Re: [Leica] D-23

[Ted <tedgrant@home.com>]

Hi Mark,

My old time partner used to say, "you don't need anything but Metol, Sulfite and
water and you got the very best all round developer you'll ever need!" Now he did
say that 40 years ago and I suppose there've been improvements since then.   EXTOL?

But when I print 35 - 40 year old negs and they produce a print quality like nothing
from the negs of today, I have to wonder what was the improvement? If only one could
buy the D23 already mixed I'd be inclined to use it once again over all the others!

ted




Mark Rabiner wrote:

> Ted wrote:
> ><Snip>
> > No question,  D23 does something the developers of today do not do.  Please
> > don't ask me anything technical as why, what or how the negs from 40 years
> > ago look beautiful and full of nice tones and they arrived in the world via
> > D23.
> >
> > ted
> >
> I also used D23 for a few years measuring volumetrically with various spoons and
> fine tuning the formula to my own needs (with different spoons in a spoon
> measuring set:
> grain: the sulfite
> edge effects: the Metol
> I think what i ended up with might have been close to D23 1:1.
> I thought my results were far better than D76 1:1. (but not good with Tri x)
> The D76 has Hydroquinone in it the high contrast developing agent which works
> super additively with the Metal and also has some Borax in it for some kick.
>
> The simplicity of D23:
>         two chemicals measurable each with it's own spoon.
> sure seems to be a good thing.
> KISS keep it simple stupid
>
> Metol by itself has a beauty to it
> It can be seen in the negs (there's a purple almost like you've seleniumed them)
> but also in the prints when one uses Selectol Soft.
> Pure Metol
> brings out the true color of your paper!
> You don't need chives, you don't need butter and sour cream,
> JUST EAT THE DARN SPUD!!!
> I'd say most people don't know what a spud tastes like!
> mark rabiner
> :)
> http://spokenword.to/rabiner/