In the world of film photography, developers play a crucial role in the final aesthetics and quality of the developed film. Adox Adonal is one such developer that has significantly shaped the landscape of black and white film photography. It is a black and white film developer of German origin, essentially a modern version of the classic Rodinal developer.
A bit of history
Adox Adonal was developed by the German company Adox, which can look back on a long history dating back to the early 20th century. Originally, the company was founded in 1860 as a manufacturer of photographic paper. In 1949, the company released a film that was very popular with professional photographers: the Adox R 17, followed by Adox KB 17, Adox KB 14, and Adox KB 21.
During the division of Germany, Adox faced significant challenges and was split into two units, one in West Germany and one in East Germany. After reunification, the Adox brand was finally revived in 2003 by Fotoimpex, a company dedicated to preserving classic photographic methods.
What is Adox Adonal?
Adox Adonal is essentially the same formula as the classic Rodinal developer. After the bankruptcy of AgfaPhoto GmbH in 2005, Fotoimpex acquired the Rodinal formula and began manufacturing under the Adox brand and the name "Adonal".
Like Rodinal, Adox Adonal is a highly concentrated liquid developer. It is known for its excellent shelf life and cost efficiency, attributable to its one-time usage and the high dilution rates, which typically range between 1:25 and 1:100.
Development times for different films
These times refer to development in Rodinal.
