Author Topic: Any IR film still available? (Read 7639 times)

Andrej K · « **on:** February 05, 2013, 06:29:15 PM »

Hello filmwasting folks,

a simple question - after the demise of Fotokemika and their IR 820 film, is there on the market today any other truly IR film? I'm mostly interested in 120 roll film, but would even consider getting back into 35mm for this...

Also - how good is the ilford SFX in this respect - and what filter would I need to use to make it look as IR as possible? Any examples?

Thanks!

LT · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2013, 07:07:35 PM »

SFX?

http://www.filmwasters.com/leonssite/articles/sfx76jsep2007.pdf

AJShepherd · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2013, 07:16:48 PM »

I had some good results with Rollei IR400 before now. It has an anti-halation layer so you don't get the glow (although they say if you overexpose it you do), but on the other hand you can handle it like any other film and don't need to load/unload it in complete darkness.

Willows weep for me by Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr

Still seems to be on sale.

Other than that SFX is good too, but I gather it's not as infra-red as other IR films.

I really need to get some of both, hopefully I'll get the chance to shoot some this year!

Andrej K · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2013, 07:46:10 PM »

Leon, thanks for as in-depth answer as possible :-)

Anthony - I completely forgot about Maco / Rollei films - thanks for that, will order a couple of these to try.

My motives are simple - I want to explore IR negatives with lith printing - which is a process I enjoy very much and have seen some great results from this combination...

BTW, some time ago I watched a short film about German photographer Helmut Hirler and he was using some Konica IR film - anyone has any clue about that?

Link to the film, if anyone is interested: Helmut Hirler - at work on Vimeo - I'd say it's well worth watching...

LT · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2013, 07:53:19 PM »

Sorry for the brevity Andrej, the article answers all the questions you have about SFX, so worth a read.

The konica ir film is long gone - I think it's not been available for 10 years or more.

Francois · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2013, 08:49:00 PM »

Rollei still sells an IR film as far as I know.

Phil Bebbington · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2013, 09:25:27 PM »

Thanks for posting the video.

Andrej K · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2013, 10:20:25 PM »

Hey, Leon, no worries, I meant it earnestly, not as an ironical comment

I'll try both Rollei and SFX.. so off now to the bay to hunt for an IR filter... (Or does anyone have one to spare in 67mm?)

Andrej K · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2013, 10:26:55 PM »

Quote from: Phil Bebbington on February 05, 2013, 09:25:27 PM

Thanks for posting the video.

Your welcome! I don't know whether you speak German - I like a lot some of his comments and his atitude - as well as his work!

a bit OT: There is another german photographer Hans Jessel - also using a 617 technorama and producing beautiful landscape images from his home island of Sylt - you may watch quite nice film about him and his work here: http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/media/naturnah383.html

Phil Bebbington · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2013, 11:16:59 PM »

No, unfortunately I don't speak German. It was great to watch though.

There are those that say my English needs a little attention, as well

LEAFotography · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2013, 05:19:53 AM »

The Rollei 400IR is the only one I've seen on sale recently, though I have some Aerecon HA film in 70mm that I've not tried yet, but I think it's sensitive to part of the IR spectrum rather than true IR.

jojonas~ · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2013, 09:08:22 AM »

I like how rollei ir 400s works~

^{http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonasfx/7809322082/}
bought mine in 35mm and I don't think 120 was avaliable then, but I found it now while taking a peek over at maco. _{http://www.macodirect.de/infrared-400s-c-1_6_56_140.html}

also, found someone claiming this info while poking around the flickr bw ir group _{http://www.flickr.com/groups/68975634@N00/}

Rollei IR-400(S) = Agfa Gevaert Avipan 400 (extended IR 750-820nm)
Rollei Retro 400S = Super Pan 200 = Avipan 200. (around 740nm)

Andrej K · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2013, 11:29:44 AM »

Jonas, thanks for the example and info.
Now I only have to hope that they won't stop selling the stuff after my first couple of test rolls...

LEAFotography · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2013, 08:22:56 PM »

Quote from: Leon on February 05, 2013, 07:07:35 PM

SFX?

http://www.filmwasters.com/leonssite/articles/sfx76jsep2007.pdf

Wow, that's a great article Leon! That's not one I've used, but definitely one for the aspiration and future purchase list!

Have saved that pdf for easy access in the future!

I really like Print 3 there. I've noticed how well Rollei 400S brings out the details in clouds using just a normal red filter, it's making me wonder more about getting a proper IR filter and trying SFX at last.

LT · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2013, 08:50:48 PM »

thanks LEAF. There are lots more on my website

Don't use SFX with a proper IR filter, as you'll get nothing but blank film! The deep-red ones listed in the article are the recommended ones to use. That said, a standard red 25 works wonders in bright sunlight/ flash.

LEAFotography · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2013, 10:51:32 PM »

Quote from: Leon on February 06, 2013, 08:50:48 PM

thanks LEAF. There are lots more on my website

Don't use SFX with a proper IR filter, as you'll get nothing but blank film! The deep-red ones listed in the article are the recommended ones to use. That said, a standard red 25 works wonders in bright sunlight/ flash.

You're welcome! And thanks for helping prevent me spending money on a filter that will give me a blank, and for wasting film unintentionally

I have a second-hand Jessops R2 at present, but am interested in what other red filters might give me with 400S and SFX.

AJShepherd · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2013, 10:58:21 PM »

I've actually got a special gelatine filter from Ilford for use with SFX. I put it somewhere safe years ago and only found it again last month!

Nothing to put it in so I can mount it on a camera though.

I have been thinking I should stick it on the front of my old No.2 Brownie with some tape, and shoot a roll of SFX in that some time this summer.

jojonas~ · « **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2013, 08:05:14 AM »

Quote from: Leon on February 06, 2013, 08:50:48 PM

thanks LEAF. There are lots more on my website

Don't use SFX with a proper IR filter, as you'll get nothing but blank film! The deep-red ones listed in the article are the recommended ones to use. That said, a standard red 25 works wonders in bright sunlight/ flash.

I was thinking I could only use ilfords own mysterious filter but after stumbling upon some shots where people say they had used hoya r72 filters I'll have to go check my filter to see exactly where it cut off. I might be able to use it for sfx after all!

as you wrote in the article, these work too: "B+W RG665, B+W 092, Heliopan 695 and 715, Hoya R72 or Kodak Wratten 89B"

so these proper ir filters then, do they cut off somewhere between 750 to 800nm? I guess by the name that efke's old film went up to 820nm.

Alan · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2013, 12:21:49 PM »

Quote from: Andrej K on February 05, 2013, 06:29:15 PM

Hello filmwasting folks,

a simple question - after the demise of Fotokemika and their IR 820 film, is there on the market today any other truly IR film? I'm mostly interested in 120 roll film, but would even consider getting back into 35mm for this...

Also - how good is the ilford SFX in this respect - and what filter would I need to use to make it look as IR as possible? Any examples?

Thanks!

I have used a lot of SFX with an R72 deep red filter. it can produce great results in the right conditions.

You kind of need bright sunlight with the R72 filter to get the desired effects.

jojonas~ · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2013, 01:34:44 PM »

Quote from: Alan on February 07, 2013, 12:21:49 PM

I have used a lot of SFX with an R72 deep red filter. it can produce great results in the right conditions.

You kind of need bright sunlight with the R72 filter to get the desired effects.

do other filters act differently? I've just shot in direct sunlight period because I thought that without that there wouldn't be much effect at all.

KevinAllan · « **Reply #20 on:** February 08, 2013, 07:39:34 PM »

I have a blog article about using Rollei IR400 in Stornoway here:

http://kevinthephotographer.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/rollei-infrared-film-the-stornoway-session/

I've also used SFX200, with a Hoya R72 filter. It worked fine, but with a less pronounced effect than the Rollei film.

LT · « **Reply #21 on:** February 08, 2013, 07:49:06 PM »

Nice write-up Kevin.

Andrej K · « **Reply #22 on:** February 09, 2013, 07:57:28 AM »

Hey Kevin, thanks for the link - certainly very interesting reading. I really have to try this, but in MF.
Btw, I remember reading that some cameras might not be entirely IR-light-tight - does it concern only some older cameras, anyone knows? I'd be most probably using the Bronica (SQ)...

KevinAllan · « **Reply #23 on:** February 09, 2013, 10:53:57 AM »

On the light-tight issue, I don't know about older cameras, but there is an issue with some cameras that have an auto wind-on mechanism which use IR light to sense the frame spacing. My Canon EOS300 35mm camera is an example, the manual states that it is not safe to use IR.

I've used Rollei IR400 in a Pentax MX, and SFX in a Canon T70, and a Yashicamat 124G.

Francois · « **Reply #24 on:** February 09, 2013, 03:04:24 PM »

That's totally true. And I had totally forgotten about this!

I think only Canon use this film sensing technology.

byron · « **Reply #25 on:** February 11, 2013, 12:36:19 AM »

About the IR lights for counting film spacing in certain cameras, sadly it's more than just Canon: per this link, it could also be found in models by Nikon, Contax, Konica, Minolta, and even the Hasselblad XPan / Fuji TX-1!

Francois · « **Reply #26 on:** February 11, 2013, 03:40:43 PM »

Well... looks like I was wrong on this one!

I just love being wrong. It means you actually are learning something

Lucky for me, I've never had a camera that counts the sprocket holes directly like that.