Diafine failure

[bkpix]

Just ran a roll of Tri-X 35mm in Diafine and produced an entirely clear roll (no

images, no edge printing).

 

I've used the stuff before many times without problem.

 

The developer solutions are about three years old, but I've been under the

impression the stuff is more or less eternal. I haven't used any in a couple

years. Does it actually die?

 

Also, both solutions A and B came out of the bottle brownish yellow. I don't

recall what color they're supposed to be.

 

Any ideas?

 

Bob

[lex_jenkins]

Dunno, Bob. I just tossed out my original batch, what was left from a liter mixed up a few years ago. Wish now I'd tested it before discarding it. I'd used it continuously for almost two years, to the extent that only half of the Part A was left due to attrition. It still worked fine. And it was very yellowish, which I attributed to dyes coming off the film. While Diafine doesn't strip off dyes as aggressively as, say, Rodinal, it will discolor with use.

[larrydressler]

Are you sure that it ran through the camera. I recently had a roll that did not catch and Well 36 shots of nothing... :( No edge markings could be you ran it in fixer first. My A is the color of the last roll I ran .. this week it is pink from some microfilm the B gets as yellow as beer with age but my batch now over a year old is still fine. I have though never had a brownish look so you may want to get a new batch. Better safe than sorry.

[paulh]

That has happened to me as well. The roll immediately before was a bit "muddy" looking, which I put down to camera and weather conditions when I shot the roll. I now think it was an indicator that it was one its last legs.

 

I'd mix up a new batch.

[paul_miller10]

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Stuff was yellow and it worked great not a month ago. Apparently it crashes pretty fast. Here's a tip: If you have doubts about your developer, develop the film tongue in room light and see if it turns black.

[bkpix]

Thanks, all. Nice to know I'm not alone in this!

 

I'm sure I didn't fix before developing. Seems like the stuff really can die, after all.

 

Time for a new batch -- with an expiration date.

 

Testing a strip also sounds like a good idea.

 

Bob

[blarg_.]

I don't use diafine, but I always run a test scrap from an old roll of 35mm film, through any chemicals that are re-used (usually it's only the fixer, but I'll start testing the developer stock if it's been sitting around). I shoot 120, so I just keep an old roll of 35mm and cut a 1" piece off for testing. Doesn't take long, and saved several rolls of film.

[Fotohuis RoVo]

I do not think you can blame a 2 bath developer working solutions of about three years old. Diafine has an end and I can only suggest to put an exp. date on it of 1 1/2 years when making A and B. This is a very safe limit.

[frank.schifano]

That is almost surprising to hear. Of course, any developer will go bad over time. It hasn't happened to me yet with Diafine. I do replenish my working solutions with fresh stock every so often, and maybe that's why. I'm also ridiculously careful about keeping part B out of part A. I'd say that discoloration of the working batch is no indicator of the developer's potency. Both parts A and B of my working batch are strongly discolored, yet they still work as new. I am also a bit leery of testing for black with a bit of scrap film. Unless the developer is completely exhausted, it will reduce the silver halides and turn the film dark. It will not give a true indication that the developer is potent enough to produce a useable negative.

[bkpix]

Well, the scrap film test would have saved me on this one; the film came out of the tank dead clear, even where the leader had been exposed to daylight.

 

BK

[jose_photographer]

It's easy to mess up a manual dark room development run, or is it just me who does that? Usually when I do that & have problems it is due to light I shouldn't have been using or that I simply took too long. I think that an automated a processing minilab would help, but most I see are digital.

 

Joe Jensen

[bljkasfdljkasfdljskfa]

keep part a air-tight. if the phenidone and/or hydroquinone oxidize enough, it's done.

[oistrakh]

Diafine costs, what, $20 at most? Considering that most of us probably spend way more than that on film and paper every year, is it really out of the question to just throw out your Diafine every year and mix a new batch for $20? I'd rather spend $20 a year knowing for sure that my negatives won't end up being completely destroyed than try to make Diafine last as long as possible.

[bljkasfdljkasfdljskfa]

Chris Chen: simple human biases...