Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/15

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Subject: [Leica] Tri-X and D-23
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sun Jan 15 17:59:06 2006

On 1/15/06 3:32 PM, "Jeffery Smith" <jsmith342@cox.net> typed:

> If any of you have used this combination, how would you characterize the
> results? Mine have been a bit odd.
> 
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
> http://www.400tx.com
> 
> 
D23 can be used and I think it was designed to be used volumetrically, using
spoons not scales so the issue is to tweak the amount of Elon/ Metol and
sulfite that you are using by switching spoons till the grain and
compensation and edge effects have just the right consistency. Remember too
many cooks spoil the broth! the formula is 7.5 Metol and 100 sulfite,
100 sulfite is fine for 8x10 film or maybe even 4x5 but for roll film its
like using D76 straight, the last thing  you'd ever do. If you did it you'd
see the results right way, very unsharp blocky bunchy mush grain and too
hard a look, you've got to do it the classic 1:1 way and my friends at
Webster college all did it at 1:2, 1:1 makes for 50mls of sulfite per liter
and we know what that looks like; a considered sharp enough but nothing to
write home to mom about, 50 worth of solvent for a solvent developer to put
it semi-mildly. Its not going to pass for Rodinal or Beutlers acutance
developers. Ill take 33 and a 1/3 anyday or 20 even. I forgot what spoon
that was or spoons heaping or otherwise. I used to use one of those sliding
measuring spoons, but switched to keeping a spoon IN the sulfite jar and the
small spoon IN the Elon jar for making up a solution in about 20 seconds by
just reaching into the jar and grabbing its spoon and scooping it out minus
the stirring which I didn't get all exited about,
I forgot what measure 100grams of sulfite was I think I never used it using
more like a tablespoon or a teaspoon even instead of the cup or cups of
coffee measures it would have been. And the Elon I used was a teaspoon
instead of the tablespoon they wanted I think. So I ended up with about 3
grams of Elon and between 20 and 33 or sulfite, you learn a huge amount from
those tweaking of only two chemicals for a complete formula.. Sulfite and
grain sure but tweaking the Elon until you have just the right edge effects
and compensation, it turned out to be mainly an edge effect issue not
wanting a definite white line on the inside of my black border so I could
not go THAT dilute. I used this final but still occasionally tweaked watered
down versions of d23 for years but it didn't work so will with tri x, great
with plus x, Panatomic and the Ilford films. I found the 400 films needed
some hydroquinone in the formula or it just was too flat. Making for an MQ
formula. The M is Metol which Kodak calls Elon. And the Q stands for
hydroquinone of course? Just like N stand for Rabiner and K stands for Mark.
Skip the scales even if your have them have fun with spoons, trial and error
looking at your default sized prints between 8x10 to 11x14 or more for it to
me any real issue. 
Roll films just really the right developer or certainly dilution. In this
case you have two controls on the dilution. Two perimeters. Pull stops. For
a full developer corse.




N.K. Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/





Replies: Reply from jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Tri-X and D-23)
In reply to: Message from jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Tri-X and D-23)