Chamonix bellows not IR proof - Solution?

[Rodfjell]

So I have a problem: My fiancee wants to keep shooting Rollei IR 400 film but we recently moved on to a Chamonix 045N-2 which doesn't have an IR proof bellows.

We don't want to get a new bellows - Hugo hooked us up with the red bellows from the 045N-1 and it looks great.

So I know many people use Chamonix cameras with the standard bellows. What's y'alls solutions?

I was thinking of going to JoAnn's and buying some Roc-Lon Blackout fabric and fashioning it into a dark cloth that I can drape the bellows in. It's said to be 100% light proof but is that just visible light?

I'd love y'alls thoughts on this.


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[oldlincoln]

The 4 mil black plastic that lumber yards sell is ir proof up to about 16 or 1800nm. Way above the sensitivity of the film. A boot that covers the bellows might look kinda redneck, but such is expediency!

[Rodfjell]

Thanks for the info! I'm gonna test out the Roc-Lon fabric in New Orleans today. I'll let y'all know how it works out.


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[Rodfjell]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170219/23f737292c5cf282495dd410c0346aca.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170219/ce0cb66e8cfb485753ed52879b3baeb8.jpg

The Roc-Lon Blackout fabric seemed to have worked just fine. I didn't do a test by pulling the dark slide half out for a minute and developing that sheet but for practical purposes it worked.

As you may notice though, the dark cloth was in the shot in the top left of the picture. I'll probably add velcro or magnets to be more precise with its coverage.


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[Jac@stafford.net]

The advice here is solid gold! Thanks.

My extremely defensive approach to shooting IR began when Kodak's LF IR was available. That film had enormous sensitivity, and I used a Printex 4x5 camera that had a steel cylinder which extended in place of a bellows. I still have a few of the cameras, and some Kodak 4x5 IR film in the freezer which is likely no good by now.

If you want total bullet-proof IR LF photography look to Printex cameras. Lens focal lengths are constrained with the model, however I modified one for a 75mm W/A.

161575

[Cor]

Is it really a confirmed fact that the Chamonix bellows are not IR proof ? the Rollei film does not "see" very far into the IR wavelengths. Nor does the MACO/Efke film do, which I use regularly in combination with bellows from Rudy (Ecbuyonline ?) without a problem. There have been reports that his bellows were not IR proof, although you can never rule out the fact that he might have changed from bellow fabric supplier..

best,

Cor

[Rodfjell]

Is it really a confirmed fact that the Chamonix bellows are not IR proof ?

Hugo Zhang, the US distributor for Chamonix, told me directly that the bellows is not IR proof. It's also been covered before across the internet for almost a decade.

Now, the fabric used for the bellows may be different nowadays which would warrant new testing.

I'll sacrifice a sheet of 4x5 Rollei IR 400 this weekend for the cause and post the scan to this thread.


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[Cor]

Ok, clear, thanks for the follow up, I am curious to see the result !

best,

Cor

Hugo Zhang, the US distributor for Chamonix, told me directly that the bellows is not IR proof. It's also been covered before across the internet for almost a decade.

Now, the fabric used for the bellows may be different nowadays which would warrant new testing.

I'll sacrifice a sheet of 4x5 Rollei IR 400 this weekend for the cause and post the scan to this thread.


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[tgtaylor]

Rodfjell,

Is the Roc-Lon Blackout fabric completely lightproof? I'm considering it for blocking outside light from coming through a large window in my "darkroom." What color did you get?

Thanks,

Thomas

[Rodfjell]

Rodfjell,

Is the Roc-Lon Blackout fabric completely lightproof? I'm considering it for blocking outside light from coming through a large window in my "darkroom." What color did you get?

Thanks,

Thomas

It is advertised as "100% light proof" so I believe it to be so. I got white. It's the same fabric that hotels use for their curtains. I'd use it in my darkroom if I needed to.


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[Winger]

Rodfjell,

Is the Roc-Lon Blackout fabric completely lightproof? I'm considering it for blocking outside light from coming through a large window in my "darkroom." What color did you get?

Thanks,

Thomas

My solution for a window is very redneck-looking, but it's the laundry room so it doesn't matter. Being a bit of a packrat, I had several bags from paper, so just gaffer taped up as many as I needed to cover the window. I may also have used some black plastic blackout I got from B&H (which seemed to be just the same as the bags from the paper).

[tgtaylor]

It is advertised as "100% light proof" so I believe it to be so. I got white. It's the same fabric that hotels use for their curtains. I'd use it in my darkroom if I needed to.


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Thanks - I'm going to try it.

Winger - I currently am taping 4mil black contractor trash bags to the window. It works but its labor intensive and uses a lot of tape. Going to try building a curtain rod and have a piece cut to catch the spill from the top.

Thomas

[Rodfjell]

So I did a test this weekend where I pulled the dark slide out halfway when attached to the camera in broad daylight for 3 minutes and developed it. I also took a few more shots of various scenes and lighting without covering the bellows. The results were difficult to gauge. I won't post them because they are inconclusive.

So sometime in the next weekend I'll do a new test:

Photo 1 will be in broad daylight with the dark slide out for 5 minutes and the bellows not covered.

Photo 2 will be the same but with the dark slide out for less than 20 seconds.

Photo 3 will be with the bellows covered and the dark slide out for 5 minutes.

Photo 4 will be with the bellows covered and the dark slide out for less than 20 seconds.

All shots will be on Rollei IR 400 and a Hoya R72 filter.

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[Rodfjell]

So another week has passed and I haven't posted the results. I haven't forgotten about this though. The weather here in Southern Louisiana is very unpredictable. We've had rain and cloudy days for a while now. I'll try for sometime before next Sunday to do the test.


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[Fr. Mark]

I've used blackout cloth from a fabric store as a bellows for an 8x10 camera, it works for that application and it makes an o.k. dark cloth for composing photos, too. Don't know as to it's IR proof-ness. Don't have any way to test it. Aluminum foil also works for windows, though it is pretty ugly looking. I used it to block out basement window well windows which were hard to see from the street so my wife never objected.

[Rodfjell]

So the sun finally came out to play and I did the test with Rollei IR 400. Photos are located at http://imgur.com/a/C5jpU.

My conclusion is that the bellows is sufficiently IR proof.

The sun was behind a cloud in Photo 1 so that's why it's not as contrasty as the other three. On photo 4, I don't know what that line is but it's most definitely not fogging - I didn't care about being delicate during loading & processing.


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[Cor]

Thanks for reporting, a convincing answer !

best,

Cor
So the sun finally came out to play and I did the test with Rollei IR 400. Photos are located at http://imgur.com/a/C5jpU.

My conclusion is that the bellows is sufficiently IR proof.

The sun was behind a cloud in Photo 1 so that's why it's not as contrasty as the other three. On photo 4, I don't know what that line is but it's most definitely not fogging - I didn't care about being delicate during loading & processing.


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[mariaisabel]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do that test ... very helpful to me and I am sure to many others!