2 questions for the Diafine users

[Jersey Vic]

My darkroom temperature fell to 68f/20c as did my diafine..any problems using this stuff at 68/20 and not at the recomended 70-85f ?
And if anyone's shooting fortepan/J&C/Bergger 400 I'd be interested in hearing what you're rating it at.
Thanks
Victor

 

[fschifano]

I can't help you with your film choice. I've not used any of them in Diafine. You might want to try Forte 400 at EI 800 and bracket around that to see what you come up with.

Since the developer is relatively insensitive to temperature changes, it's easy enough to warm up in a warm water bath. Any drift in temperature during developemnt is insignificant. Start out at something like 76 deg. F. and just do it. No problem.

 

[Jersey Vic]

Good point, thanks

 

[Paul Howell]

I have used Dinafine between 65 and 90 degrees, I used once at 95, but the emlusion was rather soft and I lost a frame or two.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It is my impression that the developer isn't sensitive to temperature changes within a certain range. I've used the developer at 80*F and at 65*F, without noticable difference.
In regards to your film choice - I have no clue. I use it with Tri-X which I rate at a thousand, but TX seems to be the one film that benefits the most from Diafine in terms of speed. I would probably start at box speed and bracket one stop to 800 on the same roll if you can. (but I favor fairly dense negs).

- Thom

 

[Jersey Vic]

It is my impression that the developer isn't sensitive to temperature changes within a certain range. I've used the developer at 80*F and at 65*F, without noticable difference.
In regards to your film choice - I have no clue. I use it with Tri-X which I rate at a thousand, but TX seems to be the one film that benefits the most from Diafine in terms of speed. I would probably start at box speed and bracket one stop to 800 on the same roll if you can. (but I favor fairly dense negs).

- Thom

Thanks Thom; I shot the Fortepan/Arista.edu 400 film with "Holga I" and hard as it was for me to believe it barely picked up any speed at all, especially in "the toe". I think I would have gotten just as much shadow detail shooting TX at 400 and processing normally with D76 or HC-110.
Sadly Diafine seems like the way to go with this film insofar as the rolls processed with an acid stop all have pinholes. Fine for MY Holga images, less fine for Rolleicord ones. Also-use a camera with an automatic counter for these films, the backing paper is barely light tight .