I was also surprised by the one with the 28mm Rupert, it was well stopped down yet still had incredible detail in the foreground. I think there was some atmospheric haze affecting the longer shots, I’ll be doing more close work next time and also something on a cold day at the coast if possible.
It was so much better on the primes but then again the long shots did suffer with a little atmospheric haze that reduced the sharpness. I’m interested to try it near the coast where the light is a lot cleaner.
I agree with others that the 50mm mountain shots are great. The others as well, great work! One bit of constructive criticism: Whenever you show the scans in a video, I would appreciate it, if after it zooms out and ends on the full image, it would last a few seconds longer before fading to black. This way one could get a better (if still short) look at the full image. Keep it up, Steve!
Good point on the stills Marvin, I’ve actually just started to record screen captures from Lightroom instead as this allows me to move around the image and zoom in and out as needed. You should see the first examples in next weeks video 😊
Wonderful video, Steve. Just wanted to say thank you for teaching me so much about landscape photography. I've been watching your videos for years and there is always something new to learn from each of them. Your notion of using longer lenses to "remove information" if it's not contributing to the frame was a real eye-opener for me. Thank you again and I'm definitely keen to try out some Adox CMS 20 one day!
Glad you’re like the videos, there’s always something new to talk about, especially when it comes to analogue shooting. I think my preference for long lenses started over 30 years ago when I couldn’t afford a wideangle for my Mamiya 645. I ended up with just the standard and modest telephoto and this seems to have impacted my compositions ever since.
I just ordered one of those finders online from Japan. I tried to order some of that wonderful Adox CMS 20 II film from B&H but something went wrong and two tries at shipping it to me failed. The parcel company was DHL, which is ultra-reliable, so I have no idea what could have gone wrong. I get lots of shipments here all the time, so I can't imagine why there was a bother. Modern problems, I suppose. Those images you took were breathtaking. I don't expect that using Adox CMS 20 II will turn my images into masterpieces, but I like detail, so I am still going to try it. I will probably go with another vendor, because I guess that maybe they have something wrong in their database. Keep up the masterful teaching. You make the world a better place. I know that sounds trite, but I think it is not far from the mark. I guess that I am not the only one who feels joy when I see that a new video has been released. I definitely learn from your work.
What a great day you had up there in the mountains. Stunning images as per usual. I don't blame you sitting there for hours on end enjoying your scones. No better place to be. A few months from now and it will be a very unhospitable place for a picnic. I loved the angle finder. I just bought myself 4 rolls of Kodak Gold for some Autumn film photography. The layering of the mountains was fantastic as sunset approached. Great work as usual Steve. Always a pleasure to drop in to your world as and when.
Thanks Simon, it was more a day to be out enjoying the countryside rather than shooting it. Good luck with the Kodak Gold, I used to shoot a lot of it many years ago.
Great video and stunning locations. I am not sure that a bright sunny day was best to check the film out as it has a pretty high contrast and responds better to rather overcast or misty outdoor subjects.
Another nice video Steve and I'm looking forward to the follow up next week. I always use a Pyro developer for the slow Adox films but to be honest I've never tried anything else with them, so I'm excited to see which direction you went with in.
Great video Steve. It had me itching all over again. I particularly liked the shot looking down to Coniston Water and I'm looking forward to your next review of the film.
Great vid, just tried a roll of this stuff, tried it out with mainly one lens but got a stunning result from my 85mm F1.8 D nikkor. Need to explore it further to get the maximum out of it.
I must get my 50mm Nikkor out again. When you wre summing up I was thinking; there are some interesting films to use however Ilford films are the best for most purposes, well developed and produce well rounded results.
I really enjoyed the fence image and the one at 11:00. I have just begun to shoot this film on 4x5 and need to a few more sheets completed before I develop them in the prescribed developer. Looking forward to next week's video 👍🏻.
I like the CMS20 sometimes, but really only in low contrast conditions. Also rate it at ISO 12 or 16 sometimes. On the larger than 35mm formats you can very easily get artefacts or uneven development. For trees I am not yet decided, if Iike the look. For coastal scenes the film can be quite spectacular as it renders the water almost black.
Thanks Manuel. I’m also wondering if some of the issues I had are due to uneven development ( see next weeks video) and despite rating it at EI 12 it was still very close contrasty.
Back in the 80's I shot many rolls of Agfapan 25 on my Hasselblad. I do miss that film, liked it better than Panatomic-X. Now for detail on 35mm and 120mm, my go-to is Tmax 100 at ISO 80, I know it really well.
It certainly has a different look but wow that resolution and detail in those shots are impressive! I think you used it well I would say. Looking forward to the darkroom results though as I am very curious to how it performs there (and I also tend to prefer making prints in the darkroom). It's a film I've really wanted to try but haven't had the chance just yet.
Thanks for doing this film. I live in Berlin where this is made (technically near Berlin & only 88km away from my flat) and have been amazed by the story of it and Fotoimpex. I was confused by the 20 in the name as to whether it was just a number or the film speed! Now having seen your tests and a couple other reviews I will have to become a much better photographer before using this film. Though I really want to some day! Thanks again! Made a subscriber out of me.
Great video, Adox too slow for me with the wind where I live. Trying to think where you were shooting from with Holme Fell in the foreground, above Hawkshead perhaps?
It is a bit slow but given the right light it is useable. The location was Tom Heights above Tarn Hows, not a bad spot once you’ve located the path up to the top.
The ADOX CMS 20 is a very nice film and used it a lot of times. One advise: ALWAYS use a lens hood. Realy always. It makes a big difference. Because it is so fine in detil that even a little bit of scatter light can ruin the resolution. Even at night: use a lens hood. It makes a huge difference, believe me. Also for portraits: you will see each skin pore and the texture of the clothing fabric. But this means you have to look at all details before. I scanned mine with a nikon scanner. And of course I took wet paper pictures....
Thanks for the advice, the lack of a hood definitely punished me. I would be better off using my sit mar as a larger shade well out of the frame, something I’d usually do but inexplicably forgot to this time.
Brilliant photographs. Ansel Adams once said that 35mm is quite capable of producing good quality photographs, but only when treated like a view camera. I have used two rolls of this film , ADOX CMS 20II. The first was just a test roll, the second one was shot at a very small woodland a small distance from my house. I too used a Nikon FE with a 35mm NIkkor AIS @ between F2.8 and F5.6 but mostly @ F4. The results were pretty good. To be fair I don't think that my Nikon Coolscan ED scanner is pulling all the detail out of this emulsion. I wish that I had a Hasselblad Flextight X1, perhaps in another life. I think that the film will show off best when used in a high quality enlarger in a darkroom. Will eagerly wait for the results of your test.
I need to work harder next time and only use the best lenses I have. I think a duller day will help tame the contrast but it’s still a tricky film to get the best out of given the low speed.
Well done soldiering on in the face of midges, heat and harsh light Steve! Interesing use of the zoom especially with the back lit trees. I think that you are wise to hold off your decision on the film until after seeing the darkroom results. The digital scans show much promise though.
Excellent video as always.I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts about this film next week and see the prints. Would you like to share with us any details about how you developed it ?
Thank you. I developed the roll in the supplied Adotech IV at 1:14 for 10 mins as recommended. All chemicals were mixed just for this film and I carefully followed the agitation and stop/fix cycle.
The analog way teaches you taking photos. In the digital world tou just click and choose the best pictures. In the Analog world you know: every time you hit the trigger means that you have to work another 10 minutes to have your picture: developing, scanning or making paper fotos... most of the work takes place in the studio. So you are forced to think before taking a picture. Sometimes I tested it with an digicam first. Really great pictures. ..
Hi Steve, I loved this video thanks so much. What was the "hill" - Fell from which you took most of the telephoto shots from including of coniston lake (I think you mentioned overlooking Holme Fell)
I didn’t think you ever were outside beyond sunrise Steve.😂 Enjoyable video. I have the f/4.0 version of the 80-200. Mine slides by itself, so I had to put some gaffer tape on it.
Beautiful! The only thing I would have used in addition with such zoom lens is a cable release for the shutter. Any intent to compare it with Ilford's PanF+ 50 film?
I typically use the self timer on these old Nikon’s as it flips up the mirror at the start. It’s as good as having mirror lockup and largely negates the need for a cable release. I’m still deciding what film to compare against the CMS 20, I’ve got Delta 100 and Pan F which are pretty equally matched.
I've shot Pan F and the resolution is okay, but really not super impressive considering the speed. I find TMAX 100 to be a fair bit sharper while still being faster. It really comes down to the technology, TMAX is T grain and a lot newer.
Nice video and great shots. Can I ask how you scan your negatives? Also, what would be a 120 film stock equivalent? I know obviously Medium format is inherently less grainy, higher 'resolution' and sharpness/detail. But Adox CMS 20 is pretty incredible and I'm wondering what fine grain high res film stock would be preferred on medium format nowadays since Adox CMS 20 is no longer made for 120.
Hi Greg. To get the most out of my negatives I usually use my Panasonic G9 with 30mm macro lens. If I’m scanning 120 I use the high resolution mode. I can also scan all formats with dedicated film scanners but the camera is as good if not better. It’s hard to give a suggestion as to what you could use in 120 to replicate the CMS look, possibly T Max 100 would be the finest grained.
Impressively sharp images, and - as usual - very nice composition. Do you see a chance to find a lab which develops this film type? I currently do not have any equipment to develop it by myself.
Resolution is impressive but I'm mostly stricken by the tonality. Looks great in my opinion but that's of course mostly thanks to the talent behind the camera 😉
I could see the Adox film standing up well in terms of grain but the overall look would probably not be as nice as the larger format. Similar things apply to conventional films where even the likes of Delta 3200 in 120 looks as good or better than HP5+ in 35mm.
It certainly looks an interesting film Steve. The back lit Oak @ 330 would be one for the wall methinks. Do like the vista @ 910 with the 50mm. Did you develop in Adotech? I have a trip planned to Blighty in a couple of weeks. Might try a roll or two through the Horseman Cheers Diz
I’ve used some over the years but find the emulsion prone to scratching and it also has very poor reciprocity characteristics on long exposures. Nice tones though.
Always a film I've wanted to try. Just curious, why did you choose to rate it at 12? I haven't read the data sheet so I'm not sure if it's recommended or just a personal choice of yours
They recommend EI 12 for bright conditions Charlie with EI 20 on low contrast days. I think this is about right but need to use the film in different conditions to be sure.
At 16:00 summary, you didn't seem satisfied with the results. Nothing wrong with sharp zoom lenses. I got one equally as sharp as a prime. Beautiful pics in the mountains. However it was the harsh lights that killed the first photos in the bush...
Steve I had the same issues as you with two rolls that I tried recently. Very dark & high contrast shots & the film returns beautiful images (like your final shot). However like you landscapes with a slightly dull or flat blue sky render this film to almost wash out, even though I used my trusty F5 as its metering capabilities are far greater than mine. I have a couple of great shots including a very "arty" shot of a groyne, but the rest I was very disappointed with. Shot mine @20ASA with no filters. I wonder how it would react to a good Yellow or even Red filter for landscape or low contracts images, I'm also wondering if its over UV sensitive?? Like you I'm not ruling out using this again, but will have to think a lot more about the subjects and potential filter use next time round. With the cost of the dedicated one shot developer, its pricy.
I definitely need to re shoot it Anthony and pick a day with flatter light. I used EI 12 but it was still very contrasty. I think a coastal location next time and definitely try with filters too - a yellow should balance up the sky a bit more.
Hi Steve, you did a very nice testing video here. Thank you for sharing. The CMS 20 is my favorite 35mm B&W landscape film due to it's tonality and higher sensitivity in the blue spectrum. Perfect for misty/cloudy situations. Of course the extreme resolution without showing grain deserts is another factor :) I do look forward to see your darkroom results! In my experience it does print a bit tricky because of really, I mean really dark blacks but does retain the highlights in a near magic way! Ohh, and no grain does appear up to 30cmx40cm prints. I guess what we see in your (and my scans also) is more or less something like digital noise. If you like, have a look at the videos I made here showing the CMS 20 performing on Iceland.
I’ll definitely check out the videos, I need to see what it’s capable of. I want to shoot it on a day without direct sun, I’m still j sure as to whether I like the totally smooth look but I’m impressed by the spectral response.
@@SteveONions Yep, sometimes it can look almost clinical clean, though even in these cases it shows it's special tones. Based on your videos where you often seem to prefer a grainy-gritty look... it's a totally different kind of animal. Sometimes it can look quite gritty when used in situations with lots of tiny particles in the air (rough sea, thick mist, etc.) and scanned with my scanner (Reflecta RPS 10M), but I cannot replicate this digital noise effect in the darkroom. Resolution wise, I can't tell what this film is capable of - I haven't any lens available that can keep up with it. Not for camera, enlarger, scanner or digital camera scanning. So I'm very keen to follow your investigation :)
One question: What exactly is your scanning setup with the G9? I also got a G9 with a macro lens, a tripod, a Lomography mask and a light pad (for drawing). But what about that wooden thingy? And how do you convert the negatives (Negative Lab Pro?) I guess many people would be interested to know more about this setup, as it seems to give decent results... (Maybe you explained it, and I just missed it?)
I’m trying to avoid getting into explaining the digital camera setup - things cbs he so quickly and there are a lot of good videos out there already covering the subject 🙂
Hey Steve, this was great thanks! Enjoyed the shots and that's impressive lack of grain and sharpness from this 35mm film. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts. To be honest I find HP5/XP2 too grainy on 35mm, for the reasons you mentioned (e.g blue skies). This seems much better! I'm curious: what do you think of films like Delta or TMAX? Those are supposedly lower grain while having "normal" ISO, right?
I also think the sky is where the smaller format can be left wanting Martin, nowhere to hide like in the shadows. I do find XP2 a lot better in this respect, especially when overexposed but the slower Delta films are also very good.
Great effort that you put on making these photos, really amazing stuff. I saw that you have some kind of "cage" around your nikon FE. What brand does that come from? Thanks a lot
Beautiful images on screen, and looking forward to next week’s video. Like other commenters, I was able to get 2 rolls from an artist in NYC and found Adox developer on line. I’m holding off until I get my Spotmatic CLA’d before testing it myself. It’s very difficult to find this film in the US, is it readily available in Europe?
Great video, Steve. Beautiful and unique shots as usual! Question for you; are you still scanning your 35mm negatives on the Epson v700? I recently got a V850 when my Plustek died, and I'm having a very hard time getting sharp images out of it. I understand the pitfalls of using a flatbed compared to a dedicated film scanner, but I'm just curious how much post processing you need to accomplish acceptable results. I recently started shooting with a Bronica GS-1, which the flatbed is ok for, but my 35mm negs are less than optimal. Take care.
You’ll struggle to get good 35mm scans from any consumer flatbed Jon, it’s just not up to the job. I still scan mine occasionally this way but more and more are done with the digital camera. It’s worth noting that the Epson scanners are quite low contrast and the resulting scans can take a fair bit of sharpening and still look good. The true optical resolution is also only about 2400 so I don’t bother scanning any higher than that. Good luck.
@@SteveONions I had pretty much arrive at the same conclusion. I have Zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar on a 5D mkii that's been giving me great results for 35mm negs, so I'll probably continue going that route. Like I said, my results from the Epson are acceptable for 120 film, it's just sad that our options for getting quality scans are becoming few and far between. Love the channel. Thanks for all the hard work!
Nice review of this Adox film. The rolling hills photos looked beautiful. I wish this came in 120 or sheet film, I'd love to give the try. Are you rating this at ISO 12 to reduce contrast or are you just enjoying the super slow shutter speeds?!😁 Looking forward to the follow-up.
Thanks Rene. I used EI 12 as recommended for bright scenes and developed in Adotech IV. I think it comes in 4x5 but not sure you really need the resolution in that format.
Steve, did you find the development in the Adox chemical particularly tricky? I have this film and developer but haven’t used it yet. So any advice is appreciated. Also I usually find green grass to be a good surrogate for 18 medium grey. In the youtube some of those ferns looked to be that also. But, it appeared in your photos that they were on zone 6 or maybe a bit lighter. Did you meter it to be this way?
Hi Erich. Development was fine, I used fresh chemicals all round and distilled water in the developer. It’s not something I’d worry too much about but I’m still uncertain about a few marks in some frames that may be Dev related. I spot metered to put the shadows on zone IV for the first couple of shots but after that just relied on the FE’s internal meter which did a good job (I typically exclude most of the sky when metering).
Thank you for that report. The resolution is indeed stunning. I have not tried that film yet. Do you shoot it with box speed and used the dedicated developer for it? Perhaps i should try it in my old Leica M3 and the 50 summicron although i have still so many Adox CHS 50 and 25 in my fridge… But may be for some special scenes it is tempting…
Great video Steve! In regards to getting the most out of this film, did you develop the film in the suggested Adox developer? I have a couple of rolls and thought about picking up some adotech iv but I’m struggling to justify buying a new developer exclusively for this film. I’ve had great results with ID-11 so I might just to a 1+3 dilution and see how it goes. Would be great to hear how you developed your roll. Keep up the good work!
I did use the Adotech IV Jack, 10 mins at 1:14 as suggested. I’m not sure I’ll try other developers from what I’ve seen so far, it seems very fussy in this respect.
As far as I've had experience with this film, you'll *need* to use Adotech, otherwise the film comes out all black and white, and I mean only black and white, nothing in between.
Another great video! It's a real shame the Adox company's 120 machine broke. Perhaps I missed it - did you dev this in Adotech? I've been itching to pair CMS 20 with the Sigma Art 105. Adox claims 800lp/mm for this emulsion, and Roger Cicala's testing shows the 105 is the *sharpest* lens available for 35mm, capturing 240lp/mm @F4.
I did use the Adotech IV Jeremy and was pleased with the range of tones. I definitely need to use my best lenses only and stop down a little more next time on the older ones to bring in the corners somewhat (not an issue with the best modern ones).
Thanks for this video, very informative. I think, I know where you're coming from I used this film lately. Admittedly on my CANON AF35M as I had ran out of my favourite Ilfords! It produced nice results. There isn't much longitude for exposure error, it's a little flat for my likening but that's my personal opinion. Would like to try it again on my OM-1 or if there was 120 roll version of it. That would be something! I did do a video on it - ruclips.net/video/MamvoIgFV0A/видео.html
This film is waste of money ! first of all, it's expensive for a black and white film, it's recommended to develop only in adotech 4 for best results, after drying , it curls, even if you keep it under heavy books, it's a pain working in darkroom with this film, and it's scratches easily ,it's not as sharp as they say. I made a side by side comparison, with an expired kodadk tmax100, ilford fp4, and astrum 64(for those who don't know what film is astrum 64, it's the former svema 64 )and the only difference that I noticed that the adox is slightly sharper, almost unnoticeable , it doesn't justifies the price, as for contrast and tones, astrum 64 is better, plus the spectral sensitivity of astrum FN-64 is expanded into the near infrared range of the energy spectrum, and it dries perfectly flat, and its more resistant to scratches and 3 times cheaper than adox, it can be developed with any developer. Here in Canada is $6.50 per roll.
The shot with the 28mm lens shows extraordinary sharpness for 35mm film. Lovely set, great work.
I was also surprised by the one with the 28mm Rupert, it was well stopped down yet still had incredible detail in the foreground. I think there was some atmospheric haze affecting the longer shots, I’ll be doing more close work next time and also something on a cold day at the coast if possible.
I love the attention you give to each frame as if each one is a bar of gold. I think I could only go down as far as Ilford panf50 for speed.
It is a bit slow Keiron but the light was so strong I had few problems. It’ll be interesting to try on a dull day.
The rolling mountains on the 50 is incredible. The zoom on the second one wasn't bad, either. But the 50 really made that.
It was so much better on the primes but then again the long shots did suffer with a little atmospheric haze that reduced the sharpness. I’m interested to try it near the coast where the light is a lot cleaner.
I agree with others that the 50mm mountain shots are great. The others as well, great work!
One bit of constructive criticism: Whenever you show the scans in a video, I would appreciate it, if after it zooms out and ends on the full image, it would last a few seconds longer before fading to black. This way one could get a better (if still short) look at the full image. Keep it up, Steve!
Good point on the stills Marvin, I’ve actually just started to record screen captures from
Lightroom instead as this allows me to move around the image and zoom in and out as needed. You should see the first examples in next weeks video 😊
I was thinking the same. Fine video though.
Wonderful video, Steve. Just wanted to say thank you for teaching me so much about landscape photography. I've been watching your videos for years and there is always something new to learn from each of them. Your notion of using longer lenses to "remove information" if it's not contributing to the frame was a real eye-opener for me. Thank you again and I'm definitely keen to try out some Adox CMS 20 one day!
Glad you’re like the videos, there’s always something new to talk about, especially when it comes to analogue shooting. I think my preference for long lenses started over 30 years ago when I couldn’t afford a wideangle for my Mamiya 645. I ended up with just the standard and modest telephoto and this seems to have impacted my compositions ever since.
@@SteveONions Interesting! Thank you for the reply. I guess we all just try and make do with what we have!
I just ordered one of those finders online from Japan. I tried to order some of that wonderful Adox CMS 20 II film from B&H but something went wrong and two tries at shipping it to me failed. The parcel company was DHL, which is ultra-reliable, so I have no idea what could have gone wrong. I get lots of shipments here all the time, so I can't imagine why there was a bother. Modern problems, I suppose. Those images you took were breathtaking. I don't expect that using Adox CMS 20 II will turn my images into masterpieces, but I like detail, so I am still going to try it. I will probably go with another vendor, because I guess that maybe they have something wrong in their database. Keep up the masterful teaching. You make the world a better place. I know that sounds trite, but I think it is not far from the mark. I guess that I am not the only one who feels joy when I see that a new video has been released. I definitely learn from your work.
Thanks Dann and I hope you manage to track down some CMS 20 soon.
What a great day you had up there in the mountains. Stunning images as per usual. I don't blame you sitting there for hours on end enjoying your scones. No better place to be. A few months from now and it will be a very unhospitable place for a picnic. I loved the angle finder. I just bought myself 4 rolls of Kodak Gold for some Autumn film photography. The layering of the mountains was fantastic as sunset approached. Great work as usual Steve. Always a pleasure to drop in to your world as and when.
Probably this is blasphemy, but I thought the colours looked beautiful, and Kodak Gold would be ideal for me.
Thanks Simon, it was more a day to be out enjoying the countryside rather than shooting it. Good luck with the Kodak Gold, I used to shoot a lot of it many years ago.
This is a very enjoyable presentation. Thank you. RS. Canada
You’re very welcome.
Perfect pictures, nice viewfinder)
Thank you 🙂
Like the image at 11.00. The large aperture gives it a dreamy look. Looking forward to your next vid, Steve.
Thank you 🙂
Excellent video Steve! Thanks for the input on the Adox CMS 20 II. Great images with the Nikon!!!!
Thanks Sammy 👍
great shots old school film a lot of fine detail.
just playing catch up on all your videos - as a relative new boy to film you are a constant inspiration with amazing shots and technique... thank you!
Thanks Mark 🙂
really enjoyed this video..fantastic
Thanks Barrie.
Great video and stunning locations. I am not sure that a bright sunny day was best to check the film out as it has a pretty high contrast and responds better to rather overcast or misty outdoor subjects.
Agreed Gareth, lower contrast scenes next time 👍
Another nice video Steve and I'm looking forward to the follow up next week. I always use a Pyro developer for the slow Adox films but to be honest I've never tried anything else with them, so I'm excited to see which direction you went with in.
Thanks Steve. I think I’ll stick with the Adotech Dev for now, not sure how it works so well but they’ve obviously done their research 🙂
Great video Steve. It had me itching all over again. I particularly liked the shot looking down to Coniston Water and I'm looking forward to your next review of the film.
Thanks Robin, it was a bit too bright up there and I think I’ll try shooting it at the coast next time to get cleaner light.
I just bought such a viewfinder for my Nikon Fe, together with an MD11 motor
Very nice work. Who knew there were windmills way way way out there!
Great vid, just tried a roll of this stuff, tried it out with mainly one lens but got a stunning result from my 85mm F1.8 D nikkor. Need to explore it further to get the maximum out of it.
Glad it worked well for you Jonathan.
I must get my 50mm Nikkor out again. When you wre summing up I was thinking; there are some interesting films to use however Ilford films are the best for most purposes, well developed and produce well rounded results.
Thanks Richard. I typically prefer Ilford films too, whether CMS 20 has a place is to be determined over the coming weeks.
Amazing quality and detailed images. Excellent video!!! Thanks :)
Thanks Andy.
I really enjoyed the fence image and the one at 11:00. I have just begun to shoot this film on 4x5 and need to a few more sheets completed before I develop them in the prescribed developer. Looking forward to next week's video 👍🏻.
Thanks Craig. I can’t see myself using anything other than the prescribed Adotech IV, just hope it keeps well.
Great photos and nice results from the CMS 20. I think I might pick up a roll of it.
I like the CMS20 sometimes, but really only in low contrast conditions. Also rate it at ISO 12 or 16 sometimes. On the larger than 35mm formats you can very easily get artefacts or uneven development. For trees I am not yet decided, if Iike the look. For coastal scenes the film can be quite spectacular as it renders the water almost black.
Thanks Manuel. I’m also wondering if some of the issues I had are due to uneven development ( see next weeks video) and despite rating it at EI 12 it was still very close contrasty.
Back in the 80's I shot many rolls of Agfapan 25 on my Hasselblad. I do miss that film, liked it better than Panatomic-X. Now for detail on 35mm and 120mm, my go-to is Tmax 100 at ISO 80, I know it really well.
I like Delta 100 Steve, like Tmx it gives grain and sharpness like the slower films of old with the benefit of extra speed.
It certainly has a different look but wow that resolution and detail in those shots are impressive! I think you used it well I would say. Looking forward to the darkroom results though as I am very curious to how it performs there (and I also tend to prefer making prints in the darkroom). It's a film I've really wanted to try but haven't had the chance just yet.
Thanks Tim, I go into a lot more detail next week but obviously I have to shoot more of it in different lighting and settings.
Thanks for doing this film. I live in Berlin where this is made (technically near Berlin & only 88km away from my flat) and have been amazed by the story of it and Fotoimpex. I was confused by the 20 in the name as to whether it was just a number or the film speed! Now having seen your tests and a couple other reviews I will have to become a much better photographer before using this film. Though I really want to some day!
Thanks again! Made a subscriber out of me.
I’m glad you liked it Michael. I have another video underway which looks at the film again, this time making a very large print - interesting results.
Even though you may experience a learning curve with this film, you still managed some very impressive detail in the mid-tones and shadows.
Thanks Bob, I was pleased that it had such a decent range of tones, especially given the harsh light.
Perhaps I should give it a try since harsh light is about all we have down here.
Great video, Adox too slow for me with the wind where I live. Trying to think where you were shooting from with Holme Fell in the foreground, above Hawkshead perhaps?
It is a bit slow but given the right light it is useable. The location was Tom Heights above Tarn Hows, not a bad spot once you’ve located the path up to the top.
The ADOX CMS 20 is a very nice film and used it a lot of times. One advise: ALWAYS use a lens hood. Realy always. It makes a big difference. Because it is so fine in detil that even a little bit of scatter light can ruin the resolution. Even at night: use a lens hood. It makes a huge difference, believe me. Also for portraits: you will see each skin pore and the texture of the clothing fabric. But this means you have to look at all details before. I scanned mine with a nikon scanner. And of course I took wet paper pictures....
Thanks for the advice, the lack of a hood definitely punished me. I would be better off using my sit mar as a larger shade well out of the frame, something I’d usually do but inexplicably forgot to this time.
Brilliant photographs. Ansel Adams once said that 35mm is quite capable of producing good quality photographs, but only when treated like a view camera. I have used two rolls of this film , ADOX CMS 20II. The first was just a test roll, the second one was shot at a very small woodland a small distance from my house. I too used a Nikon FE with a 35mm NIkkor AIS @ between F2.8 and F5.6 but mostly @ F4. The results were pretty good. To be fair I don't think that my Nikon Coolscan ED scanner is pulling all the detail out of this emulsion. I wish that I had a Hasselblad Flextight X1, perhaps in another life. I think that the film will show off best when used in a high quality enlarger in a darkroom. Will eagerly wait for the results of your test.
I need to work harder next time and only use the best lenses I have. I think a duller day will help tame the contrast but it’s still a tricky film to get the best out of given the low speed.
Interesting film!
I got two 35mm rolls in my freezer but I need to pick up the special developer first!
Definitely Sina, I used the Adotech IV.
I'll have to give this film a try.
Well worth it Jaime, just handle it like the fussiest thing that ever went into a film camera!
Well done soldiering on in the face of midges, heat and harsh light Steve! Interesing use of the zoom especially with the back lit trees. I think that you are wise to hold off your decision on the film until after seeing the darkroom results. The digital scans show much promise though.
Thanks John. I’m already thinking where to try it next, it does offer a great deal but it isn’t a film for everyday use.
Excellent video as always.I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts about this film next week and see the prints. Would you like to share with us any details about how you developed it ?
Thank you. I developed the roll in the supplied Adotech IV at 1:14 for 10 mins as recommended. All chemicals were mixed just for this film and I carefully followed the agitation and stop/fix cycle.
The analog way teaches you taking photos. In the digital world tou just click and choose the best pictures. In the Analog world you know: every time you hit the trigger means that you have to work another 10 minutes to have your picture: developing, scanning or making paper fotos... most of the work takes place in the studio. So you are forced to think before taking a picture. Sometimes I tested it with an digicam first.
Really great pictures. ..
Interesting video.
Thanks Jason.
I can't wait to try out this film
Imagine what Ansel Adams would have thought of that sort of resolution. I could see him shooting it out of his little Pentax MX.
Good photographs. Barrie
I would like to see a video on the Minolta scanner please.
Maybe one day but not soon 🙂
I particularly liked the post coffee shot. Obviously imbibing caffeine is something to be factored into the exposure equation.
I wouldn’t handhold shoot with that film after too much coffee Andrew 🙂
Hi Steve, I loved this video thanks so much. What was the "hill" - Fell from which you took most of the telephoto shots from including of coniston lake (I think you mentioned overlooking Holme Fell)
It’s a small hilltop called Tom Heights. It’s accessible from Tarn Hows or Yew Tree Tarn. Not a bad sunset option.
quite the intro. oh - and the photos are nice, too.
Thank you 😊
9:08... Majestic!
Thank you.
I didn’t think you ever were outside beyond sunrise Steve.😂 Enjoyable video.
I have the f/4.0 version of the 80-200. Mine slides by itself, so I had to put some gaffer tape on it.
Thanks Joel. My 80-200 4.5 needed a few strips of black tape to stiffen it up too 😀
Beautiful! The only thing I would have used in addition with such zoom lens is a cable release for the shutter. Any intent to compare it with Ilford's PanF+ 50 film?
I typically use the self timer on these old Nikon’s as it flips up the mirror at the start. It’s as good as having mirror lockup and largely negates the need for a cable release.
I’m still deciding what film to compare against the CMS 20, I’ve got Delta 100 and Pan F which are pretty equally matched.
@@SteveONions i found there is a visible difference between PanF+ 50 and FP4+ 125. Didn't try Delta 100 yet but just bought a roll.
I've shot Pan F and the resolution is okay, but really not super impressive considering the speed. I find TMAX 100 to be a fair bit sharper while still being faster. It really comes down to the technology, TMAX is T grain and a lot newer.
Nice video and great shots.
Can I ask how you scan your negatives?
Also, what would be a 120 film stock equivalent? I know obviously Medium format is inherently less grainy, higher 'resolution' and sharpness/detail. But Adox CMS 20 is pretty incredible and I'm wondering what fine grain high res film stock would be preferred on medium format nowadays since Adox CMS 20 is no longer made for 120.
Hi Greg. To get the most out of my negatives I usually use my Panasonic G9 with 30mm macro lens. If I’m scanning 120 I use the high resolution mode. I can also scan all formats with dedicated film scanners but the camera is as good if not better.
It’s hard to give a suggestion as to what you could use in 120 to replicate the CMS look, possibly T Max 100 would be the finest grained.
The 50 bags it. I’ve noticed that among my many lenses, the 50 is usually the best performing . Do you find that the case for you as well? Curious
Usually yes, but also the short telephoto primes are top performers.
Impressively sharp images, and - as usual - very nice composition.
Do you see a chance to find a lab which develops this film type? I currently do not have any equipment to develop it by myself.
I’ve not considered that Jörg, never trusted a lab with my B&W films for a long time now.
Resolution is impressive but I'm mostly stricken by the tonality. Looks great in my opinion but that's of course mostly thanks to the talent behind the camera 😉
It was better than I expected as I show next week. Quite strong contrast though but then again it was very bright.
It would be very interesting to see a comparison with this film and a few normal films on medium format, some pixelpeeping goodness
I could see the Adox film standing up well in terms of grain but the overall look would probably not be as nice as the larger format. Similar things apply to conventional films where even the likes of Delta 3200 in 120 looks as good or better than HP5+ in 35mm.
It certainly looks an interesting film Steve. The back lit Oak @ 330 would be one for the wall methinks. Do like the vista @ 910 with the 50mm. Did you develop in Adotech? I have a trip planned to Blighty in a couple of weeks. Might try a roll or two through the Horseman
Cheers
Diz
I do need to shoot it again Diz as the conditions weren’t ideal for a contrasty film.
Steve, have you tried photographing with FOMA film? Your opinion is very interesting. I used it a lot, but your opinion is very interesting.
I’ve used some over the years but find the emulsion prone to scratching and it also has very poor reciprocity characteristics on long exposures. Nice tones though.
Always a film I've wanted to try. Just curious, why did you choose to rate it at 12? I haven't read the data sheet so I'm not sure if it's recommended or just a personal choice of yours
They recommend EI 12 for bright conditions Charlie with EI 20 on low contrast days. I think this is about right but need to use the film in different conditions to be sure.
At 16:00 summary, you didn't seem satisfied with the results. Nothing wrong with sharp zoom lenses. I got one equally as sharp as a prime. Beautiful pics in the mountains. However it was the harsh lights that killed the first photos in the bush...
I’ve some recent zooms that are very sharp Bert and the older 80-200 is excellent, just not as good as the contemporary primes.
Steve I had the same issues as you with two rolls that I tried recently. Very dark & high contrast shots & the film returns beautiful images (like your final shot). However like you landscapes with a slightly dull or flat blue sky render this film to almost wash out, even though I used my trusty F5 as its metering capabilities are far greater than mine. I have a couple of great shots including a very "arty" shot of a groyne, but the rest I was very disappointed with. Shot mine @20ASA with no filters. I wonder how it would react to a good Yellow or even Red filter for landscape or low contracts images, I'm also wondering if its over UV sensitive?? Like you I'm not ruling out using this again, but will have to think a lot more about the subjects and potential filter use next time round. With the cost of the dedicated one shot developer, its pricy.
I definitely need to re shoot it Anthony and pick a day with flatter light. I used EI 12 but it was still very contrasty. I think a coastal location next time and definitely try with filters too - a yellow should balance up the sky a bit more.
Hi Steve, you did a very nice testing video here. Thank you for sharing. The CMS 20 is my favorite 35mm B&W landscape film due to it's tonality and higher sensitivity in the blue spectrum. Perfect for misty/cloudy situations. Of course the extreme resolution without showing grain deserts is another factor :)
I do look forward to see your darkroom results! In my experience it does print a bit tricky because of really, I mean really dark blacks but does retain the highlights in a near magic way! Ohh, and no grain does appear up to 30cmx40cm prints. I guess what we see in your (and my scans also) is more or less something like digital noise. If you like, have a look at the videos I made here showing the CMS 20 performing on Iceland.
I’ll definitely check out the videos, I need to see what it’s capable of. I want to shoot it on a day without direct sun, I’m still j sure as to whether I like the totally smooth look but I’m impressed by the spectral response.
@@SteveONions Yep, sometimes it can look almost clinical clean, though even in these cases it shows it's special tones.
Based on your videos where you often seem to prefer a grainy-gritty look... it's a totally different kind of animal.
Sometimes it can look quite gritty when used in situations with lots of tiny particles in the air (rough sea, thick mist, etc.) and scanned with my scanner (Reflecta RPS 10M), but I cannot replicate this digital noise effect in the darkroom.
Resolution wise, I can't tell what this film is capable of - I haven't any lens available that can keep up with it. Not for camera, enlarger, scanner or digital camera scanning. So I'm very keen to follow your investigation :)
Looking forward to the darkroom vs scan comparison :)
Thanks Michael 👍
Where in the UK are you? You have so much natural beauty around you to photograph.
It’s the Lake District, Cumbria.
One question: What exactly is your scanning setup with the G9? I also got a G9 with a macro lens, a tripod, a Lomography mask and a light pad (for drawing). But what about that wooden thingy? And how do you convert the negatives (Negative Lab Pro?) I guess many people would be interested to know more about this setup, as it seems to give decent results... (Maybe you explained it, and I just missed it?)
I’m trying to avoid getting into explaining the digital camera setup - things cbs he so quickly and there are a lot of good videos out there already covering the subject 🙂
Hey Steve, this was great thanks! Enjoyed the shots and that's impressive lack of grain and sharpness from this 35mm film. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts. To be honest I find HP5/XP2 too grainy on 35mm, for the reasons you mentioned (e.g blue skies). This seems much better!
I'm curious: what do you think of films like Delta or TMAX? Those are supposedly lower grain while having "normal" ISO, right?
I also think the sky is where the smaller format can be left wanting Martin, nowhere to hide like in the shadows. I do find XP2 a lot better in this respect, especially when overexposed but the slower Delta films are also very good.
Great effort that you put on making these photos, really amazing stuff. I saw that you have some kind of "cage" around your nikon FE. What brand does that come from? Thanks a lot
I think the L bracket is just a generic one off eBay, they fit a lot of older film cameras quite well 🙂
@@SteveONions thanks a lot for the reply. I'm looking for some new equipment, eg the tripod head and the L plate. Keep up with your work Steve!
Beautiful images on screen, and looking forward to next week’s video. Like other commenters, I was able to get 2 rolls from an artist in NYC and found Adox developer on line. I’m holding off until I get my Spotmatic CLA’d before testing it myself. It’s very difficult to find this film in the US, is it readily available in Europe?
I had no problem picking it up Dan, there’s a great deal that has 5 rolls and 100ml of the special developer (enough to do all 5) for just £35.
Great video, Steve. Beautiful and unique shots as usual! Question for you; are you still scanning your 35mm negatives on the Epson v700? I recently got a V850 when my Plustek died, and I'm having a very hard time getting sharp images out of it. I understand the pitfalls of using a flatbed compared to a dedicated film scanner, but I'm just curious how much post processing you need to accomplish acceptable results. I recently started shooting with a Bronica GS-1, which the flatbed is ok for, but my 35mm negs are less than optimal. Take care.
You’ll struggle to get good 35mm scans from any consumer flatbed Jon, it’s just not up to the job. I still scan mine occasionally this way but more and more are done with the digital camera.
It’s worth noting that the Epson scanners are quite low contrast and the resulting scans can take a fair bit of sharpening and still look good. The true optical resolution is also only about 2400 so I don’t bother scanning any higher than that.
Good luck.
@@SteveONions I had pretty much arrive at the same conclusion. I have Zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar on a 5D mkii that's been giving me great results for 35mm negs, so I'll probably continue going that route. Like I said, my results from the Epson are acceptable for 120 film, it's just sad that our options for getting quality scans are becoming few and far between. Love the channel. Thanks for all the hard work!
wow
Nice review of this Adox film. The rolling hills photos looked beautiful. I wish this came in 120 or sheet film, I'd love to give the try. Are you rating this at ISO 12 to reduce contrast or are you just enjoying the super slow shutter speeds?!😁 Looking forward to the follow-up.
Thanks Rene. I used EI 12 as recommended for bright scenes and developed in Adotech IV. I think it comes in 4x5 but not sure you really need the resolution in that format.
Steve, did you find the development in the Adox chemical particularly tricky? I have this film and developer but haven’t used it yet. So any advice is appreciated. Also I usually find green grass to be a good surrogate for 18 medium grey. In the youtube some of those ferns looked to be that also. But, it appeared in your photos that they were on zone 6 or maybe a bit lighter. Did you meter it to be this way?
Hi Erich. Development was fine, I used fresh chemicals all round and distilled water in the developer. It’s not something I’d worry too much about but I’m still uncertain about a few marks in some frames that may be Dev related.
I spot metered to put the shadows on zone IV for the first couple of shots but after that just relied on the FE’s internal meter which did a good job (I typically exclude most of the sky when metering).
Thank you for that report. The resolution is indeed stunning. I have not tried that film yet. Do you shoot it with box speed and used the dedicated developer for it?
Perhaps i should try it in my old Leica M3 and the 50 summicron although i have still so many Adox CHS 50 and 25 in my fridge…
But may be for some special scenes it is tempting…
I shot it at EI 12 and used Adotech IV at 1:14 as recommended. Still quite contrasty though.
@@SteveONions Thank you. I will try it soon…
Are you sure you weren’t using your medium format Nikon?
😀
Instead of stopping down, I rekon that if you had a good tilt lens or two, there'd be no turning back.
Good point Kevin, also benefits from the larger image circle and improved edge performance.
I'd like to watch your videos. Thanks.
I think you are a happy person. I envy you.
Adox CMS 20II is still available?
Thank you. I’ve not checked the availability of the film lately.
Great video Steve! In regards to getting the most out of this film, did you develop the film in the suggested Adox developer? I have a couple of rolls and thought about picking up some adotech iv but I’m struggling to justify buying a new developer exclusively for this film. I’ve had great results with ID-11 so I might just to a 1+3 dilution and see how it goes. Would be great to hear how you developed your roll. Keep up the good work!
I did use the Adotech IV Jack, 10 mins at 1:14 as suggested. I’m not sure I’ll try other developers from what I’ve seen so far, it seems very fussy in this respect.
As far as I've had experience with this film, you'll *need* to use Adotech, otherwise the film comes out all black and white, and I mean only black and white, nothing in between.
What developer?
Adotech IV.
Another great video! It's a real shame the Adox company's 120 machine broke. Perhaps I missed it - did you dev this in Adotech? I've been itching to pair CMS 20 with the Sigma Art 105. Adox claims 800lp/mm for this emulsion, and Roger Cicala's testing shows the 105 is the *sharpest* lens available for 35mm, capturing 240lp/mm @F4.
I did use the Adotech IV Jeremy and was pleased with the range of tones. I definitely need to use my best lenses only and stop down a little more next time on the older ones to bring in the corners somewhat (not an issue with the best modern ones).
Thanks for this video, very informative. I think, I know where you're coming from I used this film lately. Admittedly on my CANON AF35M as I had ran out of my favourite Ilfords! It produced nice results. There isn't much longitude for exposure error, it's a little flat for my likening but that's my personal opinion. Would like to try it again on my OM-1 or if there was 120 roll version of it. That would be something! I did do a video on it - ruclips.net/video/MamvoIgFV0A/видео.html
Thanks Gavin. I’m hoping to try it out on a day with more even lighting and probably with newer lenses too.
This film is waste of money ! first of all, it's expensive for a black and white film, it's recommended to develop only in adotech 4 for best results, after drying , it curls, even if you keep it under heavy books, it's a pain working in darkroom with this film, and it's scratches easily ,it's not as sharp as they say. I made a side by side comparison, with an expired kodadk tmax100, ilford fp4, and astrum 64(for those who don't know what film is astrum 64, it's the former svema 64 )and the only difference that I noticed that the adox is slightly sharper, almost unnoticeable , it doesn't justifies the price, as for contrast and tones, astrum 64 is better, plus the spectral sensitivity of astrum FN-64 is expanded into the near infrared range of the energy spectrum, and it dries perfectly flat, and its more resistant to scratches and 3 times cheaper than adox, it can be developed with any developer. Here in Canada is $6.50 per roll.
“This comment was brought to you by the makers of Astrum 64” 😀
What developer?
The dedicated Adotech.