Although my current preferred developer is Kodak HC-110 (Dil. B) for 120 Agfa APX 100, I've read some great reviews about APX 100 in Agfa Rodinal. I'd love to try some, but I can't find it here in the Midwestern U.S.; local photo dealers aren't interested in ordering it for me (no demand); and big mail-order houses won't ship it to me because it apparently falls under hazardous shipping regulations. Anyone else having this problem? Should I just forget about Rodinal? I know people who can (illegally) buy contriband Cuban cigars via mail order through Canadian connections, yet I can't get a perfectly legal film developer!

-- Bruce Tiemann (btiemann@mcleodusa.com), September 10, 2001

Answers

Actually you can, although not from the US and you must not even order from Cuba. There are several photo dealers in Europe who will be glad to supply it. Since the bottle for Rodinal has a European shipping approval it can be sent to the US without hazard surcharge. One dealer I can recommend is Fotoimpex in Berlin. You will have to check with other dealers if they export out of the EU. Some do not, such as Brenner. Fotoimpex has AGFA Rodinal and classic Rodinal under the name "Classic F09". Since you will not have to pay the high European value added tax the price should be very moderate.

-- Volker Schier (Volker.Schier@fen-net.de), September 10, 2001.

you might see if you can get the raw stuff from photo formulary and make it yourself.-J

-- josh (oper_33@yahoo.com), September 10, 2001.

I believe you can order it from www.calumet.com so long as you have it shipped UPS ground.

-- Michael Feldman (mfeldman@qwest.net), September 10, 2001.

i recieved some from adorama (adorama.com) via ups about one month ago, i'm having fun with it and think it's worth trying

good luck joe

-- Joe Holcombe (joe1013_@excite.com), September 10, 2001.

I would like the formula for rodinal as well; provided someone can supply it- some_how I don't think too many will know exactly what's in rodinal.

Calumet will be able to supply rodinal here in the US, with some ship restrictions, of course. I would advise buying twice as much as you'll think you'll need, as shipping on this is expensive.

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), September 10, 2001.

Several of the respondents suggested using or asked for the formula for Rodinal. AFAIK, the formula is secret. There are several guessed versions of the formula that are said to work well. One version appears in The Film Developing Cookbook by Anchell and Troop and in The Darkroom Cookbook by Anchell. A somewhat different version is one the web at Jack's Photographic and Chemistry Site: http://www.jackspcs.com/frodinal.htm. Assuming that I haven't made a mistake, the version on the web has half the concentration of the ingredients as the version in the two books.

-- Michael Briggs (michaelbriggs@earthlink.net), September 10, 2001.

I've ordered it from Calumet. They have to ship it ground but trust me, it's worth the wait. Your negatives will be so sharp you can shave with them.

-- David Parmet (david@parmet.net), September 10, 2001.

Bruce, B&H also still carries it & I get mine from them. So, you should have no problem getting it in the US within just a few days.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), September 11, 2001.

Well Bruce, sorry about that. They don't ship it anymore, neither do they ship Sprint Paper Developer. As stated above, Adorama does. Also, on the B&H web site I found this item:

Photographer's Formulary Paraminophenol (Rodinal) Developer for Black & White Film - Makes 12.5 Gallons/50 Liters Price $14.95 mfr# 010170 • B&H# PHPD12.5G Availability: In Stock

This stuff apparently shipps!

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), September 11, 2001.

In response to the request for the Rodinal formula: there are many that have been published over the years. I give the oldest one I could find in my article "Appreciating Rodinal" at http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Rodinal/rodinal.html. I have never tried it--I just provide it as a reference point for the article. (If anyone decides to try it, be damn careful with the sodium hydroxide.)

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), September 11, 2001.

I would strongly not recommend making classic Rodinal oneself. Fooling around with the hydroxide is pretty dangerous. Also the whole process is very tricky due to the few crystals that have to be kept out of solution (or have to be "put back" if one went too far). Otherwise the developer will only keep a very short time and the price of the kit is high enough that one does not want to get anything wrong. I do not have access to my reference books here, but there are also receipes out there for "new" Rodinal, which is much easier to make. "Classic" Rodinal R09/F09 is so cheap that (also when ordered from the US) that there is absolutely no justification to brew it oneself and take the health risks and in addition one gets the "real" thing. I can guarantee that home brewing will not save money and one can be asured that the bought developer keeps for a very long time. The price for 250ml Classic F09 is under $4, the flat shipping rate to the US by one European dealer who specializes in shipping to the US is $8 (please check, I am not absolutely sure), which is about the amount of the hazard surcharge most mail order companies in the US will charge in addition to postage and handling. Classic Rodinal has a higher concentration than Agfa Rodinal, which makes it even cheaper.

-- Volker Schier (Volker.Schier@fen-net.de), September 12, 2001.

Bruce, As posted before - Calumet will, I think Unique Photo (formerly Empire)will, B&H shipped to me as early as this past spring, and I have had a dealer special order once before because he values my biz. Some graphics places I have dealt with routinely carry it - but not knowing where you are - shipping may be an issue. If you live near Minneapolis, let me know - we could split a box of cigars! I just wish someone in the US would carry other Agfa developers like Rodinal Special.

-- Jeff Drew (jdrew@ngcresearch.com), September 17, 2001.

"wherefore" means "why" not "where"

...sigh...

-- peter bg (pbartzgallag@macalester.edu), September 30, 2001.

Someone should have told Shakespeare. "Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

-- Wayne DeWitt (wdewitt@snip.net), October 03, 2001.

i hate to keep this going, but...

"Someone" did tell Shakespeare. Juliet's cry is literally asking "why are you Romeo?" that is, why do you hold that name, why are you of the Montague house and thus forbidden of me? The misinterpretation is common, but I couldn't let it go.

-- peter bg (pbartzgallag@macalester.edu), October 16, 2001.

Just this afternoon, I picked up a bottle of Rodinol at National Camera in Rosedale, MN. They have more.

-- Raoul Mora (raoul101@yahoo.com), November 07, 2001.

I just picked up some rodinal from Central Camera Company 232 south Wabash Ave Chicago Ill 60604-2396 (1-800-421-1899).A 17 oz (500ml) bottle ran $9.59.They also had other Agfa b&w darkroom chemicals.

-- Gerald Chapala (GChapala@aol.com), November 14, 2001.

You might try calling B&H and asking if they will ship it. I was in the store a couple of weeks ago and asked the darkroom supplies manager about shipping Rodinal. He said there really shouldn't be a problem and that if UPS/FedEx wouldn't take it it could be shipped via the US mail.

I don't know if all this is true (I bough some Rodinal while I was in the store!), but that's what I was told.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.