Saint-Nazaire Bridge, Etude 4, Trignac, France. May 2021. Ref-11495
https://www.denisolivier.com/photography/saint-nazaire-bridge-etude-4-trignac-france/en/11495
#denisolivierphotography #bwsquare #filmphotography #ilford #denisolivier #fog #denisolivierphoto #urth #ilforddelta100 #blackandwhitephoto #meandmymanfrotto @hasselblad #square #bridge #adoxxt3 #longexposurephotography #hasselblad #denisolivierphotographer #blackandwhite #hasselblad500cm #ilfordphoto #saintnazaire #architecture #adoxphoto #photography #helloadox #adox @visitstnazaire…

Pine Tree, Ordesa Y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain. December 2021. Ref-11626
https://www.denisolivier.com/photography/pine-tree-ordesa-y-monte-perdido-national-park-spain/en/11626
#blackandwhitephoto @kodakprofilmbiz #spain @kodak_shootfilm #holga #bwsquare #square #adoxphoto #mountain #blackandwhitephotography #kodak @kodakcameraclub #landscape #adoxxt3 #trees #nature #holgagcfn #analogphotography #filmphotography #denisolivierphotographer #holga120gcfn @lomography #denisolivier #adox @kodak #denisolivierphotography #denisolivierphoto #blackandwhite #ordesa…

Running Track, Leo Lagrange Stadium, Saint-Nazaire, France. November 2022. Ref-11621
https://www.denisolivier.com/photography/running-track-leo-lagrange-stadium-saint-nazaire-france/en/11621
#filmphotography #analogphotography #sport #athletics #leica #blackandwhite #denisolivierphotographer #100iso #35mmm #running #iso100 #leicam7 @kodak_shootfilm #blackandwhitephotography #denisolivierphotography #tmax #kodak #blackandwhitephoto #kodaktmax #denisolivierphoto #24x36 #adoxphoto #adoxrodinal @kodakprofilmbiz #stadium @kodak #blackwhite #track @kodakcameraclub #saintnazaire…

The Return of a Classic: In today's video, I review Adox CHS100II, a beautiful emulsion based on an original Adox film stock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOj8C7tnz5I

#adoxphoto #filmreview #filmphotography #believeinfilm #shootfilmbenice #adoxchs100ii #youtube

Film photography in the Atomic Age, and I'm not talking about my favourite film, Panatomic-X, but one of my favourite developers, Adox Atomal 49!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftj84KRkwxU

#filmphotography #photography #adoxphoto #believeinfilm #shootfilmbenice #filmisnotdead

#powerscourt #gardens #Wicklow #olympus35sp #AdoxCMS20II #slowfilm #blackandwhitephoto #believeinfilm #adoxphoto

The Wait, an abandoned factory somewhere in Germany. Developed in my flat
📸 Canon EOS-1N
🎞 Adox Silvermax 100
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#adoxphoto #analog #35mm #35mmphotography #zonesystem #analogphoto #industrial #entropy #waste #apocalypse #urbex #urbexgermany #urbanphotography #abandonedplaces #lostplaces #canoneos1n #filmphotography #ishootfilm #filmfeed #blackandwhite #staybrokeshootfilm #filmisnotdead #mmfilm #monochrome #bnwminimalism #adoxsilvermax100 #adoxsilvermax #urbexphotography #helloadox #bwfilm

Developer Review Blog No. 24 – Adox XT-3

If there's one thing that is always uncertain these days is the availability and quality of photochemistry. At the same time, some companies have had no issues with maintaining their normal level of quality. As manufacturers of the materials and chemistries shift away from the originals, things get a little grey. Thankfully some are willing to take a chance and help keep things going, and one such company is Adox. While most of their chemical offerings are based on formulas from other firms, Rodinal, FX-39, and Atomal spring to mind. Adox XT-3 is a new offering, backwards engineers from Kodak Xtol a well-loved Ascorbic Acid developer that of late has had some bad batches (and not in the good Clone Force 99 way). And in true Adox fashion, they improved upon it, allowing for smaller volumes with shelf stability along with their Adox Captura technology to reduce dust and odour!

Technical Details
Manufacture: Adox
Name: XT-3
Primary Developer: Ascorbic Acid
Type: Reusable/One-Shot
Mix From: Powder

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS100II @ ASA-100 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS100II @ ASA-100 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS100II @ ASA-100 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS100II @ ASA-100 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20C

Handling
One of the best additions to Adox XT-3 is the new Captura technology that cuts down both dust and odour, making it an easy developer to handle in powder form. There are two powders, Part A and Part B. If you're familiar with mixing up Xtol, then it's not a long leap to XT-3, mixing takes place between 20-29C, but you probably want to hit a middle point on the temperature scale, say around 25C is a nice happy medium. Then add Part A, stirring gently to avoid any over mixing, then add Part B, mix, and top up to final volume. Do not shake or violently mix as that will cause oxidization; your final solution should be clear. And it should only take between 2-3 minutes to dissolve, making it a fast developer to mix completely. The developer will last for two years; in the mixed form, a well-sealed bottle in a cool dark place will last six months; in less ideal conditions, you're time drops to six weeks. You can use the developer in the stock form to have enough juice to process ten rolls of film (1L kit) or 50 rolls of film (5L kit). You can also dilute it 1+1 or 1+2 if you so desire, but then you're looking at a one-shot developer. When it comes to development time, there are a handful of published times for XT-3, however, you can use XTol times, in fact, the Ortho+ roll I used times calculated by Jess for Xtol and they worked.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 MACRO - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 7:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 MACRO - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 7:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 MACRO - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 7:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 MACRO - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 7:00 @ 20C

Applications
Adox XT-3 can make for an excellent general-purpose developer, especially if you're doing high-volume development. You are making it a strong choice for professional labs that handle a lot of black & white films of various types. You can mix up batches quickly, and at the five-litre volume, you can take fifty rolls of film with a single set. While you do have to deal with a slightly shorter shelf time in some cases, it won't be too much of an issue if you're doing that much film. This developer is also good if you're a fan of the old Xtol formulation, you can use the exact times as a direct analogue and get the same results. If you're concerned about the toxic nature of film development, XT-3 is another choice as it shares the same developer as Xtol, although I still would not drink the stuff. But probably the best use for XT-3 is as a push/pull developer to help compensate for over and underexposure of film while shooting. It can also help tame that grain in many cases. For this review, I went with five different films. Some are common, and some are a bit more specialized. When it comes to film choices, you have plenty of options open to you, both fast and slow, not to mention being able to compensate for any over/underexposure. Despite handling push/pull development, I found that the developer does not take expired films, especially ones of questionable storage. I enjoyed working with the developer in Ilford HP5+, FilmFerrania P30, Ilford Ortho+, and Adox CHS100II. However, the two films that impressed me the most are Fomapan 200, a film notorious to nail down a good development and Ilford Ortho+ which blew me away. Big thanks to Jess Hobbs for coming up with the Xtol development times for Ortho+!

Nikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 9:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 9:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 9:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 9:00 @ 20C

Qualities
If you're a fan of the results you get out of Kodak Xtol, then you will find that you get the same results from XT-3. That should come as no surprise, given how close the two developers are to each other. One of the best parts about the developer is that it provides a modest effect on contrast; it levels things out, which is why it is an excellent choice for push/pull development. It will give a bit of contrast when needed or take it away when needed. I saw this the most when push processing expired TMax 400 and shooting under low-contrast conditions on a dull rainy day with Fomapan 200 and Ilford HP5+. This particular quality also helps improve the overall tonal separation of the film, allowing for clean whites, deep blacks, and excellent greys through the mid-tones. However, you will notice a drop in contrast when diluting 1+1. It also helps with the overall sharpness of the film. One of the film's best qualities is the ability to tame grain; it keeps that fine-grain development from Xtol and improves it overall. I found that even with Adox CHS100II, which isn't precisely a fine-grained film, XT-3 does a superb job in retaining edge sharpness while cleaning up the film's grain.

Pentax 67II - Super-Multi-Coated Takumar/6×7 1:3.5/55 - Ilford Ortho+ @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CPentax 67II - Super-Multi-Coated Takumar/6×7 1:3.5/55 - Ilford Ortho+ @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CPentax 67II - Super-Multi-Coated Takumar/6×7 1:3.5/55 - Ilford Ortho+ @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CPentax 67II - Super-Multi-Coated Takumar/6×7 1:3.5/55 - Ilford Ortho+ @ ASA-80 - Adox XT-3 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20C

Lowdown
While I haven't had Xtol in my chemistry cupboard for some time now, I honestly thought that I would feel a bit meh about XT-3, but after seeing the results, I got from the stuff, I found that I missed this style of the developer. But if I used the developer again, I would stick to the stock dilution as I was not 100% happy with the results from the 1+1 dilution. The bonus of mixing up in 1-litre kits certainly makes it attractive for those with limited space. I can see myself getting this developer in again in the future. The biggest concern with XT-3 is availability; given that Adox is a small manufacturer, they are limited by how much they can make along with the other chemicals in their catalogue. Thankfully they do seem to churn out enough to keep people happy (I'm glad I got a second pouch for some film reviews next year). As for availability, you can purchase it through only shops, direct from Fotoimpex or through Macodirect, Analogue Wonderland, and other stores. Here in North America, I've only seen it pop up at Freestyle Photographic. From Fotoimpex, you're looking for 8.70$ for a 1L kit (~87 cents per roll, that drops to ~50 cents a roll with the 5L equipment), so the price is not too bad! While I hope that Kodak gets things in order with its chemistry production, it is nice to know there are always alternatives to well-loved developers.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 8:30 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 8:30 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 8:30 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 8:30 @ 20C

Recommended Reading
Don't just take my word on XT-3. Check out these other blogs on the subject!
Toivonene Photography - Adox XT-3 Review

#developerreviewblogs #adox #adoxchs100ii #adoxphoto #adoxxt3 #blackwhite #canada #chemistry #developer #developerreview #fergus #filmdeveloper #filmferraniap30 #fotoimpex #guelph #ilfordhp5 #ilfordortho #kodaktrix400 #london #minoltamaxxum9 #nikonf5 #nikonfe #oakville #ontario #pentax67ii #review #xt3

Film Review Blog No. 73 – Adox CHS 100 II

The year was 2012; I had been shooting film in a far more serious way for three years at that point. I learned of a speciality film store called Freestyle Photographic from an episode of the Film Photography Project. They had all sorts of weird films from Europe that I had never heard of nor seen at my local camera store (which at that time was either Henry's or Burlington Camera). With companies like Efke and Adox, strange, exotic for my North American sensibilities. I purchased a pile of Efke and Adox CHS Art films, both in 35mm and 120, 50 and 100-speed offerings. While Efke became a favourite, the CHS films also presenting a whole new look. Sadly, around that same time Fotokemika, the company that was making both Efke and Adox CHS films at the time, folded. No longer able to maintain or repair the machines that had been chugging along since the 1940s and 1950s. Despite that I managed to hold onto my last roll of CHS 100, finally shooting it in 2015 in the Netherlands. Adox took the reigns and took back the CHS line and released in 2013 a new version, CHS 100 II. Using the original film as a base, they painstakingly reproduced the classic dual emulsion in a single layer coating, even doing their best to duplicate the original sensitization. While CHS 100 II is not the original, it is pretty darn close. And I'm happy to be able to finally review this classic film that helped push me deeper down the rabbit hole of Black & White film and Adox products.

Film Specs
Type: Ortho-Panchromatic
Film Base: Polyester (PET) 100μm
Film Speed: ASA-100, Latitude: 100-400
Formats Available: 135, 120 (currently unavailable), Sheet Film (4×5 to 20×24)

Roll 01 - Kodak D-76
And CHS 100 II comes out swinging for the fences. I knew these were winners when I first pulled the negatives from the development tank. They carried a good density and, more importantly, dried perfectly flat. They also scanned easily in my V700. Quality-wise, they perform exactly how I would expect any film to perform with D-76, good tone and contrast, nothing especially fancy or unique. There's enough tonal separation to help with sharpness. And there's also good edge sharpness. The one thing I did notice is that there is more grain in these images than your standard ASA-100 film, and while a bit of a surprise, knowing the linage of CHS 100 II makes it understandable. This is based on a film that first came out in the mid-20th Century, not a modern emulsion with years of tweaking. While D-76 wouldn't be my first choice here, it will do the job.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 35-70mm 1:4 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 35-70mm 1:4 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 35-70mm 1:4 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 35-70mm 1:4 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:00 @ 20C

Roll 02 - Ilford Ilfotec HC
I went a little off-script for Ilfotec HC; rather than go with a usual dilution of 1+31 or 1+63, I went with 1+39. For those in the Kodak world, that's Dilution D, a little-used dilution in most cases. It also required a different agitation pattern, constant for the first thirty seconds, then five seconds (two inversions) every following thirty seconds. It certainly kept me on my toes. The first thing I noticed was how thin the negatives appeared. Thankfully there was enough there to scan them well. Overall, I think Ilfotech HC/HC-110 is an excellent choice. The images were a little more contrasty than I would like, but going with a 1+63 dilution will probably work better. That said, the images remain sharp, with excellent tonal separation and edge sharpness. A little bit more in the way of grain, but an excellent grain structure.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+39) 7:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+39) 7:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+39) 7:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+39) 7:00 @ 20C

Roll 03 - Adox Rodinal
A little rough, a little grainy, but what are you to expect from Rodinal and a film that isn't fine-grain. However, the results are far better than I was expected. You get more grain than what you might get from another 100-Speed film, but this does help edge sharpness. There is also an increase in contrast which does help with tonal separation, and the tones are excellent across the board with good blacks, whites, and mid-tones. I also noted that the film responds well to a yellow filter with plenty of cutting of the blues, with my skies rendering nearly black in several cases. While not my favourite combination, I certainly feel that going with a 1+50 dilution resulted in far better images than if I had gone with 1+25. I also think that CHS 100 II will respond better to stand-development in Rodinal.

Minolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 12:30 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 12:30 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 12:30 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 12:30 @ 20C

Roll 04 - Adox FX-39 II
I knew these were winning images almost as soon as I pulled the negatives from the tank. The base turned clear; I can see why Adox has CHS 100 II as a good option for reversal processing. When I scanned the negatives, I could see that these were beautiful, almost as if FX-39 was the perfect choice for the film. While there still is grain, it's far less noticeable than those developed in Kodak D-76. But the grain does add to the edge sharpness, but the real sharpness comes from the tonal separation. While I'm not a practitioner of the zone system, I can say that almost all zones are represented in these images. And it does that without increasing the contrast, which sits at a happy medium.

Nikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20C

Final Thoughts
The one thing that I certainly get from CHS 100 II is that old-school flavour that I remember from my earlier experience with Efke 100/Adox CHS 100, which are based on the original Adox formula. The film is rich and contrasty, and you certainly want to make sure that you develop it right. Personally, my favourite results are in Adox FX-39 II, but I'm banking the film will look great in Kodak D-23 or Adox Atomal 49. While the film is a little harder to get in North America, ordering it right from the source is your best bet, and that's Fotoimpex in Germany. Sure it might take a good month to arrive, but it is well worth the wait. The one thing I'm waiting for is the return of 120 format in the film, but it also looks amazing in 4×5, which was my first experience with the film. You can see an example below developed in Xtol. The one thing that I can see this film being good for is reenactments; if I ever get that WW2 combat photographer impression together, my film choices will certainly be CHS 100 II and Fomapan 400 and plenty of Atomal 49.

Pacemaker Crown Graphic - Schneider-Krueznack Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak Xtol (1+1) 7:15 @ 20C

Further Reading
Don't take my word on Adox CHS 100 II, check out these other reviews by fellow bloggers!
Adam Roe Photography - New Film: Adox CHS 100 ii
Retro Glass Photos - A German Wonder Film: Adox CHS 100 II

#filmreviewblogs #adox #adoxchs100ii #adoxfx39ii #adoxphoto #adoxrodinal #canada #chs100ii #crowngraphic #filmreview #fotoimpex #ilfordilfotechc #kodakd76 #kodakxtol #midway #milton #minoltamaxxum9 #minoltaxe7 #nikonf5 #nikonfe #oakville #ohio #ontario #review #stjacobs #unitedstates #uxbridge

Film Review Blog No. 72 – Adox Silvermax

If there is one film that has achieved a little bit of a cult following these days it's Adox Silvermax. Silvermax was the first true film to come out of the renewed Adox Fotowerks GmbH factory in Bad Sarrow, Germany and its parent company Fotoimpex. Based on a classic Agfa film, a modern take on APX 100, it has a higher than normal silver content and when paired with Adox Silvermax Developer presents a classic B&W look. If you were a fan of the older Adox and Efke films, then Silvermax will be your jam (I Hope). The official documentation states that Silvermax has a higher than normal silver content resulting in a higher DMAX (which is the maximum density that can be distinguished from black by a scanner or densitometer or whatever device. It is a single number representing a single density), has a finer grain, sharpness, and has an anti-halation layer between the emulsion and the base. Silvermax is one of several films I'm reviewing this year that I will not have D-76/ID-11 as part of the review process. The one thing you'll notice is that there are none of my 'standard' developers in this review, while you can develop Silvermax in D-76/ID-11, Rodinal, and HC-110, I decided that to get the best results out of Silvermax, might as well go full Adox. So I went with Adox Silvermax developer, the matched pair for Silvermax, along with Adox Atomol 49 a historic developer that handles high silver content films. Adox HR-DEV is an interesting choice but only because it listed Silvermax as one of two films on the bottle. And finally, we have Adox FX-39 II because it's just an awesome developer and might as well stick to the theme.

These are examples of previous production run cylinders, the current run features a two-tone special edition 160th Anniversary Colour Scheme that is rather eye catching.

Film Specs
Type: Panchromatic B&W
Film Base: Triacetate
Film Speed: ASA-100, Latitude: 50-200
Formats Available: 135

Roll 01 - Adox Silvermax Developer
You know, it's a shame that Silvermax film is going away because the results I got out of this first roll are amazing! That should come as no surprise as the Silvermax Film and Developer are made for each other. And the results speak for themselves. These images have a rich deep contrast, without being overly so. The blacks are blacks and the whites are clean and the tonal separation between them is excellent. This combined with an excellent grain structure allows for good overall sharpness and edge sharpness. While officially the documentation calls for a different agitation pattern I went with a standard pattern (constant for the first minute, then five inversions every following minute) and I'm happy with my results. The only downside is only ever shooting Silvermax in Silvermax developer once.

Nikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20C

Roll 02 - Adox HR-DEV
I initially thought I would not use HR-DEV in this review, but after finishing off the five rolls I needed for the review of the developer I had just enough left for one more roll and decided that because Silvermax is printed on the bottle, I should use it for Silvermax. What struck me as odd is that I had to give the film a one-stop push for the published times. I'm sure I could have calculated out the ASA-100 times. And the results speak for themselves, you get a rich contrast, with deep blacks and bright highlights. You can see that the fine-grain nature of Silvermax maintains that with the one-stop push combine with the sharpness given with the HR-DEV. While the fifteen-minute development time combined with the weird agitation pattern (initially thirty-seconds then two inversions every two minutes), might turn people off, but I think it's worth it to get that extra boost of speed.

Minolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-200 - Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 15:00 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-200 - Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 15:00 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-200 - Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 15:00 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-200 - Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 15:00 @ 20C

Roll 03 - Adox Atomol 49
While Atomal is a recent addition to my chemistry kit, it certainly has made a bit impact. As a developer that handles older films stocks and film stocks with higher silver content I figured it would make a great choice for Silvermax. And it did not disappoint me in that endeavour. While not the same results as I got with the paired Silvermax Developer, these are darn close! First off there's an excellent contrast here, despite the terrible lighting conditions I was shoot in, with good tonal separation. There's also excellent edge sharpness and maintaining of fine grain. A worthwhile developer if you have a stash of Silvermax film but no Silvermax developer!

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Atomal 49 (Stock) 10:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Atomal 49 (Stock) 10:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Atomal 49 (Stock) 10:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox Atomal 49 (Stock) 10:00 @ 20C

Roll 04 - Adox FX-39 II
As awesome as Silvermax has performed in all the previous developers, I honestly love the results from FX-39 II the best. There's a certain brightness to these images, excellent tone without being too contrasty. There is a sharpness both thanks to tonal separation and edge sharpness both without increasing the grain. I knew I had a winning roll when I pulled the negatives out of the tank. Now, I did modify my agitation pattern slightly, using an initial agitation of only thirty seconds, but then ten seconds every following minute mark, based on notes found on the FX-39 bottle. And the scanning proved easy with much of the tonal curve being easy to match and produce stunning results. Another worthwhile developer for your Silvermax film if you don't have Silvermax developer.

Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Final Thoughts
While I did not include any standard developers in this review, Silvermax does look okay in those developers. It renders similar to what is found in the original Agfa APX 100 films. My first roll of Silvermax I ever shot I processed in Kodak HC-110, while I was not impressed when I went into this review I cleared my mind of that first roll and found an amazing film. Which sucks, because now I have to give it up. Sadly, back in March 2021, Adox announced that Silvermax will cease production. Back in 2004, Adox acquired the last batch of a specialised sensitiser that is a key part of Silvermax film. That batch, surprisingly lasted sixteen years, and the last batch went on sale in March as a special 160-year edition of the film. Currently, there is no word on a new Silvermax II, but I'm confident that the folks at Adox will do their best to bring something new to the table.

Further Reading
Don't just take my words on Adox Silvermax, here are some other reviews by fellow bloggers.
Emulsive - Adox Silvermax Review
Thorley Photographics - Adox Silvermax 100 – Film Review
Parallax Photographic Corp - Adox Silvermax 100 Film Review
Steve Walton's Outdoor Blog and Photographic Journeys - Adox Silvermax Review
35mm Love - Adox Silvermax in D76 1+1

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