D-23 Developing time.

shampoo · Feb 14, 2010

Hello.
i intend to buy from a chemical industry the chemicals for D-23 formula.
until now i didn't decided what kind of B mixture to choose.
a Borax or Sodium metaborate.
but what is disturb me is what is the time developing with the B mixture.
i mean, the time developing chart in the web is only for the A mixture ?
and what about the B mixture ?
is there any importance of the time development with Borax or Sodium metaborate?

Thanks in advance.

Yaacov.

Ian Grant · Feb 14, 2010

D23 is a single part developer, it contains no Borax or Mrtaborate.

The formula is very sumple:

KODAK D-23

Metol 7.5 g
Sodium Sulphite (anhydrous) 100 g
Water to make 1 litre

Dev times are around 12 minutes.

Have a look here if you want to use it as a divided developer.

Ian

shampoo · Feb 14, 2010

Thanks, so what is the different, why to develop in divided process.
is the second process make any improvement?

Yaacov.

Ian Grant · Feb 14, 2010

2 bath development is often used to control high contrast, it's not the ideal choice if you've not much processing experience, you'd be better starting with a developer like D76/ID-11.

Ian

Jim Noel · Feb 14, 2010

Divided D-23 is best used by experienced workers. After a 3 minute development in "A" with agitation, a 3-10 minute soak w/o agitation produces increasing amounts of contrast. I use it for negatives which I know will need a large increase in contrast. This is best done by those accustomed to development by inspection.

Anscojohn · Feb 14, 2010

shampoo said:
Thanks, so what is the different, why to develop in divided process.
is the second process make any improvement?

Yaacov.

*******
Hello Yaacov,

I have used D23 for many years. I find, for most films, ca. 8 min in straight developer, at 20 deg C, is about right, using standard "ASA" agitation. I have not found the "split D23" worth the trouble.

By the way, I use DK-25R replenisher, and can develop about 20 rolls of film per liter of D23 developer using it this way.

. I have

CBG · Feb 14, 2010

Yaacov,

There are many threads here about two bath development, so you can find lots of information. But, much of the information is not agreed upon by all the users of two bath development. You will find many conflicting assertions about what two bath developing will and won't do, and about why it works or why it doesn't. It could get very confusing to sort out who to believe and what you want till you are very experienced with regular one bath developing.

As others have suggested, using really standard developers like D-23 or D-76 as one bath developers is probably the best starting point for a while till you get really experienced with the entire process. Both D-23 or D-76 are great as single bath developers. Mixing your own is a great idea.

Jean Noire · Feb 15, 2010

Anscojohn said:
*******
Hello Yaacov,

I have used D23 for many years. I find, for most films, ca. 8 min in straight developer, at 20 deg C, is about right, using standard "ASA" agitation. I have not found the "split D23" worth the trouble.

By the way, I use DK-25R replenisher, and can develop about 20 rolls of film per liter of D23 developer using it this way.

. I have

John, I use D23 one shot but have just made up some DK-25R. Do you just replenish the amount lost by development or is there a fixed amount per film?
Regards,
John.

ronlamarsh · Feb 15, 2010

D-23

I have used D-23 for many years now and have found a 1:3 or 1:1 dilution for the regular formula works best for my purposes. I tried the divided route and found no advantage to using it with thin modern films, using it with efke could be a different thing though.

Anscojohn · Feb 15, 2010

John Roberts said:
John, I use D23 one shot but have just made up some DK-25R. Do you just replenish the amount lost by development or is there a fixed amount per film?
Regards,
John.

*******
I use 24 ml per 80 square inches of film developed, discarding any used developer if necessary. Easy way is to mix up a liter of D23 and a half liter of DK25R. When the DK25R is gone, dump the D23 and start over.
Oh, and once you begin replenishing the D23, don't use it again as a one-shot. I don't know why. But that is what I was told and that is the way I do it.

dancqu · Feb 15, 2010

Useful at Higher Dilutions

My formula D-23, 8 grams metol and 80 grams sodium
sulfite, is used at a 1:7 dilution; 500ml solution volume,
one 120 roll of Acros. The full half gram of metol present
is enough to develop any one roll. Great compensation
with a few inversions every 2 or 3 minutes. Dan

BetterSense · Feb 16, 2010

I use it the way Anscojohn does. I love it; it gives a very 'fat' looking negative. I'm reading Ansel Adams "The Negative" right now and an awful lot of the pictures in the book were developed using D23. You might want to run a film speed test with it since I get a bit less speed out of D23 than I do out of more active, grainier developers like Rodinal.

Anscojohn · Feb 16, 2010

BetterSense said:
I use it the way Anscojohn does. I love it; it gives a very 'fat' looking negative.
********
I know that is not a very scientific expression, but I know what Better Sense means. I have always said "gutsy." A lot of mages made with D23, for me, seem to print with an almost 3 dimensional quality I like. I also like it because, for me, it is "forgiving." I routinely rate my film at 1/2 box speed without fear of negs blocking up because D23, according to Adams, is "semi-compensating." Replenished, it seems to get better the more one uses it. And, also, replenished makes it very economical. What's not to like? One of the gallery posters, "Saganich" posts many negs souped in D23 that have the kind of "look" I like.

presspass · Jun 22, 2018

dancqu said:
Useful at Higher Dilutions

My formula D-23, 8 grams metol and 80 grams sodium
sulfite, is used at a 1:7 dilution; 500ml solution volume,
one 120 roll of Acros. The full half gram of metol present
is enough to develop any one roll. Great compensation
with a few inversions every 2 or 3 minutes. Dan

D-23 Developing time.

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