Infrared Film

[Neptune]

I bought a roll of efke 820nm film today and I already loaded it into my camera(in total darkness of course) but I'm really confused on how to meter it. I have a deep red filter on my camera. What is the ISO? Do I need to worry about ISO since it's infrared? My instructor told me I should probably go with 1/125 at f/11 for a well lit scene. Is that always the case? Is there a better way to do it?
Also how can I focus this since I'm focusing on something invisible?

and this is probably a stupid question but...
since this is infrared film, is it possible to do something like painting with light with something that doesn't produce light but heat(ex: a hairdryer).

Please answer soon. Thanks for you help!

 

[dxqcanada]

You should read the Data Sheet: http://www.mahn.net/TA820ce.pdf

It is sensitive to infrared light ... not heat, unless you expose the heating elements themselves.

 

[Neptune]

Thank you! The data sheet is very helpful!

 

[dxqcanada]

Did a data sheet (or something) not come with the film ??

 

[Neptune]

No surprisingly enough. I bought it from the supply store at school. I don't know if one came with the original 10 pack but I just bought a single roll to experiment with. The box just said 820nm efke, I thought it would at least give me a base ISO.

 

[michaeljamesphoto]

If you notice the red dot to the left of the distance scale on the lens (your lens may or may not have one, most do) this is the focus point for shooting infrared film http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/images1/50mm-series-e/KEN_5168-1200.jpg
You would focus visually on the scene you see, make a mental note of the distance, then line that distance up with the red dot on the lens.
Hope this helps!

 

[Helen B]

Your Rollei B35 is excellent for infrared film because of the separate viewing and metering. I used to use my 35T with Kodak IR film a lot.

 

[michaeljamesphoto]

Your Rollei B35 is excellent for infrared film because of the separate viewing and metering. I used to use my 35T with Kodak IR film a lot.

I love those little Rolleis, such a joy to shoot with!

 

[maris]

You won't get an infrared effect with a deep red filter on your lens. You will get a result that looks like an ordinary panchromatic film exposed behind a deep red filter - sort of dramatic but not showing the spectacular Wood effect of genuine infrared. The problem arises from the fact that Efke IR820 is about 60x more sensitive to red than it is to infrared. The red image swamps the infrared image. To get genuine IR you need a filter that blocks visible light including red. I use an IR720 filter (out of China via Ebay, about $20) to do the job. Exposure for a typical front lit daylight landscape scene is 1 second at f16.

 

[DannyD]

I used this film several times. Here is a trick using the IR720 filter.

I set the meter to 12 ASA (!), take the light measurement without filter and I use this as my first reference. Then, I take 3 photos using a 1 stop bracketting (plus and minus). It's the best way to get a good infrared effect.

Here is an example
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3871/fig0410.jpg

Why using 12 ASA and no filter for light measurement ?

Just because i'm using an old Minolta SRT for infrared and matching needles in the viewfinder is not possible when the filter is on. Using a 720nm filter, you can set your camera to 320-400 ISO and use the TTL metering + Bracketting whith the filter on.