With Ilford SFX not being a true infrared film (just an infrared simulator) does it need the same special care that Kodak IR requires. For example, does it require loading in the dark, will a camera with a plastic back be suitable and is a metal developing tank required? Can anyone help??

-- Verity Keniger (bertie.humperdink@talk21.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

Greetings,

The last time I used it (1997) it did not require any extraordinary handling. I loaded it outdoors in subdued light and processed it in a black plastic tank. I would take precaution and load it in the shade, but it's not HIE and is not as sensitive.

Regards,

-- Pete Caluori (pcaluri@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

This film does not require special handling. I am careful about loading it in direct sun but this is no different than a conventional film. For my system I rate the film at an EI of 125 and develop in D-76 1:1 with 30% less development time than recommended by Ilford with excellent results. I get striking results with a light red (B&W 090) filter.

-- Robert Orofino (minotaur1949@iopener.net), May 02, 2002.

ILFORD SFX film, because it is sensitive only to about 780nm, can be handled in the same way as regular black and white films.

David Carper ILFORD Technical Service

-- David Carper (david.carper@ilford.com), May 03, 2002.

No special handling precedure. It is not a "simulator", it is just a "mild infrared film", meaning that its infrared sensitivity does not extend too much in the infrared (invisible) part of the spectrum and so the effect you shall get from it is not so impressive as is the effect of the Kodak film.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), May 03, 2002.

Kodak HIE IR film requires special handing not beacuse it's IR sensitive but because it has no anti-halation layer. I believe that this allows light to be guided into the film cassette by the leader if it is exposed to light.

All other IR films I know have use a conventional anti-halation layer and so don't suffer from the same problems as HIE. They don't have the same "look" as HIE either, partially for the same reason.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.