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TMY-2 + D23 = ...

aste

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Holy Moly!

Well, maybe not all that, but It's a very nice surprise.

I've been slowly shooting a roll of TMY-2/135. I've been kind'a bummed about photography lately, so I haven't bothered with the details too much, including metering. I've just been eyeballing it, based on the Sunny 16 rule (only shot when the subject was in direct sunlight).

Anyway, I finished the roll this afternoon and decided I might as well experiment with development, so I mixed up a batch of D23 (approximately... I used a teaspoon to measure), and souped the film for 16 minutes at 75deg, with 45 sec of initial agitation and 15 sec at the 5 and 10 minute marks.

I made a quick proof sheet and with the exception of a few negatives that are a touch flat, the roll prints dang near perfectly on a #2 contrast setting. Local contrast, density range...I've spent hours on other negatives trying to get them to look as good as these do right out of the gate.

Surprised and quite happy and now worried that it might be a fluke and I will never get these results again.
 
Congrats on finding something that works for you

You can't get the same results ever again, but you can get very close. Each batch is different, each time you mix it'll be slightly different.

Unless you meant ‘same results’ as in subject, which, unless you're shooting test charts, would be quite hard
 
Been there - almost exactly. Love D-23 ever since. I use it all summer long...it helps tame the other wise unwieldy harsh light of summer and is relatively insensitive to working temp. It goes nice with all of the Kodak films.
 
I soup TMY-2 400 @ 400asa in Barry Thornton's 2-bath, which I understand is a variation on Stoekler/D23. Thornton tweaked it for the thinner emulsions of modern films.

In any case I'm very happy with the results.

Crisp, sharp negatives and the compensating effect of the 2-bath process makes it almost impossible to blow the highlights.
I'm seeing a huge exposure range with this combo @ 400 asa.
 
I can see myself using this combo all summer.

I have Thornton's, Edge of Darkness. I'll have to look through it to see if the 2 bath formula is in there. Although, maybe I shouldn't be messing with something that is working for me.

 

Sounds like you should not care more often!
 
souped the film for 16 minutes at 75deg
Click to expand...

Wow! I typically use 8 minutes at 68F, if I remember correctly.

I like TMY and D23, but then I like TMY anyway, and I only use D23 because I use it for pretty much everything.
 
Me too. I love TMY. After using HC 110 Dil. B for decades, I switched to D 23 1:1 (I prefer one shot devs.). TMax films in HC 110 are great, D 23 may be even better. TMax films take an amazing amount of exposure and still print very well. BTW: I process TMY rollfilm in D 23 1:1 for 12 min at 70 deg. (And I weigh the ingredients precisely. )
 
It might be a really clever move to not start messing around with other developers.

Get to know the film, get to know all the ways you can use D-23 to bring out everything you want from TMY2.
Take a year and make brilliant pictures, and have a great time doing it.

.
 
BetterSense said:
Wow! I typically use 8 minutes at 68F, if I remember correctly.

I like TMY and D23, but then I like TMY anyway, and I only use D23 because I use it for pretty much everything.
Click to expand...


Oops. Forgot to mention I diluted it 1:3.

2F/2F said:
Sounds like you should not care more often!
Click to expand...

LOL. Probably so.

Stefan Findel said:
After using HC 110 Dil. B for decades
Click to expand...

I have some of that too. I started using it on non-sunny subjects after I learned about its upswept characteristic curve and higher CI at dilution b.


I assume you are talking about learning to use it to manipulate the TMY characteristic curve.

Would the principles you wrote about, in your Rodinal article, apply to D23? And, by that I mean, could I get 3 different tonal scales using D23?
 
D-23 - Works Well at 1:7

aste said:
Oops. Forgot to mention I diluted it 1:3.
Click to expand...

I believe the high dilution offers the additional
compensation others are achieving using a two bath.
Either method, the local depletion of developing agent
and bromide inhibition are the operative factors
in it's compensating development.

I have good results with Acros: 500ml solution volume,
1/2 minute agitation at start then 3 inversions at
2 or 3 minute intervals; 16 minutes, 72F.

Surprisingly little chemistry is needed. Great chemical
milage used as a one-shot. Also at 1:7 D-23 is a low
sulfite developer. Dan
 
Would the principles you wrote about, in your Rodinal article, apply to D23? And, by that I mean, could I get 3 different tonal scales using D23?

D-23 and Rodinal are totally different critters, but TMY2's linear nature allows for a lot of flexibility.
Still, the best thing for you (might) be to shoot a lot of film without changing to much right now.

.
 
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