Infrared photography using ultra wide LF lenses

[Thingy]

As I prepare to take the plunge and buy 25 sheets of Rollei's IR film from Maco, I should like to know if anyone has used it with ultra-wide lenses. I would particularly like to use it to make some shots of the Victoria Tower and Clock Tower in the Palace of Westminster, using my Schneider 58XL lens. Would I need to use my circular filter with IR or would it make no difference? That's assuming I don't fall foul of s44 of the Terrorism Act.....

[mpirie]

I haven't used the Rollei IR in 5x4 before though I have heard you need to be very careful with it because the emulsion is coated onto a very thin base (Estar-like) so getting it to sit in the film holder can be problematic. I assume the same applies when it comes to processing.

I've used the 120 version in my 6x9 back and was very pleased with the results using an R25.

Let us know how you get on with the shoot.

BTW, I wouldn't have thought you'd need the centre filter unless you're including lots of sky?

Mike

[Thingy]

Hi Mike

Thanks for that advice. MACO are currently selling 2 x 25 boxes of the film for around the same price RW over here are selling a single box! I have bought two boxes and will try it out. I will post some photos as I when I have sucess..... Hopefully all will be well, then I can take some to Northern Norway in a couple of years time.

Steve

[mpirie]

Hi Steve,

That'll be the Lofoten peninsula then?

I don't know if it's the weakness of the pound at the moment, but I bought my Ebony wide angle bellows and shade clip for less in dollars from MidWest than I would have in sterling from Robert White.

Even with import taxes and shipping, I still saved a chunk of cash !

Regards,
Mike

[Thingy]

Hi Steve,

That'll be the Lofoten peninsula then?

I don't know if it's the weakness of the pound at the moment, but I bought my Ebony wide angle bellows and shade clip for less in dollars from MidWest than I would have in sterling from Robert White.

Even with import taxes and shipping, I still saved a chunk of cash !

Regards,
Mike

Mike

Buying anything Ebony is cheaper from the US!

Ah, the Lofotens..... I was thinking of a bit further north, as in Finnmark and Svalbald. I have become rather addicted to Svalbald.... Hopefully the exchange rate will have improved in a couple of year's time.

Steve

[mpirie]

Ah, the Lofotens..... I was thinking of a bit further north, as in Finnmark and Svalbald. I have become rather addicted to Svalbald.... Hopefully the exchange rate will have improved in a couple of year's time.

Steve

Ah, I see....Polar-bear country?

The exchange rate is pretty good at the moment (9.48NOK to the GBP) for us living in Norway

I'm waiting on one of Bill Maxwell's screens to arrive from the US. I get the feeling they're made to order, though the communication leaves a bit to be desired.

Mike

[Thingy]

Hi Mike

The Maxwell screens do seem to be made to order and there IS a long wait. I began to worry that he'd forgotten as the months dragged by.... but it was worth the wait! It was particularly welcome during last July when I was able to do many of my images of Norway without being half suffocated in the heat by a focussing hood. I only needed the hood when the Sun reflected off the focusssing screen and for close up work. I'mplanning another cruise to Norway for 2011 unless I do my Greenland cruise that year.

Don't worry about the screen......

Steve

[Marizu]

This is a really interesting question and I'd love to hear the results of your experiments.
I'm assuming that IR adheres to the inverse square fall off that visible light does. That being the case then if you would use a centre filter for visible then you would benefit from using one for IR. You would only get the benefit if the filter actually filters appropriately in the IR range that you are using. That is the interesting bit.

I do shoot some Efke IR820 in 4x5. According to internet folklore, this may or may not be the same film. I tend to use an R72 and with the filter on, I rate it around EI 1. So using sunny 16, I would give the film 1 second of exposure. IR metering is a bit of a crap shoot so quite often, I take two shots of the same scene, develop one and look at the neg. I may decide to extend or contract the development of the second neg according to taste.
The emulsion of this film is delicate when it is wet and I believe that I have damaged some once by using stop bath. I usually use water for stop but one time I was developing it in the tank with some Fomapan and I used stop. This seemed to put little 'pin pricks' in the emulsion which I had never seen before or since.

Good luck,
Marizu