IR Googles

[Alan9940]

Over the years, I've seen various posts on this and other forums talking about the use of an IR google in the darkroom; specifically, the ATN Viper unit. Tried one...didn't like it...returned it.

Recently, I became aware of the Laserware folks over in the UK and their range of Nightfox IR googles. Specifically, I started looking into the Nightfox 120R, but was concerned about the 3x magnification and I didn't need video recording. After several e-mails relating my concerns, I was told that they were introducing the Nightfox 119V which is the same as the 120R, except 1x magnification and no video. I was intrigued by this news and waited two months for the unit to show up on Amazon. It arrived today!

I've played with it in the darkroom for only about 30 mins, doing various tasks that I normally do in the dark, but so far I'm really impressed. If anyone is looking to try out IR googles in the darkroom, I'd highly recommend taking a look at the Nightfox 119V.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Goggles?

[Tin Can]

Looked em up.

No way to use them with my goggles....

[Alan9940]

Goggles?

Oops! LOL!!

[Tin Can]

My glasses won't work with it

[Two23]

$180? A bit more than I wanted to spend, but if I did a lot in the dark I might be interested.


Kent in SD

[Peter De Smidt]

Do they need an IR light source?

[Michael Kadillak]

Nearly all of them come with an IR light source but my observations have always been that it your external light source "glows red", the odds are pretty good that the film can see this light source as well. I tested this theory to prove that is in fact the case.

I ditched the integrated IR light source that came with the monocle (ie removed the batteries) and acquired an external 24 LED light blank that I bounce off an adjacent wall in my darkroom so only IR comes into the viewing area. I also added an identical IR light source on the other side of my darkroom sink (under a frosted $1 globe) and put it on a foot switch. Great for film development by inspection. I have had my IR head set for over 12 years and it still works great, It is an invaluable piece of my analog process in loading sheet film and development by inspection.

[reddesert]

I haven't ever used IR goggles, but my experience from other areas is that some common materials that are opaque in the visible are not completely opaque in the near infrared. Often black electrical tape is like this. So if you wanted a modest IR source, black tape or other thin material over red LEDs might work. Of course, you would want to test to make sure it didn't fog film.

[Alan9940]

My glasses won't work with it

My reading glasses fit just fine inside the "eye cuff", but I found that I can see the screen just fine without glasses.