Diafine and TMY-2

[Ron Marshall]

The Expert tank is ridiculously expensive, but it loads faster and easier and provides perfect development. I couldn't ask for more. I am a very happy camper.

The 2500 series tank will be relegated to 120 roll development.

The 3010 was the best use of $270 I've ever made!

[wclavey]

OK, a few minor variations on a theme but with excellent results...

I'm not claiming any credit for this except for the 1 variation I introduced, but I am wildly supporting the concept and the results as people have reported both in this thread and in the Sandy King article thread...

Over the past 2 days I have processed 3 batches of TMY-2 in Diafine with continuous agitation. I have scanned the negatives from the first 2 batches and I am absolutely pleased beyond belief. I exposed it for ASA 400, metered for the shadows, the highlights and incident and generally exposed based on combining the incident and the shadow (roughly a Zone 3).

I developed in a Jobo 2523 tank with the 6-sheet reel on a unicolor roller base, which reverses direction about every 15 seconds or so, after about 1.25 rotations of the tank.

The only change I made to the process Jim Cole described was to use a 4 min pre-soak and then full strength Solution A for 3 min, followed by Solution B 1:1 for 3 min. I used the pre-soak and the full strength Solution A because I found that it contributed to more even development and fewer air bubbles on the 4x5 film, and previously someone had observed that the results of the Solution A 1:1 and the use of a pre-soak followed by full strength Solution A were about the same.

I also included a few sheets of Arista EDU 100 in the mix in the same batch and the results there were equally great. I feel like the combination of the pre-soak, the Diafine and the continuous agitation from the roller base have eliminated my processing unevenness. And the negatives, even as high contrast as I get shooting down here in the Texas afternoon sun, are great for scanning.

Thanks to all who have experimented and reported on this.

[venchka]

OK, so I'm not going to give you my unopened box of Diafine just yet. Sounds like we need to have a TMY-2 and Modified Diafine vs. Xtol 1:3 Throwdown!

[wclavey]

OK, so I'm not going to give you my unopened box of Diafine just yet. Sounds like we need to have a TMY-2 and Modified Diafine vs. Xtol 1:3 Throwdown!

Bring it on!