containers for developing HIE

hello all,
i was just wondering if i can use the platic tanks for developing HIE. if not and i use the SS tank, what about the plastic lid? will these platic containers "leak/pass" IR rays? i have the platic tank loaded sitting in my darkroom....i am not sure if i should bring it out.
thanks for the info.

eddie

You should have no problems using plastic tanks. I develop HIE in an ordinary Paterson tank.

there's a tremendous mythology floating around out there about what will and won't affect IR film. You can't shoot HIE at night (not any better than a comparable-speed panchro film). Unless the tank you're using to process HIE leaks light onto regular film, it won't fog HIE either. It will survive in similar conditions to regular b/w film- i.e. you don't have to keep it refrigerated until 20 mins before you shoot it, and then transport it like a donated organ back to the lab. I found a roll I had shot over two years prior, that had been put in a desk drawer in an un-airconditioned house (the room in question would get over 90 F for most of the summer). I processed it, and everything was printable and within normal contrast and exposure times for other HIE stuff I had done following more cautious and prudent film handling procedures. I also took some HIE to Cambodia with me, and had to let it go through a number of x-ray machines on the way to and from. No x-ray fog. My favorite HIE myth was that you had to process it in a separate tank from your other b/w film because the IR radiation would contaminate your other film. What a load of horseshit.

I've had no problems with HIE and my Omega/AP or my Patterson plastic tanks. I always develop in somewhat subdued light just in case, but I doubt that that's even necessary.

You really only have to be careful with handling HIE outside of the tank before development, as its clear base will light pipe and fog the film in light.

thanks everyone. it is going in the soup now.

thanks for the tip about the x ray. i was planningto bring some to asia with me at the end of the month and i wa a bit worried.
cheer

eddie

One myth that turned out to be true is that fluorescent lights emit IR for a short while after turning them out. I managed to ruin 6 precious sheets of 4x5 before figuring out what was going wrong (with help from an APUGer). I learned to give it about 5 minutes before I tried to unload holders.

TheFlyingCamera said:

... My favorite HIE myth was that you had to process it in a separate tank from your other b/w film because the IR radiation would contaminate your other film. What a load of horseshit.

Click to expand...

Hah!! You've noticed that there is a considerable amount of horse (and bovine) by-product to be found in photography - as I have.

Terrence, I think that we've all been nabbed by the fluorescent light thing. I think that it may be UV light though, as I've seen it mildly fog non-infrared film, does anyone have the official word on this?

People do seem confused. The only special handling requirement that I know of is that 35mm (only 35mm) IR film needs to be loaded in the dark or at least near darkness. That is because IR does leak around the felt seal in most 35mm cassettes. I don't know, but I suppose this could also happen with sheet film holders if you left the dark slide out too long. But otherwise, you can handle it just like ordinary film.