If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
I have been doing B&W processing for 30 years and have always used D-76 or D-76
1:1 for all of my processing. Seemed to work good all of these years. After reading about diafine this week I ordered some. Seems like it could be the best general all around developer. Why don't more people use it? I just read about it! Am I in for a rude suprise when I finish my first roll? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Bill |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
I use Diafine with TX to push film (I expose at 1200).
It doesn't really push - a Zone 1 test shows the film to be EI 400 or about, so there's a lack of shadow details but there's not the classical blown highlight look one gets from pushed film. I really like the loks of night photos with this combo, and had good results also with flash. I've tried TMX with it @160 and really disliked the results - but then I've never managed to get good negs from TMX (natural light). Jorge (NapperWm) wrote in : I have been doing B&W processing for 30 years and have always used D-76 or D-76 1:1 for all of my processing. Seemed to work good all of these years. After reading about diafine this week I ordered some. Seems like it could be the best general all around developer. Why don't more people use it? I just read about it! Am I in for a rude suprise when I finish my first roll? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Bill |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
I've been using Diafine for about a year now have been getting good results
from it. I found that the neagitves have a consistant contrast. The lack of any zone system controls mean that I don't use it as my standard developer. I like using it for very low or very high contrast scenes which are to far out for zone system expansion and contraction. It's also nice when using roll film since I can just go into point and shoot mode without worrying about scene contrast. You're going to find it's a nice developer. It also lasts almost for ever. The first batch I mixed about a year ago is still in regular use and developing film without trouble. NapperWm wrote: : I have been doing B&W processing for 30 years and have always used D-76 or D-76 : 1:1 for all of my processing. Seemed to work good all of these years. : After reading about diafine this week I ordered some. Seems like it could be : the best general all around developer. : Why don't more people use it? I just read about it! : Am I in for a rude suprise when I finish my first roll? : Nothing ventured, nothing gained! : Bill -- Keep working millions on welfare depend on you ------------------- |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
Frank Pittel wrote:
You're going to find it's a nice developer. It also lasts almost for ever. Haven't used that stuff for at least 20 years. How is the grain compared to products like ID-11 or XTOL? Ralf -- Ralf R. Radermacher - DL9KCG - Köln/Cologne, Germany private homepage: http://www.fotoralf.de manual cameras and photo galleries - updated Feb. 23, 2004 Contarex - Kiev 60 - Horizon 202 - P6 mount lenses |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
Ralf R. Radermacher wrote:
: Frank Pittel wrote: : You're going to find it's a nice developer. It also lasts almost for ever. : Haven't used that stuff for at least 20 years. How is the grain compared : to products like ID-11 or XTOL? Good question. I've only used Diafine with 4x5 and 120 and even then I rarely make any bigger then 8x10 prints. I've also never used XTOL or ID-11. I can say that when using TMX and TMY with Diafine the grain is as good as using D76 1:1 and Tmax developers 1:9. -- Keep working millions on welfare depend on you ------------------- |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
On 07 Mar 2004 18:12:01 GMT, (NapperWm) wrote:
After reading about diafine this week I ordered some. Seems like it could be the best general all around developer. "Best" is relative. It's a good developer but no better than any other and not as good as some. Therefore IMO it's not the best. I would use D23 prior to choosing Diafine. Regards, John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com Please remove the "_" when replying via email |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Diafine - Why not?
"NapperWm" wrote in message
... I have been doing B&W processing for 30 years and have always used D-76 or D-76 1:1 for all of my processing. Seemed to work good all of these years. After reading about diafine this week I ordered some. Seems like it could be the best general all around developer. Why don't more people use it? I just read about it! Am I in for a rude suprise when I finish my first roll? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Bill Bill, I've been using Diafine for maybe a year and a half, something like that anyway. I use it primarily with 4x5 and sometimes with 120. I have found that for normal contrast scenes and higher it produces excellent negatives. For low contrast scenes the negatives are less good (but still usable). My main developer is TMax RS diluted 1:9 and the results with Diafine and the normal to high contrast scenes is comparable. I have found that while the Diafine instructions recommend using a higher than normal EI I get good results shooting at the rated speed and this also helps a bit with low contrast scenes. In the end only you can decide. Give it a try, it is relatively inexpensive and last almost forever so if you only use it occasionally it won't go bad. I have to admit it is fun to occasionally go into the darkroom and use Diafine. No worry about temperature, no worry about time and basically no worry about agitation. Sherman http://www.dunnamphoto.com |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|