Base10 acquired a bit of new gear the other day. First, Base10 bought a small frame to actually display some of his photographs. Second, he bought extra ink cartridges for his new Epson R2400 printer (ouch!). Third, he bought a Cosina/Voigtlander 28mm lens which is very nice indeed. Finally, he bought a new film developer.

Today's developer selection was Diafine. Diafine is a strange developer. It uses two baths. You immerse the film in the first bath with very little agitation for three to five minutes. You then drain the first solution back into your storage container and pour in the second solution. Once again you agitate very lightly for three to five minutes. You then rinse and fix the film normally. The thing is, there is no effect on the process by changes in time or temperature. I've read that this is because the first bath just soaks developer into the emulsion then the second bath activates the process.

Aside from the wide temperature and time latitudes of the film, it has other good qualities. It seemingly lasts forever with simply replenishment of stock solution. You apparently only lose what get absorbed by the film. Second, most flms get a pretty significant push without a commensurate increase in grain or contrast. Tri-X, for example, is rated at 1600 ASA while Ilford HP-5 is rated at 800. This could of course be a drawback if you can't pull you film. Also on the minus side, negatives are quite flat. This is nice for contrasty daylight or nighttime photographs to avoid blown highlights, but is not so great for images with a narrower tonal range. If Base10 actually got his nose out of the books this weekend, and souped a few rolls to see the results.

The lens looks pretty solid, too. It has a very nice finish and has a very sturdy feel. Now that Base10 has a 28mm prime, he just needs a 35mm to complete his kit. I don't need one right away, because I have a fairly fast 40mm, but I decided early on that I would like to get one really good lens. While I will not part with the money required for an expensive Leica lens, I might spring for the new Zeiss lens or the Voigtlander Nocton or Ultron 35.

- posted by Base10 @ 11:17 AM