infrared viewers - any suggestions?

[Leigh]

I've seen mentions of using infrared viewing goggles for film development.

Has anyone actually used same?

Any make/model recommendations?

- Leigh

[loonatic45414]

Haven't tried it, nor do I really see the need, but I'm interested in seeing what anyone has do say regarding this. Probably works best with ortho film and paper. Not sure I'd trust it otherwise.

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[fj55mike]

I have one of the ATN Viper sets that Ken Lee recommended. I bought it used on eBay, and it's fantastic. Hard to find when I was looking for it last year, but well worth it. I believe I paid around $250 for mine.

I only use it for loading film, not for development by inspection.

[Bob Mann]

Recommend the ATN Viper - been using it for years - both to load film into holders and to watch development of film in dip/dunk tanks. Works great and has saved me from a number of mistakes, not to mention being able to see what is around me while I am working. Well worth the investment.

[loonatic45414]

Have you run film fog tests with it? Do you limit it to slower speed film or pretty much anything (except IR film)?

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[Bob Mann]

Have you run film fog tests with it? Do you limit it to slower speed film or pretty much anything (except IR film)?

I use it with all the film I use - HP5 and Tmax400 are the highest rated - I have never run a fog test, have no reason to as I have not found a fogging. I use a densitometer and film edges are the same regardless of goggle use. Should also mention that I find these very useful when loading 120 film on reels.

[Will Frostmill]

I haven't used it in the darkroom yet, but it is often easy to convert an ordinary webcam to infrared. I'm building a darkbox - a rigid changing tent, basically - big enough to hold tanks for dev, stop, and fix. I'm going to set my laptop on the top, and put my infrared webcam inside so I can see what my hands are doing.

To convert a webcam to infrared, unscrew the plastic housing, remove the lens assembly, and take tweezers to the filter assembly between the sensor and lens. On mine nothing held it in place but the lens assembly, no adhesives at all. Very easy. Your milage may vary.


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[loonatic45414]

I did that to a Nikon 1 J3 digital camera. 10mp. Cheaper, older technology, but takes good enough IR. Anyway, looking at goggles I can connect to that for the same purpose in a darkroom. But using a lens hood I could easily do what you're talking about.

There are toy infrared goggles but they reside closer to the visible light area, being a dim red. That could work for making darkroom prints.

I got into this over 30 years ago & not so much worried about loading film into holders or onto reels, but could come in handy when cutting down film sheets or during printing.

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[vinny]

Haven't tried it, nor do I really see the need, but I'm interested in seeing what anyone has do say regarding this. Probably works best with ortho film and paper. Not sure I'd trust it otherwise.

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guys have been using infrared goggles int the darkroom for a long time

[Jac@stafford.net]

If you wear eyeglasses be sure you can fit them in the viewer.

An odd aside: I got Russian IR viewer about ten years ago. It had a rubber lens caps. The viewer saw right through the rubber (or composite) caps as if they were not even there.
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