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Old 11th March 2020, 01:46 PM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Default Any Kodak D23 users out there?

I had a quick search on the internet and found quite a number of threads about Kodak D23. It can be used as stock and replenished or one shot diluted 1:3 or 1:1. It is a compensating developer that works well to hold detail in the highlights with higher contrast films such as T-max and Panf+. To increase contrast 2g. of Borax can be added Per. Litre of stock for low contrast films such ad Hp5+. Kodak D23 is an easy to mix developer using only 2 chemicals in its original formulation, is anyone out there using it, what are your thoughts please?
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Old 11th March 2020, 02:10 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I have been wanting to try out this two chemical formula film developer for a while, after reading about it a lot.

If my memory is correct, I have received prints on this sites Print Exchange from member JakubV, in Slovakia, who uses this developer regularly. Hopefully he'll pick up on this message and confirm my thoughts.

Terry S
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Old 11th March 2020, 04:20 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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This could be an interesting thread. I too have wanted to try D23, but haven't bothered because it is so similar to one of my favourite brews - Perceptol. The latter uses about 1/3 less metol, but adds a bit of NaCl (non-iodized salt); whereas D23 is only metol and sulphite.

To compare them:

Perceptol
- Metol 5 g
- Sodium Sulphite anhyd. 100 g
- Sodium Chloride 30 g (non-iodized, pickling salt)

D23
- Metol 7.5 g
- Sodium Sulphite anhyd. 100 g

This really makes me wonder if there is any noticeable difference between these two? Like you, Terry and Norm, I am interested to hear if anyone has tried both and what their experience has been.
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Old 11th March 2020, 05:41 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Is there a Black Country man in the house? He has a lot of knowledge on "brews"

Mike
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Old 11th March 2020, 06:22 PM
mpirie mpirie is offline
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I'm sure Ian will be along soon enough

I'm interested in the thoughts of D-23 or DD-23 too.

I have the chemicals ready to make my own, but will wait until my Pyrocat HD finishes before trying D/DD-23.

Mike
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Old 11th March 2020, 08:41 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpirie View Post
I'm sure Ian will be along soon enough


Mike
Just as well, Mike. My only knowledge connecting the Black Country and "brews" extends to a liking of Black Country mild beer sold in the Black Country museum's pub.

A great day out

Mike
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Old 11th March 2020, 09:00 PM
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I occasionally use a D23 variant called Stoeckler's 2-bath. Bath A is the same as D23 but with the metol reduced to 5g/Ltr. Bath 2 is 10g borax/ltr. 4-5 mins in each bath with continuous agitation in bath A and none in bath B. It works really well for slower films like PanF+ and Rollei Retro 80s.

An earlier thread on it: http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ight=Stoeckler

Last edited by Rob Archer; 11th March 2020 at 09:04 PM.
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Old 12th March 2020, 12:24 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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Norm: here are a couple of earlier threads on D-23. Scant info there on the character of the developer and not really answering your original question, but hopefully some useful bits to be found:

http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ad.php?t=10640

http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ight=perceptol
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Old 12th March 2020, 01:12 PM
JakubV JakubV is offline
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Hey there, I have used D-23 quite a lot for last 2 years; without borax (yet I have planned that but didn't get to it).

I have always used times given for D-76/ID-11 with sucess, only tweaking 1/2 minute here or there if the negatives weren't spot on.

Overally, it's very close to D-76, maybe a litte less constrasty.
Shadow detail good, really hard to blow out highlits.

Stock for fast films (up to Tri-X "pushed" 2 stops and developed for t+60%).
I have tried using it without replenishing and adding 10% dev time for each next film - results were good, enlarged normally, but the negatives looked different after the dev was used 3-4 times. Maybe I was just paranoid, but it looked as if the image was stained a bit, the 'colour' was different, so I stopped doing that (well, it's still rather cheap to use it one shot)

1+3 has given me virtually same results as 1+1 so I didn't use it after tests.

1+1 gave (maybe a bit surprisingly) best results with Fomapan 200 shot with yellow filter - results look "old" but very nice, very fine grain. I really liked what it could do with 100ish films - resolution for days, miniature grain, but somehow high accutance. Forums say that one component devs as D-23 will give better accutance than devs that are superadditive and now I tend to believe it

Stock lasts for 4-6 weeks in dark (glass bottle, not topped up) and then gets yellow/brown.

TMX - sotck (for some reason), no grain, low contrast (but the light was not contrasty anyway), usual tmx look
Pan-F - 1+3, nearly no grain, low-ish contrast, somhow I didn't like the results, as if it was too smooth
HP5 - stock, could use a bit more contrast, probably doable just by going a grade or two up in paper

Last edited by JakubV; 12th March 2020 at 01:23 PM.
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Old 12th March 2020, 06:03 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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Jakub -- some really good insight there. Thanks for posting! Some of your comments make it sound very similar in character to Perceptol - lower contrast, very sharp but fine grain, softer look. Whereas the note that it looks similar to D76 is interesting. Have you tried comparing Perceptol with D23?

I am not surprised it didn't wow you with TMX -- I tried that film in Perceptol and had the same reaction...no snap or punch...pretty bland. TMX works better in D76. PanF, on the other hand, is wonderful in Perceptol, even in flat light (1+1 dilution only though...1+3 is drab).

Curious to hear a bit more about D23...
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