Choices for IR film?

[ColdEye]

Are there still any film stock available for B&W IR? Either in 35mm or 120 format. I am looking at the current catalog at freestyle and it seems its Ilford SFX and some Rollei products, which are extended red sensitivity. I admit I am not sure if they are they same. I do have the staple red 25 filter and a wratten 29 filter, but do I need something like a hoya r72 to use these films? I want to give this a try as I have never tried these kind of film stock before. Thank you.

 

[removedacct1]

Are there still any film stock available for B&W IR? Either in 35mm or 120 format. I am looking at the current catalog at freestyle and it seems its Ilford SFX and some Rollei products, which are extended red sensitivity. I admit I am not sure if they are they same. I do have the staple red 25 filter and a wratten 29 filter, but do I need something like a hoya r72 to use these films? I want to give this a try as I have never tried these kind of film stock before. Thank you.

Ilford's SFX is a good film, but the Rollei IR product is a bit better. Both are at their best if exposed through a Hoya R72 filter rather than a standard dark red. Here is an example of the Rollei Infrared film in 4x5 format:

Here is the Rollei IR film in 35mm format:


And this is a 6x6 cm image from a 120 roll of Ilford SFX:


All of these images were exposed through a Hoya R72 filter.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I like both SFX and Rollei IR. My preference though is for the Rollei version as it comes in 4x5 sheets, and has slightly better IR sensitivity. It's a pity we can no longer buy fresh stocks of Konica IR. That was a pretty nice emulsion, too.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I searched the web and found comparative photographs for multiple IR films using R23, R25, R29 and 720 filters. I then tried several films and I found that I got the best results with Rollei IR 400 with either R29 or 720 filters. I like the 720 filter better but since one cannot see through it one must use a tripod. So far I have only used Rollei IR 400 film in 120. The only thing that is better for black & white IR film is HIE which if one can find it only comes in 35mm.

 

[MattKing]

Ilford SFX.
Three different exposures of the same scene - one without a filter and metered at 200, one with an R72 filter and exposed at six (6) stops more than the unfiltered one and another with an R72 filter and exposed at nine (9) stops more than the unfiltered one - all to show variations of how much Wood Effect is available:

 

[Paul Manuell]

Are there still any film stock available for B&W IR? Either in 35mm or 120 format. I am looking at the current catalog at freestyle and it seems its Ilford SFX and some Rollei products, which are extended red sensitivity. I admit I am not sure if they are they same. I do have the staple red 25 filter and a wratten 29 filter, but do I need something like a hoya r72 to use these films? I want to give this a try as I have never tried these kind of film stock before. Thank you.

Don't go spending a fortune on a Hoya infrared filter, get one from SRB Photographic instead; they're much cheaper but brilliant quality (and no, I don't work for them ). I bought 2, one for each filter thread size I needed, and got brilliant results using them with SFX200. I tried to post some examples of my shots here but couldn't do it. I started a thread on it though, if you want to search for it. I also detailed my working method with it. Thread title was My first attempt with SFX200

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I searched the web and found comparative photographs for multiple IR films using R23, R25, R29 and 720 filters. I then tried several films and I found that I got the best results with Rollei IR 400 with either R29 or 720 filters. I like the 720 filter better but since one cannot see through it one must use a tripod. So far I have only used Rollei IR 400 film in 120. The only thing that is better for black & white IR film is HIE which if one can find it only comes in 35mm.

I still have a box of HIE 4x5 that expired in '67. Produces very good images still. Before Kodak discontinued it, I shot a lot of 4x5 for about a decade. Was amazing stuff!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Ilford SFX.
Three different exposures of the same scene - one without a filter and metered at 200, one with an R72 filter and exposed at six (6) stops more than the unfiltered one and another with an R72 filter and exposed at nine (9) stops more than the unfiltered one - all to show variations of how much Wood Effect is available:

View attachment 244614

Excellent examples, Matt. I ran out of SFX last summer. Time to order some more!

 

[removedacct1]

The only thing that is better for black & white IR film is HIE which if one can find it only comes in 35mm.

Nothing was better than HIE, I agree. But it came in sheet film sizes too. I have about 20 sheets of HIE in 8x10 in my stash.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Nothing was better than HIE, I agree. But it came in sheet film sizes too. I have about 20 sheets of HIE in 8x10 in my stash.

How did you get your hands on 8x10? When I was buying 4x5 in the 90's, Kodak wasn't making any. What's the expiry date?I would have loved to have shot 8x10 HIE. The closest I've come to it is Efke IR 8x10, of which I have about 25 sheets left.

 

[removedacct1]

How did you get your hands on 8x10? When I was buying 4x5 in the 90's, Kodak wasn't making any. What's the expiry date?I would have loved to have shot 8x10 HIE. The closest I've come to it is Efke IR 8x10, of which I have about 25 sheets left.

Andrew, I bought it off fleabay a few years back. It’s very delicate and has to be handled with gloves when loading, but otherwise it’s fine. I don’t recall the expiration date, I’ll have to look.

 

[AgX]

Agfa no longer offer their Aviphot Pan 400. It had the highest and most far extending IR sensitity within the last years. Thus the offer of any Rollei conversion of it is limited.

 

[Agulliver]

Agfa still make Aviphot 200 which has extended IR sensitivity. Indeed isn't Rollei Retro 400S actually Aviphot 200 ?

I've used Rollei Retro 400S with a cheap Chinese 720 filter....I've only really experimented for fun but I did find that the results were great for moody skies and woodland.

 

[Paul Manuell]

Ok, managed to upload a couple: Ilford SFX200 through an SRB Photographic infrared filter

 

[Sirius Glass]

Ilford SFX.
Three different exposures of the same scene - one without a filter and metered at 200, one with an R72 filter and exposed at six (6) stops more than the unfiltered one and another with an R72 filter and exposed at nine (9) stops more than the unfiltered one - all to show variations of how much Wood Effect is available:

View attachment 244614

Wonderful, I like the one in the middle.

 

[revdoc]

Rollei IR400 is Aviphot 400. (400 is effective aerial film speed; it's more like 250 ISO.)

Retro 80S is Aviphot 80 (and about 50 ISO). HR50 is the same film, with a preflash to moderate the cotrast.

RPX 25 appears to be Aviphot 40, but I have yet to try it with an IR filter. It's a fabulous film; super sharp and very fine grained. And the box speed us about right, for a change!

 

[BAC1967]

I bought some expired Konica IR from someone on this forum, really great film. This is with a red filter.

Bishop Hall by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Kinkaku-ji by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[GLS]

Rollei IR400 is a very good film. Despite being 400 speed it is actually quite fine grained (far more so than SFX200), and very sharp.

Here are some examples I have shot with it (all with a Hoya R72 filter):

--- by atomstitcher, on Flickr

--- by atomstitcher, on Flickr

--- by atomstitcher, on Flickr

--- by atomstitcher, on Flickr

 

[mooseontheloose]

@GLS - those are great examples. Now that I've shot all of my HIE I'm going to focus more on the Rollei options. I've been shooting them off and on for a few years, but it's to justify when it's so easy to handhold HIE!.

 

[ColdEye]

Rollei IR400 is Aviphot 400. (400 is effective aerial film speed; it's more like 250 ISO.)

Retro 80S is Aviphot 80 (and about 50 ISO). HR50 is the same film, with a preflash to moderate the cotrast.

RPX 25 appears to be Aviphot 40, but I have yet to try it with an IR filter. It's a fabulous film; super sharp and very fine grained. And the box speed us about right, for a change!

I will give this a try, RPX 25 sounds fun to use. I will try it with an IR filter, just have to get one for my square filter holder!

 

[ColdEye]

I bought some expired Konica IR from someone on this forum, really great film. This is with a red filter.

Bishop Hall by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Kinkaku-ji by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Those are beautiful, even tho the chances are slim I will keep an eye out on that film to get one.

 

[ColdEye]

Thank you for all the information, the scene I was picturing was some structures in the desert near here, cant wait to try them out. Got a couple of rolls of SFX to try and will get some RPX and rollei too. Does anyone have preferred developer? My only developer is Rodinal. I have been wanting to try something else.

 

[pentaxuser]

View attachment 244639 View attachment 244640 Ok, managed to upload a couple: Ilford SFX200 through an SRB Photographic infrared filter

Paul what if anything could you see with a SRB IR filter on the camera and what was the best speed to use the SFX at?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[removedacct1]

Thank you for all the information, the scene I was picturing was some structures in the desert near here, cant wait to try them out. Got a couple of rolls of SFX to try and will get some RPX and rollei too. Does anyone have preferred developer? My only developer is Rodinal. I have been wanting to try something else.

The Rollei IR 400 performs much better in Xtol than it does in Rodinal. In fact, Rodinal tends to obliterate subtle highlight details when used with that film. Avoid it, if you can.

 

[GLS]

Does anyone have preferred developer? My only developer is Rodinal. I have been wanting to try something else.

I've used DD-X and Pyrocat-HD for IR400 with good results.