Decided to have a dabble!

[MPerson]

I have long been considering making my own developer and have been researching the various chemicals, reading the COSSH data sheets and looking at the various recipes.

I have decided to take the plunge starting with D-23 dev (http://www.mikedowney.co.uk/blog/photography/d23.html).

Silverprint have the chemicals I need and I have sourced a decent set of scales at E-Scales (http://www.e-scales.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=266) that won't break the bank.

Does it matter if I use Sodium Sulphate (anhydrous) or Sodium Sulphate?

Has anyone used D-23 either as a stock solution or as a two bath?

[Trevor Crone]

I have long been considering making my own developer and have been researching the various chemicals, reading the COSSH data sheets and looking at the various recipes.

I have decided to take the plunge starting with D-23 dev (http://www.mikedowney.co.uk/blog/photography/d23.html).

Silverprint have the chemicals I need and I have sourced a decent set of scales at E-Scales (http://www.e-scales.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=266) that won't break the bank.

Does it matter if I use Sodium Sulphate (anhydrous) or Sodium Sulphate?

Has anyone used D-23 either as a stock solution or as a two bath?

Don't use sodium sulphate, it has to be sodium sulphite.

Rob Archer has been using this developer as a 2 bath, which is near as damn it, D-23 http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=640

[Tom Kershaw]

You actually want Sodium Sulphite (anhydrous) rather than Sulphate.

Tom

[MPerson]

Sorry, yes I did mean Sodium Sulphite - I blame this ruddy keyboard, it cannot spell properly.

[Dave miller]

Sorry, yes I did mean Sodium Sulphite - I blame this ruddy keyboard, it cannot spell properly.

I've got one of those keyboards too.:) Keep us informed of progress; with the developer, not the keyboard.

[Rob Archer]

Glad you're getting into brewing your own devs. I started a couple of years ago and haven't bought a ready-made developer since! D23 is one of film photography's best-kept secrets. It's very versatile, and gives results very similar to ID11/D76 with (IMHO) better lower-mid tone separation. I use it at 1+1 and use times for ID11 1+1 plus 10%.

I reckon a litre of stock D23 costs me about 60p, compared to over £4 for pre-packaged ID11!

Trevor Crone is right in saying that the Stoeckler's 2-bath I use for PanF+ is basically D23 plus a second bath in Borax. Well worth trying, particularly for slower films (just remember to give ample exposure).

I'm now starting to experiment a bit more with print developers - watch this space!

Rob

[Barry]

Rumour has it that 1 litre of D23 + 30g Sodium Chloride is very close to Perceptol.

[MPerson]

Thank you all.

Rob, I see plenty of references to using with low speed film but do you know if it will give results with higher speed say 200-800? I will experiment of course. ;)

[Rob Archer]

Thank you all.

Rob, I see plenty of references to using with low speed film but do you know if it will give results with higher speed say 200-800? I will experiment of course. ;)

D23 gives excellent results with HP5+ at 400. I use it at 1+1 dilution for 14 minutes at 20DegC. It doesnt do so well if you try to push films.

I didn't have much success with Stoecklers 2-bath wth HP5+, though. (although I haven't done more than a couple of films ) It seems best at reducing the contrast of slow films like PanF+.

Rob

[MPerson]

Thanks Rob. Onward into the void.............

[Alan Clark]

I didn't have much success with Stoecklers 2-bath wth HP5+, though. (although I haven't done more than a couple of films )

Rob[/QUOTE]

Rod,
What specifically didn't you like about it?

Alan

[Rob Archer]

I didn't have much success with Stoecklers 2-bath wth HP5+, though. (although I haven't done more than a couple of films )

Rob

Rod,
What specifically didn't you like about it?

Alan[/QUOTE]

It didn't convey the same 'grittiness' I like with HP5+ in ID11 (1+1). I found the 2 films I did came out rather thin, despite extending the time in both baths. I dare say a bit more experimentation would have been worth it, but, as I was happy with was I was getting in ID11 I didn't see the point of trying. OTOH Stoecklers is my standard dev for PanF+, lovely 'creamy' tonality(dificult to discribe scientifically - but PanF lovers know what I mean!), excellent shadow details and good highlights.

Rob

[Alan Clark]

Rob,
Thanks for the quick reply. I found the same lack of grittiness with Thornton's 2 Bath when I used it years ago with HP5+.
HP5 is my 35mm film of choice, as I need to work without a tripod when doing my farm pictures. I like the results when developed in ID11 1+3. Quite gritty, and more noticable sharpness than ID11 1+1. Slightly more grain, but you have to look to see it, whereas the extra sharpness easily shows on a 10 X 8 print. Only problem is a slight muddiness in the mid-tones when the film, taken in sunshine, gets reduced development. Any suggestions for a way round this? In theory 2 Bath development should overcome it. But how do you make the Stoeckler 2 Bath more gritty?

Alan

[Tom Kershaw]

Alan,

What did you think about the tonality of HP5 Plus in the 2-bath developer?

Tom

[Alan Clark]

Tom,
I thought the shadows and mid tones were ok, but I couldn't make prints that conveyed the exciting highlight sparkle that you see in the landscape when the sun comes out. At the time I thought it was a shortcoming of HP5, which I hadn't used much. I realise now that HP5 is a low-contrast film, and that the developer and developing method had simply tamed the highlights too much.

Alan

[Andrew Bartram]

Over the years I've made up D23 for use on it's own or as part of a 2 bath, Barry Thornton's 2-bath, ID11 variants.....quite honestly the novelty wears off after a while, well for me it does.

D23 is very sofy working for my tastes, OK as part of a two bath for contrast control.

Now use Prescysol exclusively

Love reading the Darkroom cookbook though and I do make up my own alkaili fix for films, thiocarbamide toner and ferri bleach.

I also add 10% washing soda concentrate to devs for deeper blacks.

Good Stuff

Keep dabbling

Andrew