Using diafine and have questions.

[ryanwestphotography]

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

[ryanwestphotography]

P.S. I also shot a roll of 120 hp5 and had zero issues

[Ken Lee]

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]

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]

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]

Another thread in this: http://www.largeformatphotography.in.../t-110392.html

[rich815]

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:

[ryanwestphotography]

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

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]

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]

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.