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View Full Version : Using diafine and have questions.



ryanwestphotography
31-Jan-2016, 17:25
So I recently mixed up a batch of diafine and am using it for the first time. I have also purchased some arista edu.ultra 400 as I am trying to work on my portaiture in 4x5 with cheaper film.

The problem is I keep getting a wavy banding on my negatives. I have developed different films with different developers in the same tank with zero problems. I still have some other film that I'll try in the same tank with the diafine but was curious if anyone else has had this issue.

The last run was 4 minutes in each bath, rinsed twice then fixed for 6 1/2 minutes and washed with washing soda (the same wash ive used for the last year) and I'll try to attach a photo hot of the scanner.

As you can see there is a wavy patern where it should be a smooth diffused shadow

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160201/61d582bdf5c35fcf10a2e7cdb88691b9.jpg

ryanwestphotography
31-Jan-2016, 17:26
P.S. I also shot a roll of 120 hp5 and had zero issues

Ken Lee
1-Feb-2016, 02:15
I had the same problem with Diafine and stopped using it.

If you use rotary development with a machine like a Jobo - and add a bit of wetting agent to bath A to promote move even uptake - this form of uneven development is much less likely to occur.

I develop sheet film in trays in a single-use, single-bath developer that is always mixed fresh. I use the shuffle method and development by inspection with an Infra Red viewing device.

In the end I decided to stay with those methods, to avoid subjects of extreme brightness range and to rely on large film size for grain control.

LabRat
1-Feb-2016, 06:11
What kind of tank are you using???

The (old) instructions for Diafine stated to keep the initial agitation in the A bath very low/easy for only about 10 seconds... You may want to just try enough to displace the airbells, as well as what Ken said to add a little wetting agent, or maybe try a presoak...

One sheet at a time....

Steve K

rich815
1-Feb-2016, 08:47
What kind of tank are you using???

The (old) instructions for Diafine stated to keep the initial agitation in the A bath very low/easy for only about 10 seconds... You may want to just try enough to displace the airbells, as well as what Ken said to add a little wetting agent, or maybe try a presoak...

One sheet at a time....

Steve K

I thought I remember instructions to not presoak with Diafine...

rich815
1-Feb-2016, 08:48
Another thread in this: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/index.php/t-110392.html

rich815
1-Feb-2016, 08:53
I thought I remember instructions to not presoak with Diafine...

I remember now where I saw it. The first step in the instruction sheet for Diafine:

145876

ryanwestphotography
1-Feb-2016, 10:05
I remember now where I saw it. The first step in the instruction sheet for Diafine:

145876
I have read the instructions and did what it said to do. Im not sure if it is a combination of the tank and the fact that it is sheet film or just the film itself. I haven't seen many people using this combination of film and diafine.

David Karp
1-Feb-2016, 10:59
I used Diafine and HP5+ with 4x5 sheets for a while. At the time, I was using film hangers and tanks. I did not get the kind of streaking you are seeing. I did not presoak. I believe I lifted and dipped the hangers slowly for ten seconds initially, and then ten seconds every minute thereafter.

David Karp
1-Feb-2016, 11:01
Also, search the web for an article by Sandy King regarding two bath developers. It appeared in View Camera Magazine. One of the developers discussed was Diafine. There are also articles written by a photographer who develops his negatives in Diafine for scanning. I don't remember if he was developing sheet film, but the View Camera article is definitely about sheet film development.

David Karp
1-Feb-2016, 11:03
Oh yeah, one more thing. For whatever it is worth, I have developed Arista.EDU Ultra 200 (Fomapan 200) sheet film with a version of Divided D23 in a Jobo drum on a Uniroller base with good results.

Bob Mann
1-Feb-2016, 11:08
I use Diafine for most of my developing - mostly with HP5 and FP4 - I use hangers and dip tanks - presoak, then 5min in each part - I have not had the streaking problems you describe. If you are using a tray, try doing one sheet at a time.

ryanwestphotography
1-Feb-2016, 11:40
What kind of tank are you using???

The (old) instructions for Diafine stated to keep the initial agitation in the A bath very low/easy for only about 10 seconds... You may want to just try enough to displace the airbells, as well as what Ken said to add a little wetting agent, or maybe try a presoak...

One sheet at a time....

Steve K
I'm using this tank.
(Not my image)http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160201/e548e3c012a564e0fe081126960e4747.jpg

LabRat
1-Feb-2016, 21:21
This type of tank can have agitation issues... (I think this is a FR, and there is the Yankee Agitank) They either don't agitate enough, or there can be issues sometimes on the end sheets or edges if too much, depending on what style of agitation/developer/dilution etc... Search for the Yankee on this site for comments about use... The best tanks like this are ones that will seal and can be inverted during processing... (I think some of the stand development fans use these for very dilute developers... Search this site... Some have no problem with them...)

One can pre-wet film for Diafine processing, but it produces a somewhat (often desirable) softer contrast, but check if it gives enough Dmax overall for darkroom printing... As mentioned by Bob, the A & B baths times have to be max'ed out...

But now I'm thinking the streaking is probably happening in the B bath, as there would be bromide by-products produced when the development is actually taking place, causing the dreaded "bromide drag" as the overall sensitizing/de-sensitizing "clouds" break-up and flow down the film surface (due to gravity) during prime-time development... Or the Diafine A bath is being unevenly diluted while in the B over a sheet of film...

Steve K