Have you tried Photographer's Formulary? In the 1970's, I bought basic chemicals for a POTA microfilm developer and used a triple balance scale plus filter paper to measure out D-76 equivalents. Finding information online can lead you nowhere, at times. Not every press release or data sheet got scanned for the archives. Old Photography magazines, like comic books, usually ended up in the trash, along with useful articles. Oh well, chemical-based photography is "so last century" and all but disappeared when digital cameras and SmartPhones rendered materials and equipment "redundant." (Yes, I miss the days when you could write to Eastman Kodak about a problem and get a mini-course in a related subject.)
Ethol 90, Acufine, Diafine are likely related chemistry. I am currently using Diafine and quite happy. I am on a 3 month, 5000 mile trip, and I have no way to make prints. But, I develop my rolls of Tri-X/FP4 in the bathroom because with Diafine I don't need water-temp baths and a timer to the second. Room temperature is fine and time based on the nearest minute by my watch does the job. Agitation is minimal - a quick twiddle every 90 seconds. Just hung a freshly developed roll to dry before typing this. Are there finer grain developers? Mostly Yes. Are they tolerant to temperature variability? Mostly No. Are they tolerant to time variability? Mostly No. A quart/liter of Diafine will do a few hundred rolls/sheets of 135/120/4x5 and survive in the bottle/jug for at least a year without losing activity. Reports of using a batch longer than two years are out there and one pro says she only mixes a fresh batch when she can't stand to look at the old batch of swamp water any longer. I used a can of Ethol 90 once back in the early 60's. I cannot remember anything specifically good or bad about it. It worked. Then, probably, some new developer fad came along and I went yipping after it like a hound dog on a rabbit trail.
I use Divided D76 from Photographer's Formulary. Not temperature sensitive. Not time sensitive. Can mix films in a multiple reel tank. Idiot proof! Great results (IMHO).
fascinating video! I Fell down this same rabbit hole a few months ago and similarly reached a dead end. I’m curious what liquid ingredient they’re talking about. I cant think of a “common” darkroom chemical that is only available as a liquid. I wonder if it’s related at all to diafine? I’ve got a copycat recipe for diafine somewhere I might dig out and see if it sparks any thought
Great as always, but i don't quite understand this company's policy. Does it mean they can't make this developer, because there's not enough demand? And still they will not publish 74 year old formula.
Yup, that's what they mean. Acufine and Diafine, both products of the "film speed at any cost" school of developers from the early 1960's seem to have the same source. Of course, Acufine is priced around $35/gallon and Diafine at $65/quart. Although they are also "proprietary", their formulas were determined and published years ago. Neither cost more to produce than an equal amount of Xtol and do not deliver on their excessive claims, so you probably are not missing anything here.
@@randallstewart1224, regarding the "film speed at any cost" comment, you have to remember that they couldn't just crank the dial up to 128000 ISO and happily shoot away. 1600 ISO was the fastest box-speed film available at that time.
@@mortimersnerd8044 While true as far as it goes, there were various methods of pushing Tri-X and Royal X (and HP5 before and after the "+" was added) to 3200 and higher. I've seen reports of developing Tri-X in HC-110 *replenisher* to 6400 and I've personally developed Tri-X 320 (the "professional" version sold in 120 and sheet sizes before 2000 or so) to EI 5000. After all, Polaroid had 3000 speed black and white films starting in the mid 1960s -- there was a roll loading peel-apart with that speed, both for the full size cameras and the Swinger -- and those couldn't be pushed, because the development was self-limiting.
@@theoldfilmbloke I've seen a two-bath phenidone/hydroquinone developer that gives a good speed increase (not quite what Diafine claims, but then Diafine doesn't always give what it claims, either). After using real Diafine (back in 2003-2006), I wasn't all that impressed with it; I can get similar results with HC-110 Dilution H and reduced agitation -- except finer grain.
I was sure that memory of using it in the 1970’s would have long disappeared but no there was the can I remembered and still if someone says fixer the taste comes right back now days it takes me a hour to find my car keys
Did safety data sheets exist in the 1970s? OSHA wasn't formed until around 1980, and modern hazmat handling/shipping practices started around the same time...
1/21/24 In the early 70s I was taking a night course for printing at our local high school my Printing Graphics Instructor who taught Off-Set Printing, introduced me to a BW film/ paper developer that came in 1 qt concentrate bottles, the company on the bottle is called INSTA-PRINT INC IN North, Hollywood, Ca. 91605. I still have the bottles so here is what I can tell you, SUPER JET 60-second Developer is a remarkable multi-purpose high speed developer which works equally well on most black and white film or paper. SUPER JET is highly concentrated so that the dilution factor as well as the temperature time of the film or paper. DIRECTIONS: Mix one part SUPER JET to seven parts water. Develop film for 60 seconds, constant agitation at 70 F. Develop paper (same dilution factor) for 45-90 seconds normal agitation at 70 F. For high dilution mix one part SJ to nineteen parts water. Develop film for 2-6 1/2 minutes ( depending on type of film) at 68* F. using normal agitation. Now for P-14 60 Second Fixer same as the developer for film or paper from INSTA-PRINT INC. DIRECTION: Min one part P-14 to three parts water. This solution will permanently fix most black and white film or paper in 60 seconds. For higher dilution rates (up to 10 parts water) fixing time will be required. Add additional hardener as desired. This stuff was amazing I remember processing film in a tank , fixing, washing and drying in just over 5 mins total, with perfect tonal range negative in 135mm and 120 BW film. Like you I to wish i could find this liquid gold in 2024. A lot of cool products in hardware and chemical kits came out for the home darkrooms in the late 70s-80s for developing both film or paper in BW or color, with more reasonable pricing to take your photography to a more professional level.
