Rangefinders and infrared film.

Jarvman · Oct 5, 2006

Do they mix? I haven't shot any infrared for a while. It'd be nice to shoot some with my Bessa instead of Eos 3, what with the focusing scales and the ultra wides I've just bought. Are the cameras light-tight is all I'm asking really. I'd worry about the film being fogged through the curtain seeing as theres no prism blocking the way.

butterflydream · Oct 5, 2006

There is no possible light leak between finder and the film chamber in the rangefinder cameras. They are totally separated.

Jarvman · Oct 5, 2006

No I know, it's the light leak through the lens I'm worried about.

copake_ham · Oct 5, 2006

I don't understand your question. A light leak would be a problem for any film.

glbeas · Oct 5, 2006

Most rangefinders I've seen have metal leaf shutters which are totally IR safe. Your only concern would be the door seals on the back of the camera, and you should be pretty safe there as well. Rangefinders are a very good way to shoot IR seeing how you don't need to see through the filter to focus the camera.

david b · Oct 5, 2006

The Xpan is IR friendly.

AgCl4ever · Oct 5, 2006

There are 2 issues here - the shutter curtain (cloth vs. metal) and the camera body (metal or plastic), and possible IR transmission. How much each variable will affect IR is at least in part empirical. It might help to run a roll of IR through *your* camera; "expose" a few blank shots by leaving the camera in the sun for a while with and with out a lens cap (watch out for shutter burns with a cloth shutter) and check for fogging against "normal" IR. Lots of rolls of IR have been run through lots of rangefinder cameras.

Ken

Peter De Smidt · Oct 5, 2006

I've had no trouble running infrared film through Fuji GW and GSW rangefinders.

DBP · Oct 5, 2006

The Bessa has a pair of metal shutters, so I can't think of where a problem could arise.

John Shriver · Oct 5, 2006

Leica's 1936 instruction manuals give full information on using their cameras with infrared films, and they made three different red filters for that purpose.

In many ways, they are ideal compared to an SLR, because you can use a really dark filter, and it doesn't affect your view at all.

Helen B · Oct 5, 2006

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) an earlier thread, with a link to another thread within. Though not specifically about the Bessa, they may be some use.

Best,
Helen

Andy K · Oct 6, 2006

I don't know about the earlier Bessas but the more recent models have a film reminder window in the camera back. If using infrared it might be advisable to tape over this window.

Jarvman · Oct 6, 2006

Ah yeah, good tip andy. I'll give it a go some time soon.

MarkS · Oct 6, 2006

I've used a Leica M with Kodak HS Infrared many times with good results. The great advantage is that you can use a visibly-opaque Wratten 89B filter, or an 87C, for a deeper IR effect.

glbeas · Oct 6, 2006

Andy K said:
I don't know about the earlier Bessas but the more recent models have a film reminder window in the camera back. If using infrared it might be advisable to tape over this window.

If thats a problem use aluminum tape or foil taped over the window. Quite a few brands of black plastic tape are transparent to IR.

rpsawin · Oct 7, 2006

At the cost of a roll of film why not just load some up and try it?

Bob

Mackinaw · Oct 8, 2006

I've used Kodak HIE in a Canon 7 and Canonet G-III for years. No problems with light leaks, and the ability to use an 89C filter (totally opaque) makes a rangefinder an obvious choice.

Jim Bielecki

Ole · Oct 8, 2006

The Bessa-L (and -T) and IR film are a perfect match. I've used my Bessa-L with the 21mm Color-Skopar and a Heliopan IR 695 filter shooting Maco/Rollei IR 400 using the built-in meter. Exposure is fine with meter set at 400, but 200 gets a little "richer". With the 695 filter it's even fine for hand-held shooting (t least with a 21mm lens).

Woolliscroft · Oct 8, 2006

John Shriver said:
In many ways, they are ideal compared to an SLR, because you can use a really dark filter, and it doesn't affect your view at all.

Quite agree. You can use the totally opaque IV filters without loosing the viewfinder. On a Bessa, though, it just might be worth taping a bit of metal foil over the little window in the back that shows you what film you have loaded, just in case its light seals are not totally IV proof. The metal shutter will be bomb proof.

David.

ZorkiKat · Oct 9, 2006

Rangefinders are best with IR

Since the viewfinder is independent of the lens, you could focus and compose easily even when a rather dense, almost opaque filter is over the lens. Deep red filters almost make it difficult to use reflex viewing except in the brightest situations. Using a filter like the IR-72 would make the SLR finder really go blind since the filter is almost totally opaque.

I've used High Speed IR on my Leica M3 without problems of fogging or leaks.
The last time I had IR film (Ektachrome IR), it went into a bottom-loading Zorki-1. I had to trim the leader in a changing bag and load the camera in it as well. Not really harder than loading the same in other cameras since a changing bag is really required. Both cameras have cloth shutters. The Zorki even had a home-made shutter curtain, and it proved rather opaque even to IR rays.

Jay

vanspaendonck · Oct 9, 2006

The Hasselblad Xpan (1st version) is not IR friendly. It uses an IR LED and IR photocell to count perforations and thereby count the exposures. IR film in this camera will fog along the upper edge (the bottom of your printed images). This seems to have been solved on the Xpan II.
For IR work, Leica M cameras are ideal: no foam anywhere, no film minder window, IR tight removable baseplate and you can frame and focus even with an opaque IR filter on the lens. The shutter cloth is IR proof: at least I have never experienced fogging through the shutter of my M3. Unfortunately, not all M lnses have the IR focussing correction on the barrel.

Rangefinders and infrared film.

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