I want to shoot my first roll of Kodak HIE this weekend. I have a Quantaray R2 red filter. Is this dark enough for good IR effects or should I get a Tiffen 25?

-- Gary Calverase (grcalveras@aol.com), June 19, 2001

Answers

In principle, any red filter is fine, but the images may lack the typical IR look (Wood effect, etc.). Even with a #25 filter you may be disappointed. A #29 is, IMO, the very minimum, truly spectacular effects will result with #87, which is visually opaque. There are a couple of filters in between, which will still give good IR effects while being transparent enough for aiming the camera through them, for example an RG 665 (about #70, I believe).

Regards, Thomas Wollstein

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), June 20, 2001.

Gary, I have used IR films for over ten years, shooting hundreds of rolls. I use only a red #25 filter, and am very pleased with the results. The darker filters are very difficult to see through, for one, and also are intended more for the scientific, as opposed to artistic, applications of HIE IR film. Here is a link to my website where I have many IR images: http://members.tripod.com/~dektoll/index.html (if this does not link, please email me*S*)

-- Michael World (canuckguyinadarkroom@hotmail.com), June 20, 2001.

If you want to try a poorman's IR passing filter get one or two unexposed but developed pieces of slide film. The emulsion contains the red, green and blue dyes that block all visible light but pass IR. I tried this with a color video camera and it worked quite well. There is a site somewhere that talks about this but I don't have the link here.

Good luck & cheers,

Duane

-- Duane K (dkucheran@creo.com), June 20, 2001.

Gary, Look up this address: www.cocam.co.uk Then click on infrared.There is information for you about infrared photography and a link to the infrared newsletter

-- Howard Dvorin (HowardDvorin@cs.com), June 20, 2001.

I believe the quantary R2 is the same as a 25A. Kodak HIE will give very pronounced IR "wood effect" with the dark red filter. Be sure to photography in bright sun to get the max effect with the R2. My experiments with MACO indicates that the 25A gives no IR effect. I'm using a Hoya R72 to get the IR effect. FWIW.

Set your camera meter at 300 and develop the film like Plus-x. Also bracket+/- 2 stops for each shot. Be prepared for long exposure times when printing. Don't forget to reset the focus on the lens to the IR mark or if you do not have a mark, move the focus distance to the F5.6 DOF marker on the lens.

-- Gene Crumpler, NC, USA (nikonguy@att.net), June 21, 2001.