Rollei R3 120 film

[julian bell]

Has anyone tried this film for Infrared photography? I was informed by my supplier that this film would be suitable for IR photography, and indeed the specification notes did support this assumption. But when I tried this film out the results were very dissapointing. I used a Fuji 690 gsw camera tripod mounted with a B&W 092 IR or deep red filter and developed the film in Rollei's own recomended developer. My companion was shooting the same scene using a Nikon 35mm with Kodak High speed infrared film and the same filter, developed in D76, was getting very spectacular results, just like you would expect or hope from this type of photography.
Jules

 

[EdR]

Hi Jules,

I think that youur supplier may have exaggerated the suitability of the Rollei R3 film for IR photography, certainly compared to Rollei IR or Kodak HIE films. The spectral sensitivity of R3 extends to around 720 nm: just the IR side of the visible spectrum which extends to about 700nm. It is really a "near" IR film rather than a "true" IR film. Infra red radiation had a spectral range from 700nm upwards (and some would argue that "true" infrared photography starts at 750nm), so with the Rollei film you are only really capturing a very small part of the IR spectrum. In comparison, Rollei IR has sensitivity to 820nm and Kodak HIE has sensitivity up to 925nm+.

To get the "spectacular" effects you were generating with your HIE/B+W 92 combination, you were effectively limiting your capture to the 690nm-925nm range (i.e. very little visible spectrum and a lot of IR radiation). So you no doubt were getting the classic white foliage and black sky look. However, this same set-up with the R3 film means you were capturing 690nm to 715nm, very little visible spectrum and little or no IR.

Have you tried the Rollei IR? I think that this should be more what you are after.

Cheers,
Ed

 

[Travis Nunn]

I split a 12-pack of the Rollei IR with a couple of friends of mine and all three of us felt completely ripped off. The IR effect was minimal at best and we were really disappointed. Freestyle no longer bills it as a IR film but rather as a "near IR" film which I think is much more accurate.

 

[EdR]

I split a 12-pack of the Rollei IR with a couple of friends of mine and all three of us felt completely ripped off. The IR effect was minimal at best and we were really disappointed. Freestyle no longer bills it as a IR film but rather as a "near IR" film which I think is much more accurate.

Hi Travis,

May I ask what filtration you were using with the Rollei IR? I have seen good IR results but only with a near opaque wratten 88A which cuts all of the visible spectrum out (the sensitivity with this set up becomes 715nm to 820nm). The sensitivity of the unfiltered film is 400nm to 820nm, so if one does not use a strong enough filter e.g.a Red 25 say, a good portion of the visible spectrum is present thus diluting the IR effect.

The 88A also, of course, considerably reduces the effective film speed from the advertised ISO 400 to somewhere between ISO 12 and ISO 25.

Cheers,
Ed

 

[Travis Nunn]

Hi Ed,
I used a 25A filter, which I've since read isn't the best filter to use with this film. Even so, from what I've read from others here even with the correct filters the IR effect wasn't that great. I've still got 2 rolls left so I may try it with a different filter next year.

I just wish Kodak HIE was made in 120.

 

[EdR]

Hi Ed,
I just wish Kodak HIE was made in 120.

Yep, me too. I was also a big fan of Konica IR750 until it went the way of most of my favorite emulsions...Velva 50...Agfa 25....

Cheers,
Ed

 

[Ole]

I've been using the 35mm MACO/Rollei IR 820/400 with great results! I'm using a Heliopas 695 filter, motly because it was the easiest one to find in 39mm for my 21mm Color-Skopar. On a Bessa-L, I just set the ISO dial to about 320 and snap away!

 

[julian bell]

Rollei IR

Hi Jules,

I think that youur supplier may have exaggerated the suitability of the Rollei R3 film for IR photography, certainly compared to Rollei IR or Kodak HIE films. The spectral sensitivity of R3 extends to around 720 nm: just the IR side of the visible spectrum which extends to about 700nm. It is really a "near" IR film rather than a "true" IR film. Infra red radiation had a spectral range from 700nm upwards (and some would argue that "true" infrared photography starts at 750nm), so with the Rollei film you are only really capturing a very small part of the IR spectrum. In comparison, Rollei IR has sensitivity to 820nm and Kodak HIE has sensitivity up to 925nm+.

To get the "spectacular" effects you were generating with your HIE/B+W 92 combination, you were effectively limiting your capture to the 690nm-925nm range (i.e. very little visible spectrum and a lot of IR radiation). So you no doubt were getting the classic white foliage and black sky look. However, this same set-up with the R3 film means you were capturing 690nm to 715nm, very little visible spectrum and little or no IR.

Have you tried the Rollei IR? I think that this should be more what you are after.

Cheers,
Ed

Hi Ed,
Just placed an order for some Rollei IR with my supplier. Hope that I have better results this time. I'm quite new to IR photography so have you or anyone else for that matter got any advice? Developers and development time would be very useful.
Warm regards
Jules

 

[keithwms]

I split a 12-pack of the Rollei IR with a couple of friends of mine and all three of us felt completely ripped off. The IR effect was minimal at best and we were really disappointed. Freestyle no longer bills it as a IR film but rather as a "near IR" film which I think is much more accurate.

You weren't ripped off; you simply didn't take the time to figure out which filter to use. I have gotten wonderful results with Rollei IR using a #87 or an rm72, as have many others.

A "near IR" film would be Ilford sfx; Rollei IR is way better than that.

Anyway, back on topic, R3 is definitely not a good film for IR use. Try Rollei IR.

 

[Travis Nunn]

...A "near IR" film would be Ilford sfx; Rollei IR is way better than that...

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000001580

I'm obviously not the only one who feels this way.

 

[keithwms]

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000001580

I'm obviously not the only one who feels this way.

Well, people who work with IR consider everything from the edge of red to well past 1200 nm to be near IR, so technically all of the IR films are near IR.

http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/Regions/irregions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared

Anyway,the semantics are pointless, select your cutoff judiciously and figur eout the exposure, and you will get glorious results. I got disappointing results for about two rolls before I started to get it right. With the #87 I had to go EV+11 (!!!) and with the rm72 EV+7. The #87 can give results that are way over the top (too much for my taste):

In my apug gallery you can see some others, with a variety of different effects that depend on filter and exposure.

So, don't give up on the film, it is fantastic stuff and I have a fridge full of it!

 

[Travis Nunn]

Nice photo, I was never able to get even close to that IR effect.

I've still got two rolls left so next summer I'll try with a different filter.

 

[keithwms]

Nice photo, I was never able to get even close to that IR effect.

I've still got two rolls left so next summer I'll try with a different filter.

Thanks, keep it up, you'll like the stuff! I consider the visible sensitivity to be a real bonus, you can control the extent of the IR effect very finely. (Actually the stuff is a pretty decent b&W film as well and dr5 claims it makes a good positive too) Also, note that if you don't get precisely what you want, and suppose you want to boost the white/black contrast, you can always run your negs through rapid selenium.

 

[Fotohuis]

Yes, you have to do that.
Rollei IR 820/400 is suitable for use with a SFX filter, 695nm, 715nm, Hoya 72 (720nm) or Cokin IR filter (720nm).
With a red filter you will have no wood effect. If you look at the sensitivity curve it's going down fast over 750nm.
Loading and unloading you can do in subdue light.

Some examples with different filters:
Dead Link Removed

The Rollei R3 has an extended red sensitivity (710nm). Very suitable for tungsten light of late evening street photography. But not at all for IR photography. It's a three layer film which has to be developed with a depth developer. Also the pre-soak is very important for this R3 film.

 

[thefizz]

"I just wish Kodak HIE was made in 120." T Nunn.

For Kodal HIE in 120 try www.davidromano.com I think he may be still cutting down 70mm film into 120 rolls.

Peter

 

[Travis Nunn]

Thanks Peter. I've seen his website before, but I just have a hard time justifying spending $60 on 3 rolls of film.

 

[PKM-25]

What is the grain like compared to Kodak HIE?

I would like to shoot this in my new GSW690-III to get a good landscape image.

Any new opinions about this stuff?

 

[Ole]

If it's anything like the IR 820/400, the grain is a lot finer than HIE.

 

[Fotohuis]

A new Rollei extended IR film is announced: iso 100 and sensible till 850nm. Another product from Rollei, made by Gevaert in Belgium, the former R&D lab from Agfa. Interesting development in this small film market.

 

[PKM-25]

A new Rollei extended IR film is announced: iso 100 and sensible till 850nm. Another product from Rollei, made by Gevaert in Belgium, the former R&D lab from Agfa. Interesting development in this small film market.

Where?

 

[kraker]

A new Rollei extended IR film is announced: iso 100 and sensible till 850nm. Another product from Rollei, made by Gevaert in Belgium, the former R&D lab from Agfa. Interesting development in this small film market.

That's very interesting news indeed, Robert! Nothing on your website yet, I want to know more...

 

[Fotohuis]

In the InterNet forums in the whole world, the rumors concentrate themselves over a re-start of the MACO IR 820c film.

MACO has let manufacture nearly for 10 years, this film with the EFKE (Fotokemika) in Samobor/Croatia. EXCLUSIVELY! On a very high quality level - it gave not one entitled complaint in these nearly 10 years. If problems arose, then they were again and again, the usual typical things, which come along with infrared films evenly in such a way with itself. In order to provide the users reliably with informations, MACO had presented a comprehensive brochure, which can be today, still be downloaded under www.mahn.net.

When the "old Fotokemika" had lost the experienced active, for many decades co-workers, due to a change in generations, and a new Fotokemika NOVA was founded, MACO did not give no more new productions of the proven MACO IR 820c film in order. That had reasons, which cannot be described now in details. Above all, however, and that is not discreetly, qualitatively. due to the bleeding of the proven technicians, no more new production were to be brought with the name MACO in a good agreement.

Fortunately, MACO was offered at that time, the possibility of letting by the AGFA GEVAERT in Belgium, a 400 ISO high speed film, which was superior in all important parameters to the old product. But.... the NM-range is unfortunately reduced. That let less experienced users to the impression, this film would not be a real infrared film. Only briefly to it: If one exposes theeeee ROLLEI IR 820/400 on approx. 15/25 ISO, under black filter (not red filter) and then process with a strong developer, e.g. the ROLLEI RHS or the ILFORD MICROPHEN, then one, if all conditions are correct, will get perfect IR effects. Who exposes, however, extremely for a long time, not trusting the strength chemistry, will never receive good results. Also, however, the world of the ROLLEI infrared film users is quite split. Therefore, demand/desires arose for a re-start of the proven MACO IR 820c again.

In order to answer the rumors with a special statement: MACO does have just finally decided NOT to dare a RE-START of the old MACO 820c with the supplier EFKE. In addition, above all, the qualitative reasons gave the final excursion.

MACO met co-operation with the strategic partner AGFA GEVAERT in Belgium/France the decision to pour a new ISO 100 infrared film with 850 Nanometers. This film is already in the testing practice, and will be introduced to the market in the course of the year 2007.

I have no time schedule yet. Only we know it's comming. Also a new E-6 Rollei color iso 200 slide film.
We are just testing some Rollei RSD (35mm) B&W slide films at the moment
http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Rollei_RSD.pdf