Owning dozens of cameras is a beautiful thing, but it has its dark side. Sometimes, you simply lose track of which stage of “delusional ambition” your various projects are in. For quite a while, I’ve had a personal vendetta against Adox CMS 20 II. It’s a film you either worship or curse—there is no middle ground. My results so far have been a rollercoaster of inconsistency, only vaguely hinting at those legendary technical charts promising resolution from another planet.
But I knew the film had it in it. And I was absolutely certain that I had a roll loaded and ready to go.
An Expedition Through My Own Apartment
Finding a specific film in my household isn’t a matter of glancing at a shelf. It’s a full-blown tour of the premises. My collection is organically “stored” everywhere—from display cabinets to random corners where cameras are just “resting.” I performed a tactical sweep of dozens of bodies, hunting for that one specific canister.
I wasn’t wrong. There it was, tucked inside my Fujica ST 901. Through the little window on the back, that unmistakable canister color and the label promised me a miracle. The dial was set to ISO 25—the absolute floor for the Fujica’s auto-exposure. I knew I was about to dance on the razor’s edge of what the film and the machine could handle.
Grey Reality and the Optical Triple-Threat
The weather outside was, frankly, miserable. A sky the color of wet concrete, flat light, and a biting -12°C. Not exactly the day for epic landscape photography. So, I settled for some “indoor calisthenics.” To make this battle with Adox more interesting (or perhaps just to suffer more), I decided to test the souls of three very different lenses:
- Helios 44-2 58mm f/2: A lens with a personality so big it doesn’t care about MTF charts.
- SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8: A mechanical jewel of pure precision.
- Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 (by Kiron): A wide-angle brawler with a very specific “bite.”
The “Oh No” Moment
I burned through a few of my typically boring compositions and, feeling like a total pro, retreated to the darkroom. Loading the tank is pure muscle memory; my hands do the work while my brain is already dreaming of the perfect developer temp. I didn’t expect any surprises… because I was so sure.
But as I was winding the film onto the reel in total darkness, my fingertips hit a snag. A literal one. I felt adhesive tape at the end of the roll. The exact tape I use when I’m bulk-loading metered film into recycled canisters. In that split second, the cold truth hit me: Adox CMS 20 II doesn’t come in bulk rolls with my messy taping technique.
My absolute certainty evaporated into the pitch-black air. Inside that “world’s sharpest film” canister was an impostor.
Decision Time in the Dark
I stood there in the dark, reel in hand, doing frantic mental math. In my bulk stash, I only have two suspects: Kodak 5222 (Double-X) at ISO 250, or Kodak PAN 2484, a high-speed beast that can hit ISO 3200. And there I was, having exposed the whole thing at ISO 25. To add insult to injury, I had even used an old Metz 45 CT1 flash just to “give it some juice.”
While I thought I was being a master of fine-grain precision, I likely had a roll in the tank that had been nuked with 3.3 EV of overexposure.
The fancy Adotech IV developer went back into the fridge. If it was the 2484, the film was toast—a solid black strip useful only as a “black belt” for my camera bag. If it was Double-X, there was a slim chance of a rescue mission via a drastic pull process.
Chemical Alchemy
I skipped the Ansco 130; I didn’t trust the glycin to hold those screaming highlights. Rodinal was out too—the grain would have looked like gravel. I settled on a modern classic: 510-Pyro. Extreme dilution (1+200), 22 minutes, and a chilly 17°C. I was praying that the famous pyro “stain” would act as a safety net for my blown-out highlights.
The Result: A Victory Over Arrogance
When I pulled the film out, a massive weight lifted. Not only were the negatives scannable, they were actually good enough for the enlarger. My “boring” photos turned into a testament to just how much abuse a professional cinema stock can take if you know how to apologize to it in the darkroom.Fujica ST901, Helios 44-2Fujica ST901, Takumar 55 f1,8Fujica ST901, Takumar 55 f1,8Fujica ST901, Vivitar 28mm (Kiron)Fujica ST901, Vivitar 28mm (Kiron)Fujica ST901, Takumar 55 f1,8
- Shot #1 (Helios 44-2): That dreamy character remained intact, saved by the Pyro.
- Shots #2 & 3 (SMC Takumar): Pure contrast—one with the Metz, one in flat daylight. Detail for days.
- Shot #4 (Vivitar/Kiron + Bounced Metz): The dynamic range is honestly shocking given the overexposure.
- Shot #5 (The “Face-Off”): Direct flash to the face from 0.5m at ISO 25 on ISO 250 film? Instead of a white nuclear blast, I got a textured, moody portrait.
- Shot #6 (SMC Takumar + Long Exposure): Clean, stable, and perfect.
I was sure this whole mess was going in the bin. Instead, I learned that a little chemical luck and the sheer tank-like resilience of Kodak Double-X can save you from yourself. Next time, I’ll label the damn canister. But then again… where’s the fun in being right all the time?
Mic… the fool on the hill💖📷🎞
