whoisusingd23?

I've been using D-23 for a couple of years now. I get good results 1:1 68º F 16 minutes and when I use it 1:3 for ISO 400 it doesn't seem to lose speed. Both are with 35mm Tri-X/Arista Premium. I've also used it divided 5g metol & 100 g s.sulfite for 6 minutes followed by four minutes 18g borax, both mixed in 1 ltr. distilled. That works for 400, but I've never been able to make it work with 1600. Is it as good as X-tol or D-76? I don't know. I've used both and mostly prefer the results from D-23, at least for wet printing.

We all have different reasons for liking different developers.

My own thoughts are that the best developer is the one I'm used to, and I keep rediscovering this, the hard way, every time I try something new.

Ryuji said:

That doesn't justify you calling me nonsense.

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I didn't call YOU nonsense, I called what you SAID nonsense. I guess I was a bit touchy but still, there's a big difference. One is not personal.

I rarely use D-23, but sometimes it happens. D-76 is just about as easy to make, and it is more suitable than D-23 for most things. I would probably go to Xtol, which has some definite advantages, but I prefer to mix my own. I don't really do that much black and white work. The speed loss with D-23 is really minimal. I disagree with the 1 stop figure Ryuji gives, but I'll certainly buy half that. It's pretty much similar to Pyrocat-HD is the speed loss department, but Pyrocat has some advantages. I disagree with MichaelR about the compensating action. D-23 has some definite compensating action, which makes some negatives look quite different from those processed in D-76. D-23 (1+3) has been recommended as a true compensating developer. I haven't tried it, but I should think it would work. It is quite similar to the Windisch Metol-Sulfite formula, which has long been used for compensation in high contrast situations. Grain is similar to D-76 (I've looked), but sharpness is somewhat less. When I do use D-23, it is (usually) for convenience or when I want to see some compensating action between the tones of complex images.

nworth said:

I disagree with the 1 stop figure Ryuji gives, but I'll certainly buy half that.

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I said 1 stop less than a good Phenidone developer. This is true. You’re comparing other developers that don’t deliver the speed I’m getting.