InfraRed film and the Shen Hao TZ45-11B

[Fintan]

I've been offered one of these cameras in mint condition at a reasonable price and hope to pick it up in a week.

I was about to order some Efke film and the thought struck me, will I have any problems with fogging on IR films?

Are the bellows opaque enough etc?

[Santo Roman]

Fintan,

I was actually thinking about the same thing. I would guess that they would be ok as they make the film for it. Unless you need to add a bag-type bellows around the main set. That could prevent any light or IR from getting through. That and I was thinking that I would need to bring a small cooler to keep the negs in the holders cooler than the outside temp.

santo

[Wallace_Billingham]

I have found the Efke IR film to be as stable as any other B&W film and do not treat it any differently in the field than say Tri-X.

You should also not have any issues with your bellows. If it is light tight enough not to fog regular B&W film it will not fog the Efke film

[Gene McCluney]

It is the now-discontinued Kodak Infrared film that was more sensitive, because it had more infrared sensitivity than any of the current infrared capable films.

[m332720]

I have tried to use my Shen Hao with HIE. Unfortunately the bellows on my Shen Hao leaks IR big time. The negatives where un usable. The Efke films might work better as they are not as sensitive to IR.

[vinny]

I have found the Efke IR film to be as stable as any other B&W film and do not treat it any differently in the field than say Tri-X.

You should also not have any issues with your bellows. If it is light tight enough not to fog regular B&W film it will not fog the Efke film

WRONG!
And I'm not the only one who has/had a camera with bellows not suitable for ir film.
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum44/61617-chamonix-45n-bellows-not-infrared-proof.html

[Archphoto]

OK, this was with a Chamnix bellows, I gues we will have to try it and see how things turn out.

Not every bellows uses the same material, so there will be a diference in usability of IR films.

Peter

[Diane Maher]

I have put the TV remote into the camera and tried to change the channel with it through the bellows. If it doesn't change the channel, then it is good for IR film (as far as I know). I need to do that with my new 8x10 (even though according to the manufacturer, it is IR light tight). I have shot IR with the two cameras I have tried this with no problems.

[vinny]

Diane, interesting idea. I tried it with my Cham and I couldn't change the channel.

[RichardRitter]

The only true test is to load a holder with the film and put in camera, pull the dark slide out half way and let stand out side for 10 to 15 minutes. Test on a sunny day around.

I have seem bellows on the same make of camera work on one camera and not work on a different camera because different materials were used to make the bellows.

So the best thing to do is test it.

[Wallace_Billingham]

WRONG!
And I'm not the only one who has/had a camera with bellows not suitable for ir film.
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum44/61617-chamonix-45n-bellows-not-infrared-proof.html

yet in that very thread you posted it worked for several people.

So to quote me once again


I have found the Efke IR film to be as stable as any other B&W film and do not treat it any differently in the field than say Tri-X.

Going from personal first hand experience here, I have found it not to have any issues. Most of my work with this film is in medium format with Holga Cameras, and I have not had any issues. If any camera is going to leak light it is a Holga. I also have a Shen Hao 4x5 and have shot a few sheets of the Efke IR with that and again I have not had any issues which is why I stated


You should also not have any issues with your bellows. If it is light tight enough not to fog regular B&W film it will not fog the Efke film

Again the original poster was asking about shooting the Efke film with his Shen Hao camera which I have done and have had zero issues.

You on the other hand seem to have issues with it in your camera. I am not sure what kind of camera you have but you linked to another thread on another board where the user was having problems with a Chamonix bellows. Yet as pointed out on that very thread it could be one of several issues. They even linked to a picture where the Efke film was shot with a Chamonix camera and had no issues

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9785954@N05/2741701515/

There are so many variables with shooting any film to boldly post in all caps that an experienced shooter shooting with the same exact camera and film combo as the OP is wrong is really quite juvenile.

The Efke IR820 film is an entirely different beast than Kodak HIE and even HIE was not nearly as finicky as people make/made it out to be on the web.

I am sorry you seem to have had issues with shooting IR film in your LF camera. Was it the bellows? Your Film Holders? The Lens Board? Your Shutter? Something in your processing? Was the film subjected to high heat? Did the film ride around in the back of a UPS truck in mid summer sun? Did the film sit in a hot warehouse for weeks at a time between the time it was made until it arrived at the store? There are just so many thing that could go wrong it is hard to say what it might be.

[vinny]

Wallace, I guess I should have quoted only the second part of your statement where you said "You should also not have any issues with your bellows. If it is light tight enough not to fog regular B&W film it will not fog the Efke film." That's not necessarily true.
The link I posted was to a a thread started by myself. While others may be having success using their Chamonix 45N with ir films, I am not. The film, shutter, lens board, holders, is not the issue. As I said in my thread on apug, I've shot plenty of non-IR film (tmy, rvp, fp4, you name it, etc) through the camera w/o issues. I also owned a shen hao and shot efke ir and had zero fog issues.

[Joe Forks]

Well I learn something every day. I'm not sure what I learned from this thread except there are probably certain plastics and bellows materials that are not opaque to near IR and or IR light.

I'm glad I did not answer the OP though, because his post went unanswered for two days and I was thinking to myself why on earth should there be any problem with that combo?

It is good info though, that which I think I learned from this thread. BTW my old wista tech 4x5 works fine with Efke and Rollei IR, and my Ritter Zone VI 8x10 works fine with Efke IR - though I have one or two film holders that aren't worth a shit for any film and I'm not quite sure which ones they are at the moment LOL

[RichardRitter]

- though I have one or two film holders that aren't worth a shit for any film and I'm not quite sure which ones they are at the moment LOL

Mark the holders.

Get 3 different needle files. The thin one equal Roman number I, the v shape file equals number V(five) and the round one number X(ten).
Number each side of each holder.
After you are done numbering take the files and file into flap end of the holder 1/16 deep. When you pull the dark slide the filed numbers will show up on the edge of the negative.

There is a more detailed instruction in the DVD "Finely Focused" by Bruce Barlow.

[Wallace_Billingham]

Wallace, I guess I should have quoted only the second part of your statement where you said "You should also not have any issues with your bellows. If it is light tight enough not to fog regular B&W film it will not fog the Efke film." That's not necessarily true....... I also owned a shen hao and shot efke ir and had zero fog issues.

So you would agree with me then? Notice I did not say any bellows on any camera but rather addressed the OP with regards to the bellows that comes with the Shen Hao camera.

[Joe Forks]

Mark the holders.

Get 3 different needle files. The thin one equal Roman number I, the v shape file equals number V(five) and the round one number X(ten).
Number each side of each holder.
After you are done numbering take the files and file into flap end of the holder 1/16 deep. When you pull the dark slide the filed numbers will show up on the edge of the negative.

There is a more detailed instruction in the DVD "Finely Focused" by Bruce Barlow.

Richard,
Thanks for the advice. I actually have J. B. Harlin's article bookmarked with the exact same procedure. My buddy Jim Porter sent me that link a few years ago and I never got around to doing such. I think what happened was that I got 50 4x5 holders really quick and then it was a daunting task. Luckily (or unluckily) it is the 8x10 holders that I'm having a problem with and there are only 15 or so of those so I'll dig out the tools and get er done....

Best
Joe