diafine

Anywhere in the UK got diafine

Last lot I got came from Germany.

I searched a lot and german and us postage was very expensive to Istanbul and one of my californian friend bought it for me from new york and sent to Istanbul , all cost was less than the half of the store postage charge. If you can find an american , I think they can buy from bh or amazon and send it to you.

That was me. I only just started using Diafine myself and with 120 Tri-X, it's really magic. ISO 1600 and no grain!!!

didjiman said:

That was me. I only just started using Diafine myself and with 120 Tri-X, it's really magic. ISO 1600 and no grain!!!

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"Magic" might be too strong a word but, especially with Tri-X, it is, at the very least, "remarkable." I also use it to get box speed or a touch (1/3 stop) more from Pan F+ while controlling highlight densities, a film most think works best at below box speed.

I used it for years in the 70s and 80s as my only developer because it's stone simple to use and dirt cheap (especially back then, but lasts so long even now it's quite inexpensive per film) and good effective speeds didn't hurt. I no longer use it that much but I always keep some mixed for when I need its special mag...er, remarkable qualities.

eunified61 said:

Anywhere in the UK got diafine

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http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/diafine-38l--1usgal-1774-p.asp

http://www.macodirect.de/chemistry-...-aetna-group-diafine-gallon-liter-p-3036.html

Thank you very much again Richard

BTW, what's the "expected" lifespan of mixed Diafine? The Dev A is looking a bit yellow but apparently still good. What's the telltale sign when it goes bad?

didjiman said:

BTW, what's the "expected" lifespan of mixed Diafine? The Dev A is looking a bit yellow but apparently still good. What's the telltale sign when it goes bad?

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Your film will be undeveloped. I have had friends use Diafine that suddenly stopped working, with no apparent signs. You will do well to set some kind of a limit for how many rolls you develop before you mix a new batch.
In addition, you will find that Part A will start to disappear since you transfer some of that into Part B every time you develop film. It's a good idea to fill that up periodically, with fresh Part A to keep a full bottle.

It doesn't seem to be age that kills the developer, though. Number of rolls appears to be the culprit. Somebody I know stored a mixed and used Diafine kit away for years and didn't use it. Then years later dug it out and used it again with no ill effect. That's all the empirical evidence I have for using Diafine and longevity.

I used to get 50-60 rolls out a quart when I shot that much (really.) It would die by around 70 but I didn't like to push it.

Films were different then though and I'm not sure what is responsible for the exhaustion or if modern films would exhaust at similar rate. I usually mix a new gallon every couple of years (really.) I never develop anywhere near enough film to deplete it in that amount of time, and toss and re-mix on principle even though I know it is probably not necessary.

I've used Acufine and gotten similar grainless results w/ Tri-X (see shot below), but unlike Diafine, you do follow a conventional time and temp scheme. Not sure if I totally like the results though, as I like a little grain. That's quite a shot though didjiman.

Thanks Momus. So you folks re-use Diafine? I am mostly shooting C41 now so I have a gallon of that stuff left and won't be using it up too fast. This and I have a couple gallons of Harvey 777 (which I do "reuse"). I am using Diafine one-shot and probably won't change unless there is good reasons. I filled the bottle with the inert gas thing.

There is no reason to use Diafine one shot. You're just paying way more than you need to. Just pour it back in the bottle and re-use. You needn't even change times. As above, it works for many, many rolls.

Best way is like it says on the package - mix, say, a gallon and pour into four 1/2 gallon bottles, Part A working, Part B working, Part A stock and Part B stock. As liquid is lost from part A due to the introduction of dry film, top it off with stock Part A. Discard enough working Part B so you can add the same amount of stock to working Part B. A gallon would probably do a couple hundred rolls (or equivalent area in sheets.)

That's my regiment with the Harvey 777, but I have so much Diafine XD

Roger Cole said:

There is no reason to use Diafine one shot....
(or equivalent area in sheets.)

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... unless you use it in a rotary processor I think. I diluted 50/50 when I tried it, so thought I'd better use it as one shot.

Xpres said:

... unless you use it in a rotary processor I think. I diluted 50/50 when I tried it, so thought I'd better use it as one shot.

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Actually, I do use a Jobo CPP2. I think I will continue to use it as one shot since a) I have a lot of the stuff and b) the Jobo use of chemical is very frugal. I just use the stock though. I run a prewash and honestly the results cannot be better.

Harvey 777 is different, you must reuse and replenish it.

I have a Jobo but the maker specifically recommends against over agitating in Diafine and I have found it is indeed sensitive to over agitation with inversion, so I've never tried it with rotary.

More importantly, I see no reason to try it with rotary. The reason I use my Jobo is mainly the temperature control. You don't need temperature control with Diafine as long as you are between 70F and 85F. The other reason is to use less solution, again not important with a "pour it back in the bottle and re-use it" developer like Diafine. Finally I have plenty of inversion tanks, including inversion lids for my 1500 series Jobo tanks (have cog lids too for use with the Lift, plus 2500 series tanks - I really stocked up on tanks and reels when they were cheaper) and I have 1/2 gallon deep tanks and film hangers for my 4x5, so I just see no reason to try Diafine in the Jobo when it works great with the other stuff.

Plus, on an ounce for ounce basis (but the opposite on a per-film basis!) Diafine is probably the most expensive common developer on the market. Using it one shot, even diluted 1+1, takes it from the most economical into quite probably the most expensive.

Glad you're having success with that, and anything that causes people to buy more Diafine so they continue making the magic elixir is great with me, but I'll stick to inversion for rolls and deep tanks and hangers for 4x5.

So here's a question about Diafine, seeing as I've never used it:
I've shot a few rolls of Tri-X lately (both older and newer versions).
I started at box speed (or even ei320), but then the light got dim. I thought bugger it, I can live with a bit higher contrast in the first shots, so I set the meter to 800 and planned to push the whole lot 1 stop.
But now I'm thinking about Diafine (presuming I can actually get some). Given that most people say to use about ei1200 or so, what will diafine do with shots 2/3 over (ei800), and especially 1 2/3 over (the first ones at ei400)?
Or just stick to the Xtol I was planning?

The 800 will be fine. I personally find 400 in Diafine way too dense with grain increase accordingly but some people seen to think it's the right speed. I'd suggest to try a test roll but while it's quite economical per film due to its longevity it's still a pretty expensive developer to buy just to try out.


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