Diafine Mixing question

loman · Jun 5, 2007

Hello Everybody
I just bought my first pack of diafine.
Now on the box it says to put soluation A in water to make "one quart" and to do the same with solution B. What does "one quart" mean in european terms, preferably in milliliters?
Thanks
Mads

loman · Jun 5, 2007

Just figured out that "one quart" is 0.946 liters.
Ok so the question now is, should I just add solution A in a liter of water, and afterwards do the same to solution B?

Best Regards
Mads

loman · Jun 5, 2007

And yet another question?
For how many films will it last, before I have to discard it?

mongo141 · Jun 5, 2007

loman said:
And yet another question?
For how many films will it last, before I have to discard it?

A liter of water is close enough and the stuff just keeps going and going. My last batch is 2 years old and works fine. Just don't accidentally dump the B into the A bottle.. Dave

Fotohuis · Jun 5, 2007

Diafine is a 2 bath developer. For a Quart take 950ml. Do not use a STOP bath when using Diafine (it's a bi-carbonate solution) and also a suitable fixer which you can use without a stop bath.
2 years will do and you can filter the solution when it's not clear anymore. And indeed B in A (contamination, wrong sequence) will be the end of the developer parts.
Here is some more info:
http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Diafine_Acu-1_BKA.pdf

Very suitable films for Diafine processing: Tri-X (400), Neopan 400/1600 and HP5+.

Best regards,

Robert

loman · Jun 5, 2007

Thanks for the answers guys.
Another question.
Have anybody tried adox chs 25 in diafine. How does it look, how should it be rated?
I'm going to test it anyway, and post the results, but it's always nice to hear other people's experiences.
Best Regards
Mads

loman · Jun 5, 2007

Robert.
As for a suitable fixer is my tetenal superfix plus ok?
Best Regards
Mads

Thomas Bertilsson · Jun 5, 2007

Mads, with films that are not listed on the Diafine package, I would bracket between box speed of the film and one stop underexposed.
Jeg tror nok du hvil lige Diafine! (Is that close enough? I'm Swedish).
I'll second the opinion that Diafine is great for Tri-X. It's as if it was made for that film in particular.
- Thomas

Fotohuis · Jun 5, 2007

tetenal superfix plus

Odorless neutral fix is less suitable to use without stop. The capacity is then very low.
Tetenal is not in our program but I thought there are two versions: plus and oderless.
Same like in our Amaloco program X55 and X89 (pH neutral, odorless). Last version will have SO2 (sulfurdioxide) reduction but needs a stop.

For the Efke 25 I can recommend the Rodinal 1+100 dilution or the AM50 (Amaloco pyrocatechin, non-staining) developer. Last one is also very succesfull for a Rollei PAN 25 development.
http://gallery.fotohuisrovo.nl/thumbnails.php?album=4

P C Headland · Jun 6, 2007

Yes, just add the contents of can A to 950ml of water and mix thoroughly. Store in a container clearly marked Diafine A. Add the contents of can B to 950ml of water and mix thoroughly. Store in a container clearly marked Diafine B. Remember, some A will get into B, but never let any of the B solution get into A.

It should last a couple of years (or more); solution A will get consumed and you will either need to replenish both with an equal amount new solution (you will probably need to pour away some solution B) or alternatively, discard them both an mix up another batch.

It can die suddenly - mine did after about two years and a migration from Holland to New Zealand. The roll before it died came out a bit "muddy", the next roll was blank.

Follow the guidelines on the pack for agitation - I use one gentle inversion each minute and have had no problems with either 35mm or 120.

Use a water stop (as per the instructions). For fixer, I use the Agfa rapid fixer.

Films that I have found to work really nicely are TriX, FP4 and Neopan 400. I did not like the results so much from Efke/Adox 25 or 100 - I much prefer these in Rodinal 1+100 or PC-TEA.

loman · Jun 6, 2007

Thanks again for the answers.
I usually use adox in aph 09 1+40, for six minutes. And although I like this combination, actually the negatives look somewhat grainy, relativly speaking, considering that it's a 25 speed film.
Robert what time do you use with adox cph 25 in rodinal 1+100?
And should I just copy that time, as a starting point for experimentation, and use it with aph 09 at 1+80,? And do you still rate it at iso 25?
When I've used aph09/rodinal at these dilutions I always loose a stop or so in speed. Even at 1+40 I find, for example, that pan f+ looks much better rated at EI 32 and developped for 7 minutes. HP5+ I usually rate at 250 (12 minutes development),and Fp4+ at 80 (10 1/2 minutes development).
With gentle agitation (first 30 seconds continous afterwards 2 inversions every 30 seconds). Both my 120 and 135 prints very well on my durst m800 on adox fine print vario classic grade 2, as a standard.

"Hej Thomas" en lille rettelse. Det hedder mere praecist:
"Jeg tror du vil kunne lide Diafine".
Du kunne nu godt have skrevet det paa svensk, selvom jeg ikke taler det, forstaar jeg det glimrende.
Venlig Hilsen
Best Regards
Mads

Fotohuis · Jun 6, 2007

Efke 25 in Rodinal 1+100 around 12:00 Min. (20 degrees C.)
R09 1+80 will be very close to it.
Rate Efke 25 at E.I. 25. Efke emulsions will vary in each batchnumber so these times can have some deviation.
Indeed most films will have some speed loss in Rodinal. Normally Efke 25 film is just over iso 25 in E.I.

AM50 will even give more sharpness than the Rodinal. Also very suitable with the PAN 25 film.
Developing times for the Rollei films:
Dead Link Removed

loman · Jun 6, 2007

Thanks again Robert for your contributions, it's really nice to talk to an expert!
I will be doing some tests of the adox film in the weekend.
I have another question to ask you since you are a foma dealer.
I've both tried the fomapan 100 and t200, and found them to be exellent films. But, I had to stop using them because they were all extremely badly scratched (long lines of minimum 6 running through the entire roll). I bought both of these films as 30 meter rolls, and spooled it myself. I did numerous tests to see what could be the cause of the problem. And I figured out, rather quickly, that it happened before I developped them. So it's not a squegee problem or something like that (I never sqeegee my negatives). I found out that it was the film cassettes I used that caused the problem, but cleaning them and replacing them with new ones, never helped. Also it was not caused by a single camera, it didn't matter what camera I used the problem was the same. I also tried changing film loaders without any succes.
At the same time I was using Hp5+ with the same spools, without any problem. So my conclusion was that the foma films were simply too fragile.
Have you experienced similar issues, and have they been cured. I both tried contacting foma directly and fotoimpex where I bought the film, but none of them ever answered back.
I now this question is a little off topic, but I really hope you can help me, because I absolutely loved the way these two films look (Actually for tonality and "look" they are my favorite film along with apx 100), and it was of great distress to me that I found them useless, because of the scratches.
Best Regards
Mads

Snapshot · Jun 6, 2007

When I processed Efke 25 film in Diafine, I found and EI of 50 to be appropriate. The results were satisfactory in terms of grain and sharpness.

Fotohuis · Jun 6, 2007

it was of great distress to me that I found them useless

Yes, when a film is ended with scratches all film is useless.

We know the Fomapan films are more sensitive for scratches than Kodak, Ilford or Fuji. If you are testing the Efke films, they are even more sensitive for this problem than Foma.

Almost all problems for these scratches are caused by faulty loading, dirty or too often used cassettes but it is a fact that a Foma film need extra care on this issue.
We can advise you to use used Fomapan 100/T200 cassettes for reloading (They can be opened very easily without damage and closed again for 2-3 times.) For on the spool use Tesa (TM) extra power tape 2,75mx19mm artnr. 56341-00019. First try to reload without the loader to be sure the problem is not caused by the loader guide.
With some extra care it is of course possible to load Foma film without scratches.

Two combinations working very well with Fomapan 100 and T200 are both Rodinal 1+50 and AM74 (Amaloco) 1+9 -1+15. With Rodinal rated resp. E.I. 80 and 125, AM74 resp. 100 and 160.
Dead Link Removed

About APX100. Latest production run 2005 is still available under Rollei Retro 100, especially in Europe for attractive prices.

loman · Jun 6, 2007

Thanks again for your detailed answer Robert!
The funny thing is though, that I've had no problem with adox cph 25, in the same loader, and I even tried it in the same cassette without any problems.
Sure there were a few very light scratches but nothing that would show up on a print.
Since you are a dealer of Foma films, have you adressed them with this issue, can they fix it?
By the way I just managed to get 30 meters of apx 100 that expires in 2010 for 30 euros. So I'm very happy!!
Best Regards
Mads Hartmann

P C Headland · Jun 7, 2007

My Efke 25 (rated at EI25) times in Rodinal 1+100 are a bit different to Robert's - I develop mine for 17 minutes. But then I agitate less - 5 inversions at the start of each minute for the first three minutes, then one inversion every three minutes.

You may also like to try 1 hour - agitate/invert for the first minute, then put the tank down and leave it for a further 59 minutes.

Let us know how you get on!

loman · Jun 7, 2007

Hello P C
Yes I've also thought of doing stand development. It's on my list for this weekends experiments!
How did you arrive at your method for developing the efke/adox film?

m_liddell · Jun 7, 2007

What made you decide on diafine for such a slow film?

loman · Jun 7, 2007

"What made you decide on diafine for such a slow film?"
Well I haven't decided on it as such, normally I use aph 09 for it, But since I got some Diafine and already had the adox cph 25, so why not give it a try!!

Fotohuis · Jun 7, 2007

Well Diafine is a speed enhance developer, so populair with films to increase the film speed for push films +1 or +2 F stops. But the film must be suitable for this type of 2-bath developer. The developer is also pretty temperature independent in a wide range which is easy when you have to develop 'in the field' or hot summers.
The disadvantage is that you have to set the right iso rate in advance for Diafine for each film. It's also a pretty high compensating developer.
Further it's rather 'fool proof' when you are doing the right sequence A, B, water stop and fix without exact developing times and take notice of the developing temperature. Further NO pre-soak of the film with Diafine.

P C Headland · Jun 9, 2007

loman said:
Hello P C
Yes I've also thought of doing stand development. It's on my list for this weekends experiments!
How did you arrive at your method for developing the efke/adox film?

A bit of reading and some educated guessing

Paul

loman · Jun 14, 2007

I know this thread has been silent for a couple of days. But I just wanted to report, that I've uploaded my first pictures developed in diafine to my gallery. I must admit that I'm totally and completely hooked!! What an amazing developer.
I've only shot hp5+ so far. But it turned out just as I had hoped for.
Next up is tri-x and I would like to try how efke 25 turns out, just for the fun ot it!
Best Regards
Mads Hartmann

Diafine Mixing question

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