Filmwasters
Which Board? => Articles => Topic started by: sheetshooter on July 17, 2009, 11:39:57 PM
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Too good to be true.
- Works equally well with the same processing times in a temperature range of 70? to 85?.
- Gains about a full stop of real emulsion speed with most emulsions.
- No Zone or range worries - it is a very compensating developer.
- Minimal agitation
- Fine Grain and high accutance
- It lasts for years and only needs topping up - NOT replenishment
Sounds like the answer to a maiden's prayer. Sadly, I am no maiden so I will never know for sure.
Diafine is a two-bath compensating film developer. Film gets 3 minutes in Solution A with a gentle agitation every minute, then drain (but don't rinse) and give 3 minutes in Solution B with a gentle agitation every minute. Follow this with a one minute wash in running water (NOT STOP BATH) and normal fixing and follow-through. Only variation to this seems to be Fuji Acros which wants 5 minutes in each solution.
During the soak in Solution A the emulsion soaks up the developing agent but essentially nothing else happens. Solution B is the activator agent and sets the developer to working. Given that there is only a given amount of developer in the emulsion, in the highlight areas where there is most developing activity the solution exhausts quickly and stops working while in the shadows activity continues achieving speed and good low value separation.
Diafine is fine for working in daylight tanks but I choose to use a small deep tank set-up so that I can process rolls or sheets. (I include a snap of the darkroom set-up in a laundry alcove at home.)
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I just tried Diafine for the first time.
It seems to give extra exposure latitude to the film, esp' good for cameras with limited exposure control.
This is Neopan 400 in Diafine from my Holga.
[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]
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i like diafine. easy to use and typically a lot of grain. but it does tend to suffer from instant death so i usually just get new after 3 months or so.
excellent for expired film because you don't need to worry about altering the dev time and you always get something from it.
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i like diafine. easy to use and typically a lot of grain. but it does tend to suffer from instant death so i usually just get new after 3 months or so.
Strange - my current batch of Diafine is coming up to 12 months old. My last batch nearly made it to 2 years.