.com analogue photography

Agfa Rodinal has now been replaced by Adox Rodinal. The formulation and developing times are exactly the same - only the packaging has changed! Acutance enhancing film ...
www.fotoimpex.com
 

Donald Qualls

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The only Rodinal work-alike I've used is Parodinal, made from acetaminophen (aka paracetamol, for the European crowd), drain opener lye, and sodium sulfite. Incredibly cheap if you have a good source of acetaminophen, keeps for several months in a wide mouth jar with lots of air (would almost certainly do better in a proper chemical storage bottle with butane or argon blanketing), and produces Rodinal results with Rodinal dilutions and times.
 

madNbad

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Apparently it has been available in the EU. It’s still on back order in the U.S. Freestyle Photo had an estimated arrival of September 30th but now it has call or email for availability.
 

albireo

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I use two of them, Adox Rodinal and Fomadon R09. Both great, and I could live with either, but I do have a slight preference for the Adox because, in my experience, it last much longer. I bought my current bottle 4 years ago, I've used half of it, and keep it stored on a shelf, room temperature. No marbles, no gassing, original plastic bottle. It still works perfectly.
 

JerseyDoug

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It's time for me to buy another bottle of Rodinal. I've almost finished the bottle of Adox I'm using. I do have an unopened 500ml bottle of Adox which will develop 100 of my short bulk load rolls so I'm good for about two years, but I like to have an unopened bottle on the shelf. The only photo chemicals I use are Rodinal, the cheapest rapid fixer at the time from a reputable manufacturer, and distilled water.

The Bellini photo chemicals listed by Freestyle look very interesting. If the RDL B&W One Shot Film Developer is in stock before Adox Rodinal I'll probably give a 100ml bottle a try.
 

Ernst-Jan

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madNbad said:
Apparently it has been available in the EU. It’s still on back order in the U.S. Freestyle Photo had an estimated arrival of September 30th but now it has call or email for availability.
Click to expand...

That means you supplier hasn't Rodinal, not that there isn't any/sufficient Rodinal produced.
 
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