One of the old ladies of photography: Tri-X and Rodinal. Long lasting developer used one-shot.

Rodinal and Tri-x is that look of the film revolution. That film-dev printed on Agfa Brovira was the stuff most art photographers used in the 60’s. Art schools were filled with Rodinal, Tri-X and Agfa Brovira, Portriga, Record-rapid.

But times change. Products evolve to satisfy different supply realities. Companies go. The Tri-X and Rodinal of 1970 aren’t the products of 2014. The companies have changed, or died. These are mere brand names. The bigger change is in Tri-X. That ‘look’ is not make by Kodak(Alaris); rodinal isn’t made by Agfa, either.

The chart above is from my 1972 handouts for classes I taught. I used (modified) D-76 as my preferred developer, but students found Rodinal a convenient choice. The top stopper was rubber, so we used syringes to draw the concentrate out, keeping the chemistry even longer. A student could buy one bottle that would last most of the year.

Refs:

https://webionaire.com/2015/08/20/d-76-ph-change/

https://webionaire.com/2013/11/27/the-grand-tradition/

Which rodinal, r09 to use?

Agfa’s code number for Rodinal was R09 (for a century). In 1963 Agfa merged with Geveart. Around that time the soup in that glass bottle with the rubber stopper was reformulated. The trade name “Rodinal” cannot be used in the US+Canada, so you can not buy Rodianl here. Adox has two separate products using a Rodinal formula. APH09 is based upon the original (before 1940) formula. Adonal is the ‘new’ rodinal formula of 2004.
The Calbe R09 contains more p-Aminophenol than the Rodinal formulation.

Agfa(“Actien-Gesellschaft für Anillin-Fabrikation”) Orwo Calbe Adox