ADOX

ADOX is a German photographic-materials brand with roots in the nineteenth-century photographic manufacturing business of Fotowerke Dr. C. Schleussner GmbH in Frankfurt am Main. The name has passed through several corporate owners and uses, but it is now associated with Fotoimpex and ADOX Fotowerke GmbH, which produce and distribute traditional photographic films, papers, developers, fixers, and related darkroom products. The brand’s early history is tied to Dr. Carl Schleussner, who established a photographic manufacturing company in 1860 and worked on early photographic and X-ray applications. ADOX became increasingly visible as a commercial photographic name during the first half of the twentieth century, including through cameras and films. In 1952, the Schleussner business introduced sharp black-and-white 35 mm films under the ADOX name. These products helped establish the brand’s association with conventional silver-halide photography. In 1962, the Schleussner family sold its photographic holdings to DuPont. The ADOX trademark subsequently became connected to DuPont’s photographic and diagnostic-imaging activities. During the 1970s, film technology associated with the brand was licensed to Fotokemika in what was then Yugoslavia, where related black-and-white films continued under the Efke name. DuPont retained the ADOX trademark and later used it for X-ray film through Sterling Diagnostic Imaging. Sterling was acquired by Agfa in 1999, but Agfa did not maintain the photographic ADOX brand, and the German registration lapsed in 2003. Fotoimpex, a Berlin company founded in 1992 to import photographic films and papers from Eastern Europe, acquired or re-established rights to the ADOX name in 2003. The company used the brand for films related to historic ADOX and Efke emulsions and gradually expanded it into a broader analog-photography portfolio. ADOX Fotowerke GmbH was established in Bad Saarow near Berlin for converting, packaging, and producing photographic materials. The company also acquired machinery and technical capabilities from former Agfa and Forte facilities, supporting the revival or continuation of selected emulsions, papers, and chemical formulas. ADOX’s current range includes black-and-white films such as CMS 20 II, CHS 100 II, HR-50, and Scala 50, as well as color products including Color Mission 200. Its paper portfolio has included fiber-based and resin-coated enlarging papers, baryta materials, and inkjet media derived from analog-paper manufacturing. The chemistry range covers film developers, paper developers, stop baths, fixers, wetting agents, toners, and processing kits. Products such as Rodinal/Adonal connect the current brand with historically important photographic chemistry, while eco-oriented products such as Adostop Eco and D-76 Eco reflect an effort to reduce the environmental impact of darkroom processing. The brand occupies a specialist position rather than a mass-market imaging position. Its customers include film photographers, darkroom printers, archival and fine-art users, laboratories, educators, and enthusiasts seeking control over traditional photographic processes. ADOX’s differentiation comes from maintaining analog production capabilities, reintroducing historically significant emulsions and chemistry, offering niche formats and processes, and combining heritage products with newer formulations. Some products have been discontinued because of manufacturing constraints, raw-material availability, or production costs, so availability varies by market and period. The brand remains active, but detailed public information about its financial scale, leadership, and global sales is limited.

ADOX originated as a photographic brand connected with Fotowerke Dr. C. Schleussner GmbH of Frankfurt am Main. Dr. Carl Schleussner founded the photographic manufacturing business in 1860, during the formative period of commercial photography. The company worked with photographic plates and related materials and was involved in early X-ray imaging development, including work associated with Wilhelm Röntgen. During the first third of the twentieth century, the Schleussner company marketed cameras under the ADOX name and eventually incorporated the brand into its corporate identity. The name became particularly associated with films when the company introduced sharp black-and-white 35 mm products in 1952. These films formed the historical basis for later ADOX-related products and helped define the brand as a supplier for conventional photography rather than merely a camera label. A major ownership change took place in 1962, when the Schleussner family sold its photographic holdings to DuPont. DuPont registered and controlled the ADOX trademark in the United States. In the 1970s, related film technology was licensed to Fotokemika in Samobor, then in Yugoslavia and now in Croatia. Fotokemika continued making comparable black-and-white films under the Efke name, including KB, R, and sheet-film formats. The films were valued for latitude, tonality, and sharpness, although their relatively soft emulsions could make them vulnerable to scratches and production-quality variation. DuPont later transferred the ADOX name to Sterling Diagnostic Imaging for use with X-ray films. Agfa acquired Sterling in 1999 and absorbed it into its health-sciences activities. Agfa did not continue the photographic brand in a substantial way, and the German trademark registration was removed from the registry in March 2003. The lapse created an opportunity for Fotoimpex, a Berlin company established in 1992 to import photographic films and papers from Eastern Europe. Fotoimpex obtained rights to the ADOX name in 2003 and revived it as an analog-photography brand. Early efforts included selling former Efke materials under ADOX branding, including ADOX CHS Art, thereby reconnecting the name with film formulas descended from the earlier ADOX tradition. ADOX Fotowerke GmbH was established at Bad Saarow near Berlin for film conversion, packaging, and manufacturing. The business acquired equipment from closed or reorganized photographic facilities, including machinery associated with Agfa in Germany and Forte Photochemical Industry in Hungary. The company’s production strategy has combined historical formulas, adapted legacy products, and newly developed materials. It test-produced ADOX Pan 400 in 2010 as an attempt to offer an improved version of the former Agfa APX 400. After Fotokemika shut down in 2012, ADOX pursued modern cascade coating for CHS 100 II rather than relying on the old manufacturing equipment. In 2015 it obtained a former Ilford Imaging coating line at Marly, Switzerland, and carried out trial work there. CHS 100 II was subsequently reintroduced, initially in sheet-film form, with broader availability following in 2018. ADOX Fotowerke’s portfolio now covers black-and-white and color films, enlarging papers, inkjet and baryta media, and a broad selection of darkroom chemistry. Its products include high-resolution CMS 20 II, the classic-emulsion-inspired CHS 100 II, HR-50, Scala 50 reversal film, and Color Mission 200 color-negative film. Chemistry includes Rodinal/Adonal, Atomal 49, D-76 variants, XT-3, HC-110 Pro, paper developers, stop baths, fixers, wetting agents, and toners. Some former products, including several films and papers, have been discontinued because of production costs, equipment limitations, or changing supply conditions. The modern ADOX brand therefore represents both continuity and reconstruction. It draws on a photographic name dating to the nineteenth century, but its current operations are shaped by Fotoimpex’s efforts to preserve and renew analog manufacturing in Europe. Its market is specialized and international in reach, serving film photographers, darkroom printers, laboratories, educators, and fine-art users. Public sources provide substantial information about its products and manufacturing history but limited information about revenue, executive management, workforce, or detailed market shares.

1. 2018CHS 100 II reintroduced

   After modern coating trials, ADOX brought CHS 100 II back into production as a successor to the historic ADOX/Efke film lineage.

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2. 2015Marly coating line obtained

   ADOX obtained or leased a former Ilford Imaging coating line in Marly, Switzerland, expanding its potential film and paper manufacturing capacity.

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3. 2012Fotokemika shuts down

   Fotokemika closed after its original film-making machinery became too expensive to repair, prompting ADOX to pursue alternative production methods.

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4. 2010ADOX Pan 400 test production

   ADOX test-produced Pan 400, an attempted improvement of the former Agfa APX 400 black-and-white film.

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5. 2003Fotoimpex revives the ADOX photographic identity

   Fotoimpex obtained rights to the ADOX name and began rebuilding it as a brand for analog photographic materials.

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6. 1999Sterling Diagnostic Imaging acquired by Agfa

   The ADOX trademark passed indirectly into Agfa’s sphere through its acquisition of Sterling Diagnostic Imaging.

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7. 1972Film technology licensed to Fotokemika

   Related ADOX film technology and coating equipment were licensed or transferred to Fotokemika, which continued comparable films under the Efke name.

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8. 1962Photographic holdings sold to DuPont

   The Schleussner family transferred its photographic holdings and the trademark entered DuPont ownership.

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9. 1952ADOX black-and-white 35 mm films introduced

   The Schleussner business launched a line of sharp black-and-white 35 mm films under the ADOX brand.

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10. 1860Schleussner photographic manufacturing begins

    Dr. Carl Schleussner established the photographic manufacturing business that later became associated with the ADOX name.

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Specialist analog-photography brand focused on silver-based films, darkroom papers, photographic chemistry, heritage emulsion revival, and small-scale photographic production.

• CMS 20 IIBlack-and-white photographic film

  A very high-resolution black-and-white film derived from an Agfa-Gevaert microfilm emulsion. It has a nominal speed around ISO 12 and requires specialized development to control contrast for pictorial photography. ADOX offers or has offered it in 135, 120, and sheet-film formats, making it suitable for highly detailed work where resolution is prioritized over speed.

• CHS 100 IIBlack-and-white photographic film2013

  A modern-coated successor to the historic ADOX R/KB 21 and Efke KB 100 family. The ISO 100 film is associated with classic ortho-panchromatic rendering and traditional silver-based tonal characteristics. Production moved toward modern cascade coating after the closure of Fotokemika, and the product was reintroduced from 2018 after earlier availability constraints.

• HR-50Black-and-white photographic film2018

  A low-speed, fine-grain, super-panchromatic film based on modified Agfa-Gevaert Aviphot 80 technology. It can also be used for infrared-style photography with suitable filtration. Its nominal speed is ISO 50, and it is sold in 135 format.

• Scala 50Black-and-white reversal film

  A panchromatic black-and-white reversal film based on the HR-50 platform. It is designed for photographers who want a positive black-and-white transparency rather than a conventional negative, and it is processed using a reversal workflow such as the ADOX Scala Kit.

• Color Mission 200Color-negative photographic film

  A color-negative film developed by ADOX with a nominal speed of ISO 200. It extends the company’s portfolio beyond its traditional black-and-white emphasis and is intended for standard 135-format color-negative photography.

• MCC photographic paperBlack-and-white enlarging paper

  A fiber-based multicontrast enlarging-paper family available in glossy and semi-matte variants. The emulsions are associated with the former Agfa Multicontrast Classic tradition and are intended for conventional darkroom printing of black-and-white negatives.

• Rodinal / AdonalFilm developer

  A liquid-concentrate developer with roots reaching back to the late nineteenth century. ADOX produces it under the Rodinal and Adonal names using a formula associated with Agfa’s later Leverkusen production. It is used for black-and-white film processing and is valued for long concentrate life and flexible dilution choices.

• D-76 EcoFilm developer

  An ADOX powder developer based on the familiar D-76 black-and-white film-processing approach. Its formulation replaces borates with a biodegradable buffer, positioning it as a lower-impact alternative while retaining the general-purpose role associated with classic D-76 chemistry.

• Adostop EcoStop bath2018

  A liquid stop bath introduced in 2018 and based on citric acid. It is designed as an odorless alternative for interrupting development during film and paper processing and reflects ADOX’s emphasis on more environmentally considerate darkroom chemistry.

• AdofixPhotographic fixer

  A fixer family for black-and-white photographic films, papers, and plates. Adofix Plus is a liquid concentrate intended for high-capacity processing, while Adofix P II is a powdered acidic universal fixer. These products complete the chemical removal of unexposed silver compounds after development.

• 2018Reintroduce CHS 100 IIProduct launch

  Earlier CHS 100 II production had been constrained by the disappearance of the former Fotokemika manufacturing capability.

  What changed. ADOX returned the film to production after trial coating and manufacturing work using newer equipment and processes.

  Aftermath. CHS 100 II became one of the brand’s principal heritage black-and-white film offerings, subject to the availability of specific formats.

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• 2015Expand coating capacity through the Marly facilityStrategy

  ADOX sought additional manufacturing capability for film and paper as analog photography retained a specialist market.

  What changed. The company obtained or entered a long lease for a former Ilford Imaging medium-scale coating line in Marly, Switzerland.

  Aftermath. The line was used for trial coating and for testing possible revivals of photographic products, including CHS 100 II and Polywarmtone-related paper work.

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• 2012Shift CHS 100 II toward modern coatingStrategy

  Fotokemika closed after the original film-making equipment became uneconomical to repair, threatening continued supply of films related to the historic ADOX/Efke emulsion family.

  What changed. ADOX prioritized production of CHS 100 II using modern cascade-coating methods rather than relying on the discontinued manufacturing line.

  Aftermath. The film was eventually reintroduced, initially with sheet-film availability and later in additional formats.

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• 2003Rebuild ADOX as an independent analog-photography brandStrategy

  The ADOX photographic trademark was no longer being actively developed by Agfa after its acquisition of Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, and the German registration had lapsed.

  What changed. Fotoimpex obtained rights to the name and applied it to films, papers, chemistry, and related analog-photography products.

  Aftermath. ADOX became associated with Fotoimpex and ADOX Fotowerke GmbH, with a portfolio combining revived legacy materials and newer products.

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• 2018CHS 100 II returns after modernized coating work

  After trial coating and production work, ADOX reintroduced CHS 100 II, a modernized version of the historic ADOX/Efke black-and-white film lineage.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2015ADOX obtains access to a former Ilford coating line in Switzerland

  ADOX acquired or secured a long lease on a medium-scale coating line at Marly, Switzerland, formerly associated with Ilford Imaging and Ciba-Geigy.

  Other
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• 2012Fotokemika closes and ADOX shifts CHS 100 II production

  Following Fotokemika’s closure and the impracticality of repairing its film-making machinery, ADOX moved toward modern cascade coating for CHS 100 II.

  Product generation
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• 2010ADOX develops Pan 400

  ADOX test-produced Pan 400, described as an improved version of the former Agfa APX 400 black-and-white film.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2003Fotoimpex re-establishes ADOX as a photographic brand

  After the prior German trademark registration lapsed, Fotoimpex obtained rights to the ADOX name and began using it for films, papers, and photographic chemistry.

  Other
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• 1999Sterling Diagnostic Imaging is acquired by Agfa

  Agfa acquired Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, the DuPont subsidiary associated with ADOX-branded X-ray films. Agfa subsequently did not continue active use of the photographic ADOX identity.

  M&A
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• 1962DuPont acquires the Schleussner photographic holdings

  The Schleussner family sold its photographic interests to DuPont, transferring the ADOX trademark into an American corporate ownership structure.

  M&A
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1. ADOX