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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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D-23
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:19 am
Post subject: D-23
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:19 am
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Kodak D-23 is no longer made, but is an easy homebrew:

to make one liter:

Metol...................7.5g
Sodium Sulfite----100g

H2O qs one liter

Shot a test roll for the dev through the Bessa I using Fomapan 200 pulled to 100. D-23 1+3, 19 mins, 20C





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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:24 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:24 am
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Looks very good to me. Used that many, many years ago... sighhhh


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:48 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:48 am
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kds315* wrote:
Looks very good to me. Used that many, many years ago... sighhhh


Klaus, thanks, this is very easy to make and 5 lbs of anhydrous sodium sulfite arrived to make many more batches of both D-23 and
Thornton's 2-bath. Smile


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:17 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:17 am
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Katastrofo wrote:
Klaus, thanks, this is very easy to make and 5 lbs of anhydrous sodium sulfite arrived to make many more batches of both D-23 and Thornton's 2-bath. Smile


I know of that latter, but under a different name, also used Microdol-X.

How so you like the results so far?


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:20 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:20 am
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kds315* wrote:
How so you like the results so far?


Klaus, I'm encouraged, really like the tonality in the 2nd pic.


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:21 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:21 am
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Yep, it gets a very pleasant gamma curve and pleasing to the eye, too Wink
Plus the bath is very stable and good for about forever!


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:29 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:29 am
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I wish it was easy to buy raw chemicals here. I could do with making some Microdol-X.


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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:36 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:36 pm
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Klaus, thanks for the news about longevity!

Need to find the formula for Microdol-X


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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:03 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:03 am
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I bought an old tin of Microdol-X expired in 1984, I worked perfectly, and it became my favourite developer. I need to get some more of it, Process Supplies sell a copy.


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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:38 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:38 am
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This is from a roll of expired Tri-X at 400, D23, 1+1, 13 mins, 20C using the Canon EOS 5 and original EF 50/1.8:






and a couple more



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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:42 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:42 am
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hi Bill, check here:
http://www.westernphoto.it/sell-online/Photographic-chemicals-pure-38/sid,t6632deeivm78gm5ug4e67n0n0


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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:59 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:59 pm
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Orio, thanks, hope Ian sees this link, too. Smile


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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 2:35 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 2:35 pm
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Katastrofo wrote:
Orio, thanks, hope Ian sees this link, too. Smile


Ah yes, sorry, I wanted to write Ian but I wrote Bill Rolling Eyes


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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:39 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:39 pm
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Dangit. I was given the Microdol-X formula by someone who had access to it, and for some reason it's not in my inbox any more. I'll see if I can find it. Basically, it's the same as Microdol with a slightly different concentration of the grain-reduction or anti-fogging agent, I forget which.

Microdol-X is also my favorite developer. I lucked out and got about 13 gallons worth of expired packs on eBay last year, so I'll begoing back to it after I finish my current batch of XTOL.


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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:44 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:44 pm
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Okay, I lost the Microdol-X formula somehow, but I did find an APUG post that is somewhat similar to what I remember (I thought that Microdol-X had another ingredient or two, but I could be wrong.) Here's the post:

"30 grams of sodium chloride sounds about right.

A fine grain Metol Sulfite developing solution containing common salt was proposed by Edgar Hyman. This formula was published on page 379 of the Fine Grain Developers Chapter in Volume I of Modern Photographic Processing (Grant Haist, 1979, John Wiley and Sons, New York).

In this same chapter, Haist also discusses Kodak D-76 (Capstaff 1926) and some of its Kodak variants and also discusses Kodak D-23 (Henn and Crabtree 1944) and Kodak D-25 (D-23 plus sodium metabisulfite).

Hyman’s Fine Grain Formula (1964):

Metol...................................5 grams
Sodium Sulfite, anhydrous...............100 grams
Common Salt (Sodium Chloride) ...........30 grams
Water to make............................1 liter

Less salt was said to give more grain but higher film speed. A modification for one-time use was also suggested. The developing solution is diluted with an equal amount of water. “Tri-X rated at 400 ASA was developed for 11 minutes at 68°F and said to give “finer grain than D-76.”

Additional discussion of the effects of sodium chloride on silver bromide and silver bromoiodide crystals can be found on pages 378 and 379 of Haist’s book together with this developer formula:

G.F. Van Veelen and W. Peelaers Low pH Metol/Sulfite Developer (1967)

Metol...................................2 grams
Sodium Sulfite, anhydrous...............2 grams
Sodium Chloride ........................2 grams or 100 grams
Sodium Diphosphate ....................10 grams
Water to make..........................1 liter

pH 7.0 or 8.5

Van Veelen and Peelaers observed that compact silver particles with a brownish tone were formed by this developer. They hypothesized that solution physical development was taking place."

And here's where you can find it in context: http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/33613-microdol-x-powder.html


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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:59 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:59 pm
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So, where's a good place in the US to get a hold of these chemicals?

Really nice results, Kat. I've always used D-76, but I wouldn't mind mixing up my own from time to time. Especially in smaller quantities. Typically, with the D-76, I end up mixing the whole pouch, but seldom do I need an entire gallon of developer, so it ends up getting wasted. I know, I don't have to mix the whole pouch. It's just easier that way.


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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:23 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:23 pm
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Photographer's Formulary, but they're a bit pricey. I loaded up my cart with the chemicals to make two stock liters of the formula and it was about $60 with shipping (UPs because it's ORM-D.)

Sigma-Aldrich might be another good choice, but their volumes are likely to be larger. I'm not sure how their prices compare to Photographer's Formulary.


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Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:18 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:18 pm
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David, thanks for posting the Microdol formulae.

Last edited by Katastrofo on Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:06 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:09 am
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:09 am
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David wrote:

Sigma-Aldrich might be another good choice, but their volumes are likely to be larger. I'm not sure how their prices compare to Photographer's Formulary.


Doh! Why didn't I think of them? I have a big fat chemical catalog of theirs -- sorta inherited it from a chemist fried of mine.
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