Split d23 for the record

It is not my developer of choice, but it is amazing in its ease of use and its compensating nature. (I tend to like higher accutance developers) I would not have added longevity to that record though. This weekend, I had a roll that I forgot to put in my main batch and rather than mix up more chemistry, I noticed some dusty Part A and Part B bottles on the back of my shelf. The roll was not really important so I gave it a shot.
Part A was no longer clear but was yellow - consistent with metol oxidation from being in a solution of water. The result was a soft development - perhaps -.3 density overall. But still very printable - the punchline? It had been on the shelf for 18 months. I don't recommend this as a great idea, but in a pinch, split D-23 never fails to exceed expectations. (needless to say - it got pitched after this little experiment

You can turn D-23 into a compensating acutance developer by mixing the stock solution 1+9 and adding 0.5g/l of sodium hydroxide (lye) to it. Then semistand develop the film for an 45-60min. Not recommended for 35mm unless you like really pronounced grain, but it works well with larger formats.

All the usual warnings relevant to semistand apply - suspending the film minimally well above the bottom of the tank especially, as well as being careful when handling and mixing lye.

ashokatano3445 said:

Part A was no longer clear but was yellow - consistent with metol oxidation from being in a solution of water. The result was a soft development - perhaps -.3 density overall. But still very printable - the punchline? It had been on the shelf for 18 months.

Click to expand...

Can I ask have you had a chance to make a darkroom print from the negatives or are we talking about "very printable" from a hybrid point of view i.e. film then scanner work flow?

Can I take it that Part A had never been used so never exposed to air ?

18 months is still a long time and good to know this is possible but more details if possible, such as answers to my questions are useful and digítal pics of the negatives would be great or darkroom prints that are very close to the actual print

It all serves to improve understanding of the effect of time on D23

Thanks

pentaxuser