I am planning on shooting my first roll of IR film with my M6 ttl and 50 Elmar(latest). This will be my first attempt with any IR film. I would appreciate any tips, esp. focusing with this lens/ film combo. Do these lens not have any specific markings to adjust for IR film focusing?

-- Bill (abmathis@comcast.net), March 26, 2002

Answers

IR with a Leica! What fun it is! I've used IR with my Leica III 1934 and 35 Summaron lens before. Results worked great. The Summaron I have does not have infared markings, but some Leica lenses do. I never seemed to have a focusing problem without the marks. TIP: bracket, bracket, bracket. My photograph of Layfette Cemetery in New Orleans was a IR image with the Leica.--www.zoeicaimages.com

-- chris a williams (LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net), March 26, 2002.

Though it has been years since I shot IR film, Kodak B&W IR film I do remember what the most reliable exposures were.

For a bright sunny day and a #25 red filter on the lens my best exposures were at F16 ( no IR focus marks mattered with 28mm lens) and 1/250th or 1/125th. Either shutter speed gave me a good neg to print. Using a film speed really can't be counted on or at least that was what I found.

Overcast etc changes exposure of course and some subjects put out more IR than others but you can use those as a starting point.

-- Neil Swanson (neilsphoto@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

I've shot a lot of Kodak HIE IR film, and usually do it the same way every time. 28mm lens, 1/125 @ f/11 in bright sun (I usually only shoot IR in bright sun--exposure is predictable, and IR features are most apparent) with a 25 filter. I use the 28mm for not only its wide angle look, which works well with IR, but DOF works same with IR as with "regular" light, and IR focus correction is well within the DOF marks for f/11 with this lens, setting up hyperfolcal. So I don't have to watch focus at all. I develop in HC-110 B for recommended times. Many things are obvious, such as you need to load in a darkroom or changing bag, as IR gets into felt trap on film cassette. And it really does, you'll ruin the film if you take it out of the can in daylight. Film is much thinner than, say, Tri-X, so requires more careful handling while processing. One interesing thing to do is cover a flash tube with an 87C gel and, using no filter on your lens, shoot in total darkness. You'll have to shoot a test roll to determine exposure stops and distances with your flash. But subjects will only know a flash has gone off if they see the faint red glow of the flash tube if they look directly at the flash. I have shot theatre audiences that way, and it works great. Photos look pretty much like regular flash shots, by the way. Have fun!

-- Charles (c.mason@uaf.edu), March 27, 2002.

You may find it helpful to begin your exploration of infrared by using a moderate wide-angle lens and using a constant aperture of perhaps f/11. This virtually eliminates the focusing concerns and additionally eliminates one variable. Eliminating variables when starting with infrared is helpful because of all the other variables introduced by the films unique characteristics. I also found it helpful to process the film soon after finishing a roll because your memory of the conditions and other factors will hopefully be more intact. Later on, don't be afraid to depart from the official recommendation/edicts concerning filtration. You may find that varying the proportion of visible light to infrared bias (by using different filtration) may be an important control.

All the best!

-- Art Waldschmidt (afwaldschmidt@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.