I have found the bottom

[BetterSense]

It's also an example of how, had I focused mainly on evaluating my negatives, rather than testing my system's total resolution by making an extreme enlargement, I might have called my system 'good', and overlooked a very serious problem that was subtly sabotaging that very negative sharpness even on my small prints.

[Bosaiya]

Will the negative eventually stabilize at the higher temperature?

Yes, it should. Letting everything warm up is something I would consider standard practice in that I have read about it in many different places.

[Bosaiya]

It's also an example of how, had I focused mainly on evaluating my negatives, rather than testing my system's total resolution by making an extreme enlargement, I might have called my system 'good', and overlooked a very serious problem that was subtly sabotaging that very negative sharpness even on my small prints.

The Scientific Method is your friend. Trust in it and it will guide you to the truth.

[BetterSense]

It will often guide you to fact, but rarely truth.

[Bosaiya]

Truth, Fact, what's a little semantics between friends?

[BetterSense]

Indeed.

Now I feel like testing my other, longer lenses. I suppose a fair comparison would be to shoot the same scene, but vary perspective so that the same amount of the scene was on the film. This would mean going further away from the scene, though, but I guess I don't know any other way to compare them.

[Bosaiya]

Testing is good, just don't lose sight of your objectives.

[rdenney]

It's also an example of how, had I focused mainly on evaluating my negatives, rather than testing my system's total resolution by making an extreme enlargement, I might have called my system 'good', and overlooked a very serious problem that was subtly sabotaging that very negative sharpness even on my small prints.

System testing, especially when troubleshooting a problem, requires testing each component separately before testing the system together. The reason is proved by your experience: The system test failed, and it took you considerable discussion and conflict to find out why. Had you tested the system components first, against the standard of their own designs, you'd have had your answer without so much drama.

I'm glad you found the answer, by the way.

Rick "who has learned testing principles the hard way" Denney

[BrianShaw]

Testing is good, just don't lose sight of your objectives.

Similarly... testing is good, just don't lose sight of well-known fundementals that can help reduce the amount of testing to re-learn. It seems to me that a review of some basic literature, like the 3-volume Ansel Adams series, may help ward off the next problem... whatever it may be. My guess is that it might be dust spots.

p.s. me happy you figured it out too!

[BetterSense]

No, the dust spots was the very first problem I had, as it turns out. Luckily the helpful members here helped me with that issue too.