Is R09 as good as Rodinal?

[EASmithV]

I've heard a lot of things about R09 including it doesn't keep anywhere near as long as the original Rodinal did, and it wasn't quite as good.

Can someone please tell me your opinion on these claims?

As my Rodinal bottle slowly drains, I find myself wondering about it's continued availability, Rodinal stand is quickly becoming my favorite developer.

[agfarapid]

I'm just about finished with my first bottle of RO9 by Foma, having previously used up my last bottle of Rodinal. I use it primarily for Foma 200 and Fuji Acros with excellent results, same as my old bottle of Rodinal. Try, you'll like it.

[Tom Stanworth]

yes, it is.

[Ian Grant]

Yes and no. There's Rodinal made in the former Agfa/A&O factory which thanks to John of J&C (and his attemts at deciet) can no longer be called Rodinal. this is no sold as Compard R0(, Blazinol, Adox Adonal etc. This is the new Rodinal formula which has bee manufactured since Agfe and Gevaert merged in the early 1960's.

Then there's Calbe RO9 formerly made by Orwo, they gave up the rights to Agfa trade names (after a monetary settlement) around the time Agfa and Gevaert merged. Calbe/Orwo RO9 is made to an older pre-WWII formula for Rodinal it's not identical and has poorer keeping prperties (maybe down to the type of packaging).

Recepte 9 (R09) was the Agfa formula number for Rodinal, R10 is also a p-Aminophenol developer but uses the hydrochloride rather than the free base (of the developing agent).

Ian

[clayne]

It amazes me that even today different companies are still duking it out over name rights for this developer.

[Jesper]

Rodinal used to be my main developer until I couldn't get it at my usual source so I switched to R09.
I have not noticed any change in quality.

How well it keeps I don't know but I've never had any trouble with it going bad, but I don't store it for very long

[Ian Grant]

It amazes me that even today different companies are still duking it out over name rights for this developer.

Actually they aren't at all, they would all be selling Rodinal if John from J&C had't registered the Trade name in the US and then tried to pass off Calbe R09 as Rodinal, after Agfa failed to renew it.

Ian

[PKM-25]

So I have 8 bottles of Rodinal ( says it on the bottle ) that I bought from Freestyle in 2006, what is left from a 10 bottle batch. 2006 was the year I first got back into shooting black and white, so it was a matter of both long term keeping qualities and economics that prompted me to stick up on it.

Am I better off keeping the Rodinal I have stored for the long run and using R09 for the here and now?
The only reason I ask this is because part of the reason I stocked up on it is that Rodinal is supposed to "Last forever" if unopened, thereby creating one of those safety nets for my long term goals in the medium I want to use if things get weird-er out there....

[Ian Grant]

So I have 8 bottles of Rodinal ( says it on the bottle ) that I bought from Freestyle in 2006, what is left from a 10 bottle batch. 2006 was the year I first got back into shooting black and white, so it was a matter of both long term keeping qualities and economics that prompted me to stick up on it.

Am I better off keeping the Rodinal I have stored for the long run and using R09 for the here and now?
The only reason I ask this is because part of the reason I stocked up on it is that Rodinal is supposed to "Last forever" if unopened, thereby creating one of those safety nets for my long term goals in the medium I want to use if things get weird-er out there....

As the Compard etc RO9 is made by the same people who made Agfa's Rodinal in the same plant & equipment to the same formula they are identical, so use up your old stock first.

Ian

[georg16nik]

So I have 8 bottles of Rodinal ( says it on the bottle ) that I bought from Freestyle in 2006, what is left from a 10 bottle batch. 2006 was the year I first got back into shooting black and white, so it was a matter of both long term keeping qualities and economics that prompted me to stick up on it.

Am I better off keeping the Rodinal I have stored for the long run and using R09 for the here and now?
The only reason I ask this is because part of the reason I stocked up on it is that Rodinal is supposed to "Last forever" if unopened, thereby creating one of those safety nets for my long term goals in the medium I want to use if things get weird-er out there....

According to http://adox.de/RODINAL.pdf with the Agfa latest Rodinal formula from 2004 You've got 6 months after the bottle is opened.
The original brew, pre WWII Rodinal sold as ADOLUX® APH 09 can hold up to 50 years http://www.adox.de/english/ADOLUX/AD...LUX/APH09.html

So, all Rodinal based on post WWII formula, (the one with excess of hydroxide) have way shorter shelf life than people generally believe.
Ironically the post WWII formulated Rodinal is being sold for double the price of the pre WWII.