Filmic IR Photography

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

O.K. So as everyone now knows Kodak have (Last year) ceased production of their MUCH LOVED HIE mono IR Film. So now I have to start again finding something to replace it.....

WHAT A MINE FIELD.

I was recommended Rollei 720/400. This duly arrived and I shot a roll of my ever dwindling HIE and a roll of the new stuff (Rollei).

The HIE developed exactly as I expected. (Sunny day R72/89B filter, exposure successful between 1/15th and 1/250 second best at about 1/60th f11 . Deved in Ilford Ilfosol 3 at 70degrees for 7 1/2 mins. FINE...

The Rollei was subjected to a wider latitude as I don't know the product.

from 1/250th to 2 minutes. Nothing seen at all on film until 30 Seconds exposure very little even at 2 minutes !. It is meant to be sensitive at 720 Nm declining through to 820. This SHOULD have provided enough "Light" to work from about 1/30th second. But the first shot I took (Unfiltered, in "Auto" mode at ASA 400) was perfect, so the film stock was good. The register marks on the film were perfect, so the developement was good. as was the camera (a Nikkon F3) and the meter (In the F3).
I am therefore of the opinion that SOMETHING was wrong (Don't know what as the filter is the one recommended in all the literature), and that at best the Rollei 720/400 is only an Ilford SFX wanna be.

I have just bought 2 rolls of Efke IR 820 (Which is supposed to peak at 820 and then die off (closer to but not the same as HIE). and will let everyone know how I get on.

Questions then.

1). What filter SHOULD I use with the Rollei (I still have 9 Rolls of the stuff to wade through) in order to get the best results that this film is capable of delivering.


2). Is anyone out there still using film to shoot IR and has found a replacement for Kodak HIE mono IR film. If so the name of the film and filter combo and any other info would be useful.

3). Is there any chance that in the near future we will be treated to a REAL Mono IR film by a smaller manufacturer who can now see a gap in the market.

 

[Alpha]

Here is everything you could possibly need to see or know about finding a suitable replacement and how to filter, shoot, and develop it:

http://www.digitaltruth.com/store/cart/Infrared-Film-sp-14.html

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

Thanks ALPHA, It's agood site and where I have got quite a lot of info from.

 

[Garbz]

Ooooh I'll be watching this one with interest. I bought a few rolls the Efke IR 820 last week

 

[terri]

You have to rate the Efke pretty low, but it's a lovely film. Loss of speed aside, it's visually a pretty worthy substitute for HIE. My husband has shot several rolls of it and is having great results. The most promising IR film out there atm.

I probably won't bother with it much because I like speed. I'm buying up Ilford SFX 200 when they roll it out each year. It's not a true IR, of course, but you can certainly get adequate results and hand hold the stuff in the field.

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

Hi Terry.
The Rollei 720/400 is pretty similar to SFX 200. If you find difficulty in sorcing it will make a worthy substitute.

By the way I popped into the web site and was comprehensivly blown away. I love the thought of using IR film as a standard. I have always thought of it as a special. I will be using it much more regularly from now.

which filter would you suggest for use with a handheld SLR (Nikkon F3) when using Rollei 720/400 or Efke 820?
thanks again
Tim

 

[terri]

Tim - Thank you for the kind words about my work! I appreciate you taking the time to look.

which filter would you suggest for use with a handheld SLR (Nikkon F3) when using Rollei 720/400 or Efke 820?

Well, it all depends on how much of an IR look you are after. Unlike the faster HIE, you aren't going to be able to handhold this stuff. To repeat: the Efke has to be rated seriously low to obtain a good effect - my husband has been rating it a 1 - that's ONE - at peak IR times (high noon or at least broad daylight) and with a lot of foliage/greenery around. You'll increase your exposure times shooting architecture or shooting at off-peak times, at that rating - just bracket the hell out of it and keep notes, an exposure log, till you get a feel for it.

The filter he's using is an 89B (or 092), which is not fully opaque but you certainly cannot meter through it. You'll need a tripod and a handheld meter set at 1.

I just hollered at him to confirm all this, and I now have permission :mrgreen: to show you this shot of his (from a back yard test roll at these settings):

As you can see, this is a nice IR effect, quite similar to even HIE. The Rollei film he's rated about 12 and after a few rolls he commented he's not as happy with it as he is with the Efke. He was using an older version of the Rollei, too, and I think it's changed...I dunno. Can't keep up with it, and I'm not using it. I have a few dozen rolls of HIE left and will shoot it happily until it's gone.

The Efke is a bit labor intensive at first, till you figure out what it'll give you, but it's worth it.

 

[Alpha]

What's he developing in? According to the DigitalTruth tests, developer seems to make a significance difference in outcome.

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

Thanks Terri.
The effect that he has achieved is very pleasing. and as you say not TOO far away from HIE to be acceptable.
I have come to the same conclusion with the Rollei. and must now resign myself to the inevitable with the Efke.

I have a couple of days off this week, so will have a try with the Efke.
Thanks again,
Tim

 

[terri]

You're welcome, Tim! Good luck with it.

Max: he used Rodinal 1 + 25. His trick is super gentle agitation - regular agitation for only the first 15 seconds or so, followed by maybe 2 inversions every minute thereafter.

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

O.K. then ,.... Where do I start...


Oh Boy !. ...Oh Boy !. Oh Boy !. Oh Boy !. etc etc



Kodak HIE has gone .

BUT ... I found a replacement... Rollei (Which incidently my supplier tells me they are stopping due to lack of interest).

Then I found a new supplier who does EFKE .

So I tried it..... :heart: .


It has to be said that I still prefer HIE. But I only have 10 rolls left and no one sells it reliably (Unless you want to pay £15.00 a roll ).

But this Efke stuff is GOOD .


The weather in the U.K. has been lousey lately (about two years or so....) . But today was a blustery day with the sun comming and going rather quickly. So I made two sets of tests.


I loaded an old Nikon F3 with the Efke film and fitted an R72 filter on the end of it.

I set it on a Tripod in the back gerden (Not the greatest or most creative image ever visualised, but it did mean that I got clouds, foliage, brickwork, wood etc..)

I exposed one stop apart from 1/30th second to 8 minutes. Then I went back and did it again. 1/2 a second to 4 seconds produced the best exposures in these cases.

I Deved the film in Ilford Ilfosol 3 for 7 1/2 mins at 70 deg C( Agitated for 30 secs, then two slow turnovers every minute). The negs are a little bland , and maybe a different developer would be better if I were wet printing the negs. But I Scanned the negs into PhotoShop and for this the full range of tones was perfect.

A quick tweak with levels.....
and this is what I got....

4 secs at f8.

2 Secs at f8.

Many thanks to Terri and her husband, And everyone else who have made this learning curve painful.... As opposed to pure B*0*&y agony.

Will try the other roll when I can , on something a little more interesting...... (I Hope).

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

And with a little bit of playing....



The Day The World Ended.

Or Didn't actually

Neg was shot on Efka and scanned into PhotoShop. Levels and a bit of colouring. Then pasted onto a scanned piece of Kodak Film stock. The ends filled in to look as though there were other photos on the roll. And Robert is your fathers brother...