experience w/MACO IR film ?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Large format photography : One Thread

Have any of you shot MACO IR film and processed in something other than the Xtol MACO recommends? What kind of ISO are you using and with what filters and filter factors? Does this stuff produce results like the IR emulsions of old?

-- Robert A. Zeichner (info@razeichner.com), June 17, 2001

Answers

I've shot some Maco in 120. I'm afraid I've developed only in Mytol 1:3 (which is like Xtol). I found I had to rate it at about ISO 6 when used with an IR filter (you could get about 25 with a deep red and about 100 without any filter). Which is the reason I stuck to Mytol - given how slow it is, I can certainly use the speed increase from the Phenidone based developer. The results are pretty good - nice Wood effect. It doesn't seem to be quite as infra-red-dy as Kodak HIE (althought I didn't shoot much HIE). The biggest difference seems to be in the fact that HIE looked like it could produce much more halation. I found the Maco much nicer than Konica (and needless to add, Ilford - not surprising considering it peaks at much higher levels than those two). Cheers, DJ.

-- N Dhananjay (ndhanu@umich.edu), June 17, 2001.

I've shot some 120 MACO. I'm using a Hoya R72. I expose at an EI of 6 and develop in diafine. Much better that Konica (no fog, lower contrast), better grain than HIE, much less halation than HIE. I quickly discovered that you will get no IR effect with a 25A filter!

Don't forget to pre-soak to get the dye off the film, other wise the dye will end up in your developer.

-- gene crumpler (nikonguy@att.net), June 18, 2001.


Greetings,

So far the only think I've tried with MACO IR is XTOL, but I hve found MACO's recommendations seriously lacking. I use XTOL full strength at 20C in a JOBO processor at 75 RPM for 5 minutes, no prewash. Plain water stop for 30 sec. and 2 min fix in Photographer's Formulary's TF-4 fixer. 15 min wash and 45 sec in Kodak Photo-Flo, then air dried. The negs curled unlike anything I've ever processed, but produced beautiful results, that easily printed without filtration, or manipulation. My ISO with a Lee 87 filter was 3. I plan on trying this film with Pyro when I get some spare time.

Regards,

-- Pete Caluori (pcaluori@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001.


"The biggest difference seems to be in the fact that HIE looked like it could produce much more halation."

HIE has more halation because it does not have an anti-halation backing. The halation is not due to greater infa-red effect (even though HIE is sensitive to a wider range of infa-red). Try a soft focus filter with the Maco to get halation.

-- William Marderness (wmarderness@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ