Modern Rodinal: Adonal, Adolux, Fomadon, R09, R09 Spezial - Which are you using? Why?

[Corran]

A search for "Rodinal" brings up quite a list of different developers on Freestyle.

For those using Rodinal of some sort, I'm interested to hear which formulation you are using, and if applicable, the differences between them that you have found. Also, why did you choose that formula?

There are numerous and conflicting reports about Rodinal and its many iterations. I don't really care about what Rodinal was in 1920 or 1946 or whatever, and I know that many of our older users here might actually bring that up, but what matters to the modern film shooter, is what you can buy today, off the shelf. I wonder if these different formulations might actually be better, or worse, for certain applications, or are they all basically the same?

A project for another day will be to buy one of each and do a comprehensive test, but that'll have to wait as I have no patience for that right now.


What spurred this question was a fresh bottle of Adonal I just opened. It seems to be different than the last bottle of Adonal I had. Usually when I dilute the developer with water it turns a light orange color. This time it stayed perfectly clear. My negatives seemed a bit "flatter" than normal. Wondering if they had changed the formula, I did some Google searching and the best I could come up with is some claims that Rodinal (Adonal) can get "seasoned" over time from exposure to air. I'm wondering if it was due to being freshly opened - my old bottle of Adonal was at least 6 months old. I have made some great negatives with TMX and other modern emulsions in Adonal but if the developer seasons or changes after exposure to air I'm less inclined to trust it for repeatable results.

[towolf]

I just know that the Compard R09 "capri sun"-style softpack is ingenious for avoiding oxidation. I filled 50ml into a tube to give to someone and within two hours the top was browning:

[Corran]

The Adonal I buy usually comes somewhat brownish to start with. The stuff I just opened up almost had a dark bluish tint but maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me.

[David A. Goldfarb]

When I use it, I use Parodinal. I made it once on a whim, because I had a bottle of expired uncoated acetaminophen (paracetamol, AKA Tylenol) tablets, and decided I actually liked it better than traditional Rodinal, and like Rodinal, it lasts forever, so I've had it on my shelf for a few years now.

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

Likewise with Parodinal, though using the capsules avoids dealing with the filler content. Very dark brown with a reddish tinge.
Yields results identical with my 30 yr old Agfa Rodinal ,which is similarly murky.

[Corran]

I've never used Parodinal. What makes it different, or the same?

I'd love to hear from the person who chose Adolux, and how they like that variant.

[ArgentixCa]

Hi Corran
I did not had time to elaborate this morning on your post.
I came accross Adolux APH09 quite by accident. This is the one I had on hand when I wanted to test stand development, and I kept using it for regular processing too.
It has a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long shelf-life, and you do not have to wonder if it is good even if it turns to a black-coffee color.
Crystalization at the bottom does not impair it.

It became my work-horse developer, by saving shelf-space in my darkroom.

I distribute other variants of Rodinal, but have not personally tested all of them.

I know, quite biased opinion, but I stick to it!

[Michael Cienfuegos]

I still have an unopened bottle of Agfa Rodinal, not sure how old it is, but I have been working out of another bottle for the last ten years or so. It's dark, but still gives great results.

[Tin Can]

My Adox Adolux APH09 started out clear and now is getting darker by the week and seems to work better as it ages, now 6 months open. I use it only for 4x5 and larger and sometimes over develop for increased grain, as I like grain. My usual films are HP5 and Ektascan. I was mixing 1/100 and now do 1/50 with TF5 fixer.

When developing digital I use it straight dip and dunk on the SD CARD, makes wondrous surprises, once fully dried in desiccant.

[Corran]

Interesting the different variants being used and also how most folks appear to be using one and just sticking with it. And the aging changing the developer. Well I think when I have time (next year!) I need to do some testing with the gamut of varieties, for educational purposes.