Adox film

The History of Adox

Adox has one of the oldest lineages of any film brand still active today. It was originally founded in 1860 by Dr Carl Schleussner in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and went on to have connections with both DuPont and Agfa over the following century, before the Adox trademark lapsed in the early 2000s.

The name was revived in 2003 by Fotoimpex, a Berlin-based photographic import company originally founded in 1992 to bring Eastern European film and paper, including Foma, to Western markets. Adox Fotowerke now operates from Bad Saarow near Berlin, genuinely coating its own film emulsion using equipment salvaged from former Agfa and Forte factories, alongside a leased former Ilford coating line in Marly, Switzerland, acquired in 2015. This makes Adox one of the very few companies left in the world still manufacturing film from raw materials rather than sourcing it from elsewhere.

Adox's Camera Film Ranges

CHS 100 II is Adox's core black and white film, available in 35mm, 120 and sheet formats, known for a classic orthopanchromatic tonal rendering rooted in the company's historic formulas. Silvermax 100 uses an unusually high silver content to deliver an extended tonal range and fine grain, while Scala 160 is a genuine black and white reversal film, producing true slides rather than negatives, a rare and technically demanding product few manufacturers still offer. Adox also produces HR-50, colour film, photographic papers and its well-known Rodinal developer.

Choosing the Right Adox Film

For classic black and white character with real manufacturing heritage, CHS 100 II is the natural starting point. Photographers chasing maximum tonal range should look at Silvermax 100, while anyone wanting genuine black and white slides for projection should try Scala 160. Compare Adox film prices on Filmproof.