Rollei IR 400 film question

[Herb Cunningham]

I find this film to render more detail than any I have used. I was told it is "super panchromatic" is the reason. I have no idea of this term, and a google search yields
No satisfaction.
A lab guy I know says it is better resolution than tmax100 because it is old style grain
And thus shows detail better.

Both are confusing-tmax 100 is reputedly the finest grain around, but not the case in my experience.

Any wisdom here?

[dsphotog]

I've only shot 1 roll of 120 Rollei IR, using a #29 filter the IR effect is not as dramatic as Kodak HIE.
My limited test showed Rollei is a lot grainier than TMX, and less grainy than HIE.
I developed mine in HC-110, what developer did you use?

[Herb Cunningham]

I used xtol stock. The film is what they call superpanchromatic, which I am told means it is responsive to the IR spectrum as well as the regular spectrum that is covered by panchromatic films.
My experience is that much more shadow detail shows in this film, and the fine detail is more visible than in TMax100 or Ilford Delta 100.

The results I speak of were with no filtration, shot a 200 iso.

[sanking]

Herb,

Rollei IR 400 is a fairly fine grain film, though not as fine grain as films like TMAX-100 or Fuji Acros. However, I have made some nice prints with this film in MF up to 16X20" and the grain is very fine.

If you want to get IR effect you will need to use an IR filter. I have had good results with a R72, rating the film at about EI of 6. You could use it with a 25 or 29 filter with typical dark sky and high contrast look, but with these filters you won't get much of an IR effect. You might also try a 680 filter, which will give good IR effecrt and about one stop speed increase compared to use of R72, or efffective EI of 12 in sunlight.

Rollei IR 400 is a lot faster than Efke IR. I bought some of this in 11X14" size and cut it down to use in my 5X7. It is a very fine grain film, finer than the Rollei, but exposure in the sun with a R72 is about one second at f/16, making it a lot slower than the Rollei IR 400.

Sandy

[Herb Cunningham]

Sandy, I have used the 720 filters most of the time with the Rollei IR, most of which was roll film.
I was trying to get a good iso for some tmax and delta 100 I had on hand, and just shot a few Rollei to compare.
I was surprised at the difference in shadow detail, which led me to the conclusion about finer detail in the rollei.

I suspect it may have been because the Rollei has greater spectrum response?

Herb

[Herb Cunningham]

I forgot- the tests were all in 4x5, shot with a Nikkor W 75mm lens.

I really like the images I get from the unfiltered Rollei, and my only successful gallery entries so far have been Infrared shots, so the judges like that.

[Robert Skeoch]

Hi Herb,

I have a fact booklet from Rollei on the film. If you send me your address, I'll mail one over.

-Rob

skeoch@sympatico.ca