Availability of Diafine

At least Acufine is still available, although a somewhat different beast than Diafine. Diafine only pushes (or whatever you wish to call it) to one particular EI with a film, Acufine will push to 3-4 stops if left in the soup long enough. Contrast is certainly increased when pushing this far with Acufine and the beautiful thing about Diafine is its ability to control contrast with its two-bath system. IMO, film doesn't look pushed at all, although I've only pushed TX with it; apparently different films react differently with Diafine and I've read that Diafine was produced especially for TX.

Jonno85uk said:

Not real diafine but Belini foto make something they claim is a working equivalent to diafine https://ntphotoworks.com/product/bellini-duo-step-diafine-film-developer/

Macodirect suggests it can't be shipped outside of the EU, however.

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Duo Step is now available at Freestyle.

Freestyle has Dinafine, but now crazy expensive, $96 a gallon. I bought a gallon size Acufine in a can from Ebay for $9.00 current retail is $46.00.

Acufine Diafine Powder Film Developer - 1 Gallon

• $96.49

#16128
In Stock
Stock availability shown for online orders. For stock at our Hollywood retail store please call 323-284-4321
Mfg: Acufine
ITEMS (requir

Paul Howell said:

Acufine Diafine Powder Film Developer - 1 Gallon

• $96.49

Click to expand...

Given that you can develop a BUNCH of film in that gallon of Diafine, it's not that unreasonable. Don't forget, both the Bath A and Bath B are reused indefinitely; carry-over losses are what eventually kills the developer (too little left to cover the film in the tank). From my experience with a quart size can back in the early 2000s, I'd guess you could process thirty or forty rolls in a quart (many more than four times that number in a gallon, because your final waste is the same; you completely use up the other three quarts) -- and needn't discard it, as you can replenish by simply adding newly mixed developer.

If you like Diafine and use it regularly, a gallon every year or so would keep a fairly active photographer developing -- which makes it no more expensive per roll than D-76 or Xtol.

I don't think I ever ran more than a dozen or so rolls though a quart size, but as I was on assignment once I moved on I would dump so I didn't really give it a test. Diafine is not on my list, am going to use Acufine with Foma 400 4X5 which is why I bought a can from Ebay, I have a couple of cans of replenisher on hand.

I made a two bath developer a few years ago that I used a lot and like. It pushes some films at least one stop pretty well. If you mix your own and are a little adventurous, this is going to be a LOT cheaper: https://imager.ie/a-phenidone-hydroquinone-two-bath-developer/

I'm not claiming it's a full workalike replacement for Diafine, but I found that the results are not that different for the films that I like to shoot.

Development times are pretty much the same for all films, depending on your desired density and contrast. I use 5 mins A, 4 mins B.