Using 50 year old Rodinal

Ever wondered what it would be like to develop with old Rodinal?

I compare a 50ish year old bottle of unopened Rodinal to a new fresh bottle or Rodinal.

Spoiler, it looks the same.

Plus special appearances from R09 and Ilford Rapid Fixer.


00:00 why I like Rodinal
00:51 old bottle of Rodinal
02:02 old Rodinal examples
02:27 old Rodinal vs new Rodinal
04:33 r09
05:09 old fixer
05:26 old fixer examples
06:35 end

equipment:

Hasselblad 500C/M
Carl Zeiss 80mm f2.8 C* Planar

Ilford HP5

Agfa Rodinal
Adox Rodinal
Rollei Compard R09
Ilford Rapid Fixer 1:4

Noritsu S-1800


music by:
Beatles Unite - Rachel K Collier
The Lone Woodlouse - Rachel K Collier
Morpho Diana - Rachel K Collier

[andrewblowers]

Wel..

Well two things.

When is then follow up .

I am fucdking hammered

[KiinaSu]

But does 50 year old Rodinal still taste the same as new one?

[spencergrady]

A classic again!!! You are so freaking good! I get excited with every video, they’re so concise, so well structured, they’re fantastic!

[kairadu]

There are only three constants in life: death, taxes and working rodinal.

[andrewbroekhuijsen]

Every new video your trichrome technique gets better and better. The colors in that frame with board games looked spot on.

I have a bottle of Rodinal (actually Adox "Adonal") I've been working through very slowly since about 2010. Has chunks of who knows what in it, and it's far darker brown than even your old glass bottle. Still works the same as when it was brand new.

[genobambino]

I love the solid, vintage look of Rodinol.

[airship]

As an undergrad photo major at Utah State University back around 1970, I used Agfa Rodinal in the classic brown bottle with the rubber stopper. I was told that the floculation at the bottom of the bottle wouldn't affect the outcome--it didn't. A little Rodinal went a long way--it was economical and it worked. Love the label. I'd be tempted to but a bottle just to place on the bookshelf for its high aesthetic factor. Or to pour over my inkjet printer when another print comes out less than desirable.

[Maidaneh]

I use expired soviet developers and fixers (sometimes). they're about 40-50 years old but still ok (sometimes)

[janmelantu]

Can’t wait to see old Powder chemistry

[arachnenet]

And when the world needed him most, attic boi returned!

[studiosnch]

You can also make your own Rodinal from paracetamol by oxidation. P-aminophenol, the active compound of Rodinal, can be derived from paracetamol by reversing the process. IDK the exact equation though, but paracetamol is derived usually by adding p-aminophenol with acetic anhyride. This is used by Prof. Jay Javier's Fotofabrik to create 125mL bottles of their own-made Parodinal, which sells for cheap in the Philippines.

[brunorp]

I've been using powdered 1980-1990 Ilford Microphen (I have over 30L of working solution) for almost two years now and it's always been great. Mainly because it's only active when the "A & B" parts are mixed together.

Also I'm super cheap and mixed together two 2.5L of Microphen and reused it for a year and a half and dev probably over 40 rolls of b&w with consistent result.

[franciscovarela]

I'm sure I've got an open bottle of Rodinal packed away in a box in the cellar of the old family home...at least 35 years old. Will develop a roll with it next time I visit.

[erkkiruohtula]

I think fixer is almost immortal. Unlike developers, it is inorganic stuff.

[pastedtomato]

Speaking of powder chemistry, last year I got some D76 and put it in storage, when I got it back to use it had turned dark brown, it was from the "bad batch" that Kodak reported, I said "fuck it" and used it anyway, the mixture looked like coke or red wine, but worked flawlessly, using standard times and dilutions, contrast and density were as they should, it has been used with expired Acros, Foma, T-Max

[ronen_khazin]

My Rodinal bottle which is like 2 years old and it's quite a dark red/brown and has a lot of chunks. It works exactly the same as the day I opened the bottle.

[Kitsaplorax]

Hubl Paste (glycin, sod. sulfite and potassium carbonate) is an almost immortal developer. I mixed a fresh batch last week. It is a gooey sludge suspension that requires a lot of shaking before drawing out a bit for use. Photographer's Formulary mixes their own glycin every so often. I used this extensively in the 1990's for Ortho Litho film. You get into physical development territory at 1:70 for about four minutes with a pre-wash. 1:35 is about right for modern films. Kind of like Rodinal, kind of different. Expect to lose a stop, but if you use this in stand development and rate 120 and sheet film at half box speed, you'll get some mind blowing shadow and highlights.

[sednoid]

I found an unopened bottle of Orwo R09 from the late 80s (the East German equivalent of Rodinal, supposedly using an older formula) in the attic last year. It's been sitting there for over 30 years, going through big temperature changes in all this time and... it's fine. Somehow doesn't even have any solids on the bottom of the bottle as far as I can tell. The concentrate is pretty much black but seemed to work perfectly well on the short test I've done, I really should do more with it.

[AndrewJacksonSE]

Well that solves my hesitance at using the old bottle of rodinol I found the other day.

[jorishilterman]

I love the cliffhanger at the end <3