ADOX CHS 100 II in 120 format available again!

[albireo]

I got ten rolls of CHS 100 II (120 format) for Christmas and have exposed and developed two rolls, using one of my favorites: Barry Thornton's 2-Bath developer (An improved version of Divided D-23). What a superb film CHS 100II is. If you're a fan of the Tri-X look, then this may just be your film. Spectacular tonal separation throughout the scale, superb acutance, though I found I had to expose at 40 ASA to get the shadow detail I wanted.
Camera: Hasselblad 500C/M, standard 80mm Planar.

Thank you, Mirko/Adox - this is a fantastic film and I will be purchasing more of it soon. Let's hope some of the US suppliers get some as well.

Paul, thanks for sharing. This is clearly a great film and you are a master in producing a tasteful, balanced, final image.

However based on this and on your other content on Flickr I wouldn't be able to tell where the results I'm seeing are due to the film or to your (beautifully done) digital post processing. I don't see much difference between this and other images you have taken with eg Ilford or Foma film in 120.

Do you have an unedited copy of this? No digital vignetting, no tonal adjustments, no sepia toning. The straightest conversion you can get out of your scanner would be great.

If you could do a side by side same shot comparison chs II vs Delta 100 or any other favourite of yours, both minimally edited, that would be so helpful. Thanks!

 

[retina_restoration]

Paul, thanks for sharing. This is clearly a great film and you are a master in producing a tasteful, balanced, final image.

If you could do a side by side same shot comparison chs II vs Delta 100 or any other favourite of yours, both minimally edited, that would be so helpful. Thanks!

As requested, here are two photos taken yesterday using my Super Ikonta (f3.5 Tessar) - one image made on Adox CHS 100 II and the other on Ilford Delta 400. Both films were developed in Mytol 1:1 for the recommended times for each. (CHS100 processed for 8 minutes and the Delta 400 for 9 minutes) Images linked to are from the scanner, no Lightroom edits other than adjusting the histograms to match overall placement of shadow and highlight values. (Basically just matching for overall brightness and shadow/highlight presence) No sharpening applied.

This one is the Adox image. (click link)
And this one is the Delta 400 image. (click link)

This is a screen shot comparison of the two at 50% of full file size (11,000 x 7500 pixels)

My comments:
The Adox CHS100 II gives the impression of superior sharpness, but I would say that this is due in part to the greater separation of the high values. At 100% enlargement, they have very similar acutance, but very clear differences in the separation of values from middle to highest values: the CHS100 II has very clear, distinct high value separation, whereas the Delta 400 presents softer looking high values. But the Delta 400 has much better separation of the lower values. You can see both of these properties in this 50% magnification screen shot.
These differences can be manipulated to generate a similar finished image.
The grain of the Delta 400 is larger and more conspicuous than the CHS100 II, as expected. But the difference is not as great as I would have expected. The Adox film is a "classic grain" film and the Ilford film is the modern "T grain/core shell" type of emulsion, which no doubt accounts for the difference. Both are very fine grained images (these are 6x9 cm negatives)

Here is a section of each image at 100% magnification, where you can see the grain characteristics:

Click here to see this grain comparison image at full size.
Both films will easily make excellent images in the darkroom or processed in a digital editor (I use Lightroom).

 

[NedL]

I'm going to make my order soon. Last week, I finally did see a yellow DHL van in Sonoma County where I live, and it had a wheel stuck in a muddy ditch on the side of a road Hopefully that's not an omen!

 

[Steven Lee]

@retina_restoration Thank you for sharing the images! Do you mind telling us a little bit more about how you metered / exposed them? Thanks!

 

[retina_restoration]

@retina_restoration Thank you for sharing the images! Do you mind telling us a little bit more about how you metered / exposed them? Thanks!

Incident metering (Sekonic). CHS 100 II was metered for 32 ASA, and I applied reciprocity as suggested by Adox. The Delta 400 was exposed at 200 ASA and reciprocity adjustment was not required.

 

[albireo]

As requested, here are two photos taken yesterday using my Super Ikonta (f3.5 Tessar) - one image made on Adox CHS 100 II and the other on Ilford Delta 400. Both films were developed in Mytol 1:1 for the recommended times for each. (CHS100 processed for 8 minutes and the Delta 400 for 9 minutes) Images linked to are from the scanner, no Lightroom edits other than adjusting the histograms to match overall placement of shadow and highlight values. (Basically just matching for overall brightness and shadow/highlight presence) No sharpening applied.

This one is the Adox image. (click link)
And this one is the Delta 400 image. (click link)

This is a screen shot comparison of the two at 50% of full file size (11,000 x 7500 pixels)

My comments:
The Adox CHS100 II gives the impression of superior sharpness, but I would say that this is due in part to the greater separation of the high values. At 100% enlargement, they have very similar acutance, but very clear differences in the separation of values from middle to highest values: the CHS100 II has very clear, distinct high value separation, whereas the Delta 400 presents softer looking high values. But the Delta 400 has much better separation of the lower values. You can see both of these properties in this 50% magnification screen shot.
These differences can be manipulated to generate a similar finished image.
The grain of the Delta 400 is larger and more conspicuous than the CHS100 II, as expected. But the difference is not as great as I would have expected. The Adox film is a "classic grain" film and the Ilford film is the modern "T grain/core shell" type of emulsion, which no doubt accounts for the difference. Both are very fine grained images (these are 6x9 cm negatives)

Here is a section of each image at 100% magnification, where you can see the grain characteristics:

Click here to see this grain comparison image at full size.
Both films will easily make excellent images in the darkroom or processed in a digital editor (I use Lightroom).

Fantastic - thank you. This is very helpful indeed.

 

[retina_restoration]

Fantastic - thank you. This is very helpful indeed.

You're welcome.

 

[retina_restoration]

As of yesterday, Freestyle is now offering CHS 100 II. No need to order from Germany now!

 

[markjwyatt]

As of yesterday, Freestyle is now offering CHS 100 II. No need to order from Germany now!

Great news!