Efke IR820 vs Rollei

[BetterSense]

It's summer in Texas, and I'm doing a photo series that is going to involve significant amounts of sky. Since the shots must be done during the sunshine, and there's hardly ever any clouds here, one of the ways I can see making it work well is to have a very dark sky from IR filtration, which could contrast with bright buildings and roads. I want to avoid that large blank sky blarging out my picture, so IR (or a polarizer, but I don't know how well those work in B&W) would seem to be worth a shot.

So, 1-10s exposures won't be a problem, the pictures will be shot in the late morning to early evening, and I want a dark sky. Should I buy Efke IR820 or Rollei 400? What filter should I use? The 72 filters are expensive. Has anyone actually tried shooting through developed E6 film before?

I plan on buying 1 roll of 35mm (for pretesting) and a box of 25 4x5 sheets.

 

[haziz]

Regular film with a yellow filter sounds about right. No need for IR film. BTW you can use a red filter with IR film, it should give you sufficient IR effect. BTW if you do use IR film be prepared for "white" foliage etc. from the IR effect.

 

[Q.G.]

Regular film with a red filter.

 

[Emil]

I've shot the Efke filtered with unexposed E6. You need two layers of it, if you want to completely eliminate visible light. Used like that, it's about ISO 0.25

 

[2F/2F]

I'd use a panchromatic film with an orange or red filter...that is if the sky you are shooting is blue. IR is very dramatic and often unpredictable.

This being said, the Rollei is IMHO one of the most outstanding films made today, even if you don't take advantage of its IR sensitivity. It is very sharp, very punchy, and very responsive to filtration. It is perhaps the most versatile film made, the way I see it.

The only problems I have with it are the price, and that I can't seem to find it any larger than 4x5 format. (If anyone knows where I can get it in 5x7, I will buy a gross of it.) I can't justify using it as my go to film at that price, and a lot of what I would want to use it for would be shot with a 5x7 camera.

A #25 or #29 red filter will not give you much of an IR film look with any of the remaining IR emulsions, as it did with HIE.

Be sure to use your IR focusing mark on your lens to focus if you are using opaque filtration. 120 and 4x5 need not be loaded into the camera in complete darkness, but this is recommended for 35mm.

As for the two films versus each other, think pushed, grainy Tri-X or HP5 versus T-Max 400. Efke is the former, Rollei is the latter. Efke has a wonkier curve, less sharpness, and more grain. Rollei is straighter in curve shape, much sharper, and much less grainy.

 

[Philippe Grunchec]

@ 2F/2F: I second what you say about the Rollei!
It doesn't exist in larger size than 4x5" because of the thin polyester base. I would have loved to use it in 8x10" but according to Hartmuth Schröder, it will never exist in that size.

 

[BetterSense]

Be sure to use your IR focusing mark on your lens to focus if you are using opaque filtration.

I'll try to find the IR mark on my Symmar convertible.

 

[RobertV]

Yes a nice film (Rollei IR 400). I use it in my Yashica Mat 124-G TLR with a Heliopan RG715 filter (#88A)
iso 12-25 so you can work without tripod.