IR viewing device saves the day again

[Ken Lee]

Until last weekend I hadn’t shot any film for well over a year. I went out shooting with TMY which expired in April 2017 but didn’t give it much thought.

I wondered if I had I mixed my developer wrongly: after the usual time, the negatives appeared dramatically thin. I checked the developer temperature with 2 thermometers and it was correct so I added some extra Metol, the developing agent in D-23 and saw development speed up a bit but not enough. I added some more Metol and after around 10 extra minutes I developed the negatives to normal density and saved this negative (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?44249-Large-Format-Landscapes&p=1464760&viewfull=1#post1464760) from the trash can.

Perhaps the film lost some speed while sitting on the shelf - or perhaps I made a mistake mixing the developer the first time. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t a loss.

The IR viewing device (http://www.kennethleegallery.com/html/tech/index.php#Monocular) paid for itself today, again.

[Greg]

Use the same IR viewer. Head strap that came with it was a horror show to put on. Instead I attached the IR viewer to a (retired) rock climbing helmet, and now the viewer fit on my head like a glove. Saved me the one time when I unloaded a bunch of 4x5 holders and placed the films in a pile. Sure enough accidentally nudged the pile of negatives from the counter to scatter on the darkroom floor. Carefully retrieved all the negatives, and with a can of compressed air that I had to find and retrieve from the other side of the room, blew off any dust that had attached itself to the film. When the negatives dried happily discovered that they were all good. Now as each sheet of film is unloaded from it's holder, put it into the JOBO tank. Rarely use the IR viewer, but it is within reach if ever needed. Helmet a thousand times easier to put on in the dark than the OEM head strap.

[andrewch59]

Hi Ken, can you tell me how sensitive standard film is to IR? I perused fee bay to find out the IR goggles are quite expensive, but I have an alternative idea if I can use IR light source in the darkroom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRCz6n_cqHM

[Ken Lee]

There have been several discussions on this topic on the forum, including the topic of spectral response and the use of IR light sources in the darkroom.

For the record. the kind of viewing device I use is the cheapest and most primitive "first generation" which provides its own IR illumination, not the exotic "starlight" night vision goggles used by security forces which greatly amplify ambient light and heat.

[Gary Beasley]

Did you try to salvage any of the underdeveloped negs? Bleach and redevelop in pyro or selenium toning?

[Ken Lee]

Did you try to salvage any of the underdeveloped negs? Bleach and redevelop in pyro or selenium toning?

Sorry if I was unclear. There were no underdeveloped negatives because I was able to add developer and increase development time on the fly.

Because I was watching development as it proceeded, all the shots were rescued, like this one (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?44249-Large-Format-Landscapes&p=1464760&viewfull=1#post1464760).

[jp]

I'm using tmy2 film from 2013-2015 expiration date, but it's been frozen. No problems at all.

[Ken Lee]

Mine was stored at room temperature. From now on I'll put in the refrigerator at least.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

When I was in the Marines, I used and worked on AN PVS goggles. The were binocular tyoe First and Second generation image tubes. Mounted on goggles was an infrared diode. Even in pitch block when you turned this diode on, the place lit up like the sun was out. I am guessing unless film is sensitive to ir, then the diode that causes illumination will not affect the film in the least. Take goggles off and you can't see the light being emitted by the diode.

[koraks]

Most films have no or negligible sensitivity to ir. Exceptions are of course dedicated ir films and films with extended ir/red sensitivity such as those derived from Agfa Avia stocks; think of Rollei retro 400s.

[Peter De Smidt]

Nice save!