ADOX HC-110 Professional

Celebrating the Return of a War Hero

By Marwan El Mozayen / SilvergrainClassics

1962, Vietnam. You’re a photojournalist, miles away from a proper darkroom, and the water available for developing your film is anything but pristine. You’ve had problems in the past, your developer breaking down or producing unpredictable results. But there’s a new product on the market: Kodak’s HC-110. It is about to become a trusted companion to your Nikon or Leica.

Its concentrated form meant that only a small amount was needed to create a working solution. But HC-110’s magic was in its balance. It produced fine grain and sharpness without sacrificing tonal range.

HC-110’s reliability and versatility remained unshaken for decades. But then Kodak outsourced its production, and the formula was subtly altered. Knowledge of the exact components responsible for HC-110’s signature characteristics — the extremely long shelf life and dilution capabilities, and unique viscosity — did not transfer to the new producer. Detractors wondered what anyone would miss about this molasses-thick formula. Those who were in the know, though, hoped for a miraculous return.

Legendary Shelf Life

When Kodak introduced HC-110 in 1962, they likely didn’t realize they were creating a legend. Designed as a high-concentration developer for professional labs, HC-110’s amazing shelf life made it ideal for everyone from occasional hobbyists to hard-working photojournalists.

I bought my first 1-liter bottle in 1988 and can still recall the surprise I felt when I opened it. The syrupy viscosity was totally unlike anything I had seen in other developers. I had heard that it had an impressively long shelf life, but that didn’t mean a lot to me at the time.

HC-110 joined the rotation of developers I used frequently, but over time I forgot about the bottle, eager to try the newest solutions. It wasn’t until two years ago that I rediscovered it. I didn’t expect much when I opened it, assuming it would have degraded. To my amazement, the concentrate looked just as fresh as the day I bought it, so I gave it a try — and it still worked perfectly, delivering outstanding results.

 

A Developer for the Ages

When Kodak introduced HC-110 in 1962, they likely didn’t realize they were creating a legend. Designed as a high-concentration liquid developer for professional labs, HC-110 quickly found favor among photographers who needed a dependable and flexible tool. Its amazing shelf life made it ideal for everyone from occasional hobbyists to hard-working photojournalists.

The Vietnam Connection

A quality that set HC-110 apart was its ability to produce excellent results, even under less-than-ideal conditions. Its unique and dependable formula resisted contamination and maintained its integrity, even when mixed with water from the Mekong River.

For photojournalists, pushing film under bad light conditions was often essential. HC-110’s ability to boost film speed while maintaining rich tonality made it indispensable. Whether shooting in dimly lit jungle environments or capturing the action in twilight, HC-110 helped photographers extract every ounce of detail and texture from their film, ensuring their stories could be told with clarity and power.

The concentration ensured that a single bottle could last through countless rolls of film. Its liquid form made it easier to measure and mix compared to powdered developers, a crucial advantage when working in makeshift darkrooms.

 
Horst Fass, 1967. Associated Press

Horst Fass, 1967. Associated Press.

 

HC-110 For Home Darkrooms

Even for photographers not in war zones, HC-110 was a favorite. Its long shelf life meant that infrequent users didn’t have to worry about their developer going bad, and its versatility allowed for experimentation with a range of dilutions and films.

HC-110 produced fine grain and sharpness without sacrificing tonal range. Detailed highlights, textured shadows, and beautifully rendered midtones translated into creative freedom for more advanced users.

 

The New Formula Controversy

One of HC-110’s unique features was its ability to control contrast through extreme dilution. This made it an invaluable tool for photographers aiming to craft fine art images with precise tonal control. In The Art of Photography, Bruce Barnbaum describes in detail how to use careful dilution adjustments of the original HC-110 formula for fine art photography, showcasing its ability to yield unparalleled tonal range and contrast.

Unfortunately, Tetenal, the company which produced HC-110 for Kodak and Ilford, collapsed due to mismanagement, and the new owners and consultants chose not to invest in production, instead focusing on liquidating existing stock. This left brands searching for a new supplier. Kodak chose Sino Promise.

Sino Promise did not acquire the exact formula for Kodak’s original HC-110, however; the new version lost its familiar syrupy texture. While the it performed well in standard dilutions, photographers quickly noticed its limitations in high dilutions like the ones described in Bruce Barnbaum’s book. When Barnbaum reached out to Sino Promise for clarification, he got this reply: “You’re using the developer outside of the bounds of its manufacture,” essentially accusing Barnbaum of using HC-110 incorrectly.

A New Hope: ADOX Revives the Original HC-110

Thankfully, the days of having no “real” HC-110 developer are over. The team at ADOX has stepped up to recreate and synthesize the missing ingredients that gave the original HC-110 its unique properties. With their meticulous work, ADOX has successfully replicated the original formula, restoring the developer to its former glory, complete with the loved (and hated) syrupy consistency of the classic version. ADOX HC-110 Professional guarantees the same long shelf life, extreme dilution capabilities, and consistent performance that photographers came to rely on for decades.

When we told Bruce Barnbaum about this exciting development, he was very interested in testing the reborn HC-110 as soon as possible. We’re also excited here in Germany; our Silvergrain Film Noir workshops, which pair HC-110 with Kodak Tri-X film, can now continue in the same way we originally tested and refined our workflows.

A Developer Worth Celebrating

The story of HC-110 is about more than chemistry, it’s about history and trust. From chaotic war zones to peaceful home darkrooms, it has been a steadfast ally for photographers, offering reliability and creative freedom.

HC-110 is easy to use: forgiving to beginners, and endlessly adaptable in experienced hands. Whether you’re mixing a batch in your home darkroom or imagining the challenges of developing film in the Mekong Delta, HC-110 is a reminder of what makes analog photography so special — a tangible connection to history, creativity, and resilience.

Try the reborn HC-110, share your stories, and help keep its legacy alive. We’ll be sharing our own results in the next issue of SilvergrainClassics, as well as an expanded version of this article.

 

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