How close is Calbe R09 to the current Agfa Rodinal?

[david b]

I'm just wondering how close R09 is to Rodinal. I've been using Rodinal for several years and will now have to switch to something else when my supply of rodinal runs out.

Thanks in advance.

Happy Holidays!!!

[Gerald Koch]

From the MSDS's

Calbe Agfa
Potassium hydroxide 4 % 3 %
Potassium sulfite 30 % 30 - 40 %
Paraminophenol 5% 1 - 5 %
Potassium bromide none 1 - 5 %
EDTA Na4 none 0.5 - 1 %

There may be additional substances in either developer which do not have to be specified in the MSDS either because the concentration is small or the substance(s) are considered nontoxic at their concentration(s).

[Donald Qualls]

The reports I've seen suggest R-09 is interchangeable with Agfa Rodinal in actual use. Can't say I've tried either one, but I've made a developer from acetaminophen (aka paracetamol) tablets, sodium sulfite, and lye drain opener that works at the same dilutions and times as Rodinal and produces beautiful negatives, so I doubt the formula is as critical as all that; the p-aminophenol developing agent, very low sulfite content in working solution, and hydroxide alkali are the keys...

[Will S]

Photographer's Formulary will be selling liquid "rodinal" come January 1. So it isn't going away...

Best,

Will

[Fotohuis]

We are doing some preliminary tests: Agfa Rodinal versus Fomadon R09 (Foma, Czech Republic).
On most films the transfer is 1:1 ; Rodinal 1+50 and Fomadon R09 1+40.

In case O&A is not producing Rodinal anymore in the future, we will switch over to the Fomadon R09 as para-amino phenol developer.

Prices: at least 30% less than the current Rodinal 125 ml bottles. Foma is packing in 250 ml.

Robert

[battra92]

Photographer's Formulary will be selling liquid "rodinal" come January 1. So it isn't going away...

Best,

Will

Which is good since I wanted to try Rodinol due to having some films that HC-110 didn't like. Since I haven't used the Agfa stuff, I won't have anything to compare it to, I'll definately try the liquid stuff.

I'd rather not do the raw chemical stuff, eventhough I could ask my old Chemistry Professor to help me.

[aligndont]

Donald,
Woukld you tell us the actual formula for your acetaminaphen developer/

[Donald Qualls]

Here's what I used:

250 ml water
50 g sodium sulfite (I actually used 250 ml 20% sulfite stock solution I had on hand)
30 tablets @ 500 mg acetaminophen (crushed)
20 g sodium hydroxide anhydrous (Red Devil Lye, freshly opened)

Solution will be very cloudy, chalky looking; don't worry about the rags and tags of tableting material from the acetaminophen. When all ingredients are mixed, solution temperature will rise about 8 degrees F, and you will probably need to start with water at 120 F to get all the sodium sulfite to dissolve.

Close and let stand for at least 48 hours, preferably 72 hours, then use like Rodinal.

My first batch, four weeks on, is now the color of Coca-Cola, and still works fine. No reason to believe it'll be different from Rodinal in longevity, but I will test it periodically before committing imporant images...