Shooting Rollei IR WIth IR Unsafe Bellows

[m00dawg]

Been trying to dig up posts and articles on this again. I have quite a few Rollei IR sheets left and while I don't like it's thin base, I'm thinking of giving it another try in LF. I've had good success with it in 120 (using ISO 3 and 6 with an R72 filer as I recall) but never any in 4x5. I started my 4x5 IR journey on an Intrepid MK2 but now also have a Chamonix 45F2. The former has a light leak I need to sort out (and I'm not sure how IR safe it is) and the latter is known for not having IR safe bellows.

Without having to go out and buy bellows (Shan Hao's apparently are IR safe?) I was thinking of using reflective mylar. The Evil Jungle has a number of these but the ones that specifically say IR safe are as much as just buying IR bellows. It seems anything with aluminium should be safe correct? Including the stuff used for plant growth applications as well as one of those emergency blankets?

Also do I need to load the sheets differently? E.g. wondering if my darkroom might be somehow fogging the film and maybe I should use the mylar while loading as well? Do film holders make a difference?

Any thoughts or ideas?

[paulbarden]

The Intrepid bellows are 90% IR safe in my experience. I have a dark cloth that is woven aluminum on one side and wrapping the bellows with that eliminates the problem. those aluminum emergency blankets will also work.

[m00dawg]

Ah that's good to know. It must've been pinhole leaks then which caused me pain. Looks like it's in the corners. I have the epoxy stuff Intrepid recommended to fix it just haven't ever gotten around to it. I'll go ahead and try an aluminium blanket with my 45F2 and see what happens. If the weather cooperates I might be able to try it out as early as this weekend, woohoo!

[Colin Robertson]

Use this in 120 a lot in a Mamiya C330 which has bellows and is certainly IR safe. Really lovely negatives.
Shot a whole box in my Shen Hao and had mostly fogged negatives. Barely got any usable shots.
Hope you have better luck than me.

[m00dawg]

Use this in 120 a lot in a Mamiya C330 which has bellows and is certainly IR safe. Really lovely negatives.
Shot a whole box in my Shen Hao and had mostly fogged negatives. Barely got any usable shots.
Hope you have better luck than me.

Similar to me though I haven't used many sheets. I'm going to give it one more try I think. If it doesn't pan out I'll just use it in 120.

[Cor]

I must have been lucky than, I have shot many sheets of Maco IR 4*5 (which "sees" a bit deeper into IR I seem to recall) with both my Linhof Color (new bellows from Ecbuy online ( I thought.., "Rudy" through Ebay) and my Galvin 4*5.

Best,

Cor

[John Olsen]

I've been using Rollei i.r. with ordinary Toyo (45G) and Calumet (wood field) bellows. You shouldn't have any problem with any bellows, I would think, since this film does not go very far into the i.r. Fix the pinhole and you'll be OK.

[Doug Webb]

If you use a dark cloth to focus, try wrapping the dark cloth around the camera, covering everything but leaving an opening for the lens, after focusing, and then expose the negative.

[B.S.Kumar]

The Intrepid came out not very long ago. Why do the bellows on your camera have pinholes?

[Vangelis]

Hello.
I am using a lot of years the Shen Hao HZX 45 with bag and normal bellows without problems, even under bright sunlight and long exposures 2 - 4 minutes.
Recently, with Sinar X, both with bag and normal bellows and everything is ok.

[m00dawg]

As an update, I managed to get 3 out of 4 sheets from last weekend! Here's one:

200497

I bracketed the shots at ISO 6 and 12, though I should have gone 3 and 6 or even lower perhaps. The negatives lack some shadow detail but the highlights seem about right. I developed them in XTOL Replenished for 10 minutes at 20C in a DIY rotary at 30 RPM. I use a JOBO 2500 tank with the 4x5 reel. I was worried that the sheets might move around but it seemed ok.

To prevent fogging during exposure, I used a foil mylar sheet that's for plant beds and wrapped that around the bellows and used my dark cloth for the back. I think I should have also considered wrapping the mylar it around the back as well as the one exposure that didn't turn out was fogged but on the bottom side of the holder and I can't quite work out how. I think it was when my dark cloth flew off (it was windy when I was trying to make that exposure).

These are not the best representation of IR since they don't have as pronounced an IR effect. I used an R72 but the time I took these may not have been ideal and I might want to also couple it with a circular polarizer perhaps?

Anyways, in short, I finally managed for the first time to get IR results with the film in large format, so I'm pretty happy with that!

[John Olsen]

As an update, I managed to get 3 out of 4 sheets from last weekend! Here's one:

200497

These are not the best representation of IR since they don't have as pronounced an IR effect. I used an R72 but the time I took these may not have been ideal and I might want to also couple it with a circular polarizer perhaps?

Anyways, in short, I finally managed for the first time to get IR results with the film in large format, so I'm pretty happy with that!

I like the amount of i.r. effect you have achieved. Excessive i.r. effect is a little like an exaggerated attempt to be different and I've migrated away. If you want more than you're getting with the R72 though, try the Cokin 007 or the Kodak 89B. The Cokin will work at ISO 6 and the 89B may need an ISO 3 setting. Good luck.

[m00dawg]

I like the amount of i.r. effect you have achieved. Excessive i.r. effect is a little like an exaggerated attempt to be different and I've migrated away. If you want more than you're getting with the R72 though, try the Cokin 007 or the Kodak 89B. The Cokin will work at ISO 6 and the 89B may need an ISO 3 setting. Good luck.

Thanks John! Yeah it's subtle but it's there (the treetops most notably). I was able to wring out more in 120 (using the same R72) but different season. I was indeed also thinking about trying the 89B so yep I'll give that a go. I don't always want ZOMG IR! type shots but I'll admit I wanted a bit more from the above.