Classic Camera Revival – Episode 112 – Hot Adox Summer

It's been a long hot summer, and Alex sits down for a rare CCR Solo show to talk about his experiences with Adox. If you haven't heard of Adox, then prepare to have your introduction made to the oldest name in film photography chemistry and supplies! While the original 1860s Adox is long gone their name and experience live on with the modern form of the company started by Fotoimpex as a way to preserve not only the intellectual properties of Adox but also Agfa!

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

Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Rollei Superpan 200 @ ASA-160 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 15:30 @ 20COlympus OM-2n - Olympus G.Zuiko Auto-W 1:2.8 f=35mm (Yellow-12) - Adox HR-50 @ ASA-50 - Adox HR-DEV (1+49) 11:00 @ 22CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Fomapan 200 @ ASA-125 - Adox HR-DEV (1+35) 12:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 45mm 1:2.8 N - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Adox Silvermax @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 (Yellow-12) - Efke KB100 @ ASA-100 - Adox Atomal 49 (Stock) 8:00 @ 20C

You can order Adox products and other film photography projects through Fotoimpex. Also, make sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latest!
Web: www.fotoimpex.com
Instagram: instagram.com/adoxphoto
Facebook: facebook.com/ADOXPHOTO

Want a subscription to SilverGrain Classics and are a fan of Classic Camera Revival? Visit their shop online and buy a magazine or a subscription? Looking for a good spot to get your gear and material fix check out Burlington Camera (Burlington, ON), Downtown Camera (Toronto, ON), Film Plus (Toronto, ON), Belle Arte Camera (Hamilton, ON), Pond's FotoSource (Guleph, ON), Foto Art Camera (Owen Sound, ON). Out West there's Kerrisdale Cameras (BC), The Camera Store (Calgary, AB) and Beau Photo Supply (Vancouver, BC). Additionally you can order online at Argentix (Quebec), buyfilm.ca (Ontario), the Film Photography Project or Freestyle Photographic. Looking for development options, check out these labs that have our support, Boréalis Photo Lab, Old School Photo Lab, The Darkroom, and Film Rescue International.

Also you can connect with us through email: classiccamerarevivial[at]gmail[dot]com or by Facebook, we're at Classic Camera Revival, Twitter @ccamerarevival, and Instagram (@classiccamerarevival)!

#classiccamerarevival #adox #adoxatomol49 #adoxchs100ii #adoxfx39ii #adoxhr50 #adoxhrdev #adoxsilvermax #adoxsilvermaxdeveloper #canada #ccr #crawfordlake #efkekb100 #fomapan200 #fotoimpex #hiltonfalls #ilfordfp4 #mamiyam645 #milton #minoltamaxxum9 #nikonf5 #nikonfe #olympusom2n #ontario #paris #podcast #rolleisuperpan200 #rolleiflex28f #solo #toronto #welland

Developer Review Blog No. 20 – Adox Silvermax Developer

When you read the datasheet for Adox Silvermax Developer, you almost can think that this is the secret cypher key to unlock the best possible results when using Adox Silvermax film as the developer is used to unlock a secret silver reserve in Silvermax films and use it to the best photographic potential. Now I'm no language expert, especially German, but I feel that something got lost in translation. (Checks translation), okay, dormant reserves. Either way, this developer is best used with Silvermax films, as it couples with the specialised sensitiser used in that film's production. But don't let that stop you as the developer can be used with other films and often to great effect. In fact, I've gone ahead and even used speciality motion picture film here after seeing excellent results posted online from fellow film photographers to show off exactly what Silvermax developer can do and that it isn't your average one-trick pony.

Technical Details
Manufacturer: Adox
Name: Silvermax Developer
Primary Developer: Hydroquinone & Methylaminophenol
Type: One-Shot
Mix From: Liquid

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

Handling a
The developer has a decent shelf-life; unopened, you're looking at 1-2 years. That does depend on storage conditions; it likes a cool, dry place. Once the seal has been cracked, it's six months, which still is not bad. But like most developers, once you've mixed to the working solution, use it right away. According to Adox, the working solution will go bad after an hour. Silvermax developer is a dilute developer, you're usually working with dilutions of 1+24 or 1+29, so despite the fact, it comes in a 100mL bottle that has enough chemistry for several rolls. The developer pours easily and mixes up almost clear. The one thing I did notice is that once you've finished with the development, it takes on a pink colour. The one thing to pay attention to is agitation patterns. In most cases, you can follow the standard pattern, but there are changes to get the best out of the film in other cases. Two examples of this are with Rollei Superpan 200 and FilmFerrania P30. With Superpan, you have the standard constant agitation for the first minute, but then only two inversions (five seconds) every following minute. With P30, you have constant agitation for the first thirty seconds, then one inversion every thirty-second interval. Also, this is not a developer to use if time is important; most developing times are ten minutes or longer, most of my times for this review were at the eleven-minute mark, Superpan 200 is fifteen and a half, only Ilford FP4+ had an eight-minute development time but a stronger developer mix.

Hasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Adox Silvermax (1+24) 8:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Adox Silvermax (1+24) 8:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Adox Silvermax (1+24) 8:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Adox Silvermax (1+24) 8:00 @ 20C

Applications
Surprisingly, Adox Silvermax Developer is more than a one-trick pony. The main application for Silvermax Developer is with Adox Silvermax film. The two are keyed to each other. As the documentation states, Silvermax Developer will open up the extra silver content in the film to give the ideal results from Silvermax films. I purposefully picked a couple of different film stocks that are difficult, FilmFerrania P30 and Rollei Superpan 200. And the results speak for themselves; they did an excellent job on both films. But it also provided some of the best results I've seen from Eastman 2238, an ultra-low specialised motion picture film. And even for normal films like Ilford FP4+, I was blown away by the results provided.

Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Eastman 2238 @ ASA-12 - Adox Silvermax (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Eastman 2238 @ ASA-12 - Adox Silvermax (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Eastman 2238 @ ASA-12 - Adox Silvermax (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Eastman 2238 @ ASA-12 - Adox Silvermax (1+29) 11:00 @ 20C

Qualities
Often when it comes to developers, it's a slow burn to find the right film, the right dilution, and the right technique. But that very first roll I pulled from the tank developed in Silvermax, I was blown away. And that's with Rollei Superpan, it was only further infused with Eastman 2238, and it also provided with negatives from FilmFerrania P30 that I had never seen before! Silvermax developer produces a rich image with an incredible tonal range which only improves the sharpness. When it comes to grain, there is still some, but it does help knock it back a bit without losing edge sharpness. The developer does not do much to the contrast of the films but does improve it to help with that tonal range. As I mentioned earlier, this developer is specifically designed for the recently discontinued Adox Silvermax film. Together the two produce an image the likes of which I have not seen in a modern emulsion, your blacks are deep, and your highlights bright, and you have every other zone across the board, providing you exposed the image properly. While I only used the film on slow and medium films, I'm confident how it will handle faster films like TMax 400.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Konica Minolta Zoom AF 17-35mm 1:2.8-4 (D) - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Konica Minolta Zoom AF 17-35mm 1:2.8-4 (D) - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Konica Minolta Zoom AF 17-35mm 1:2.8-4 (D) - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Konica Minolta Zoom AF 17-35mm 1:2.8-4 (D) - FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 11:00 @ 20C

Lowdown
As of March of 2021, Adox announced the Adox Silvermax film's discontinuation due to them running out of the specialised sensitiser used in that film stock. They first got their hands on chemistry in 2004, and it lasted sixteen years. I'm unsure if the discontinuation of Silvermax film will end the production of Silvermax developer. But I know that if I get a chance to buy another bottle, I will because the developer is a well-rounded speciality developer which is exactly what I've expected from the fine folks at Adox.

Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Rollei Superpan 200 @ ASA-160 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 15:30 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Rollei Superpan 200 @ ASA-160 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 15:30 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Rollei Superpan 200 @ ASA-160 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 15:30 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Rollei Superpan 200 @ ASA-160 - Adox Silvermax Developer (1+29) 15:30 @ 20C

Recommended Reading
Don't just take my word on Adox Silvermax Developer. Check out these other blogs on the subject!
No other reviews found!

#developerreviewblogs #adox #adoxsilvermax #adoxsilvermaxdeveloper #canada #chemistry #developer #eastman2238 #filmferraniap30 #fotoimpex #georgetown #haltonhills #hasselblad500c #ilfordfp4 #mamiyam645 #milton #minoltamaxxum9 #nikonf5 #nikonfe #oakville #ontario #review #rolleisuperpan200 #silvermaxdeveloper #toronto

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

#filmreviewblogs #adox #adoxatomal49 #adoxfx39ii #adoxhrdev #adoxphoto #adoxsilvermax #adoxsilvermaxdeveloper #canada #fotoimpex #georgetown #guildparkgardens #hiltonfalls #milton #minoltamaxxum9 #minoltaxe7 #nikkor #nikonf5 #nikonfe #oakville #ontario #rokkor #silvermax #toronto