Diafine Failure?

[dagabel]

Has anyone who uses Diafine ever experienced what appears to be a complete failure of the developer? I just ran 8 sheets today through my normal, successful process (4 sheets taco style wrapped in window screen tubes in a stainless steel tank - 5 minutes each part A and B with normal fixing and washing), and they came out almost completely clear - like they were seriously underexposed. Some had no visible detail at all, and others just barely recognizable, as I remember what I was shooting. The 8 sheets were from two different outings, at different times of day; the film is Arista EDU.Ultra 100.

I mixed up my first batch of the stuff in September 2006, and put a lot of 35mm through it in a smaller daylight tank before I supplemented it with another batch about 10 months ago in order to fill up my larger stainless steel tank for 4x5 and 120. So admittedly, it has seen a lot of use.

Of course, with LF there could be other factors at work in my process, but I have been shooting for almost a year with some success.

Thanks in advance for any insight you all might have!
Duane

[PaulRicciardi]

I've had it happen once but it was a problem on my end not the developer's end. In my case I really did just underexpose the negatives a lot, I've used the same batch of diafine a few times since then and the results are pleasing. You do need to replenish your A every few years though so that might be your problem, but from what I understand it mostly just because the A is absorbed into the film not because it loses its strength. Even still, it might be worth a shot to replenish your A.

Have you tried any other negatives since then? I'd shoot just one sheet of film and really take your time whilst shooting so you are sure you got everything right and then develop that single sheet of film.

Someone else more knowledgeable will probably come along soon but that's my stab at it.

[Paul H]

Yes, I have had it happen. It was about 18 months old, and had sat for a period of 3 or so months with no use when I moved back to NZ from Europe. The first roll I developed in Diafine when I got back was OK, then the next was sort of muddy. I wrote it off as being due to the wild weather (even though a roll developed in Rodinal looked fine) where I was photographing. However, the next roll I developed in Diafine came out blank, like I hadn't put it through the developer.

There was no B to A contamination, and certainly no chance of me mixing up A and B bottles, nor fixing first before developer....

I mixed up a new batch, and all was well.

[dagabel]

Thanks for your replies. Interestingly, Paul H, my last 35mm roll before these sheets was also muddy, and I didn't think much of it at the time - I was using an Olympus 35 RC and Fuji Neopan - both new to me, so I thought for some reason it might have something to do with that combination.

Paul R - yesterday I shot a test sheet and was very conscious of my exposure, so I'll see how that turns out. I may be placing a diafine order with Adorama shortly!

Thanks again,
Duane