Advice on shooting with Rollei 400ISO IR B+W Film

Greetings, I have a roll of Rollei 400 iso black and white IR film that is set to expire in August but have had it in the fridge for over a year and just haven't had the time or know-how to shoot it. I was wondering what is the proper way to get good images with this film. I will be using a Canon AE=1 Program with this film, but am not sure if I need a filter. I currently have a Hoya red filter and Hoya IR 720 Filter and was wondering if those would suffice. Any and all advice is most welcome and appreciated.

Rollei: https://www.freestylephoto.biz/static/pdf/pages/product_pdfs/rollei/Rollei_Infrared_.pdf

 

recommends an 88A, which seems to cut off at 720nm

 

Wratten number - Wikipedia

 

As you can see from the data sheet, the film goes to about 750nm, so you don't get much

sensitivity between the filter and the film.

 

They recommend ISO 25, which I presume is metered without the filter, such as with

a handheld meter.

 

The older Kodak IR film (before the high-speed version) is sensitive to blue and IR, but not in between.

In that case, a red filter is fine.

 

But HIE and the Rollei film are panchromatic plus IR, such that a red filter will mostly see the red image.

 

You should probably bracket the exposure, with all the uncertainties.

I've shot a few rolls of this film.

 

I used a Hoya R72 filter. It wasn't cheap, but then the film isn't either. I bought a cheap Ebay R72 and checked the transmission spectrum of it and found it was basically useless since i had far too much transmission in the blue/UV region. The Hoya filter is a true cut-off filter with no transmission at wavelengths shorter than 720nm.

 

I shot it in a Nikon F3 and set the meter to ASA 6. That gave me nice densities on my negatives. Of course, I did all metering, focusing, and composition without the filter. Don't forget to refocus to the IR index after initially composing-on a 50mm lens the IR index is around the f/5.6 DOF indicator(neither the Canon FD mount 50mms nor any of my Nikon 50mms have f/5.6 marks, but the red dot is between the f/4 and f/8 mark). If you want to hand hold in full sun, you'll be somewhere around f/2 so refocusing to the IR index is essential.

As well as I know, the IR index is for IR films such as the old IR or HIE that go to about 880nm.

 

Since the Rollei film only goes to about 760nm, that is probably too much correction.

I think Kodak's black & white infrared is the one that a red filter can work. The Rollei and others, IIRC, do not recommend a red filter with IR effects. The Hoya R72 worked well for me when I shot some Rollei IR a while back. Still have a roll left so maybe I'll use it soon,

you can shoot the film with the 720 filter and get IR effects on the film. you can use the red filter and get some subtle IR effect, but it will print like an regular pan film. I actually prefer the red filter effect as you can use it in landscape shots and green foliage will not get dark, it will be much lighter than normal, for me, a very desirable effect.

 

shoot a roll with both filters along with a few shots with no filter and judge for yourself. This film has a longer learning curve than most, but its a very capable film

I use it a lot (well... "used", because now there is a new version called Rollei Infrared), great fiml!

I espose it at 12 ISO with an Heliopan RG715 filter, sometimes it is better at 9 ISO.

The new version (called Rollei Infrared) is more sensitive to Infrared (so I read in a review in a photography magazine) and I can confirm, because I expose it at 12 ISO, sometimes 25 ISO.

In kg Valley you can see some pictures shot with Rollei IR400

I use it a lot (well... "used", because now there is a new version called Rollei Infrared), great fiml!

I espose it at 12 ISO with an Heliopan RG715 filter, sometimes it is better at 9 ISO.

The new version (called Rollei Infrared) is more sensitive to Infrared (so I read in a review in a photography magazine) and I can confirm, because I expose it at 12 ISO, sometimes 25 ISO.

In kg Valley you can see some pictures shot with Rollei IR400

Actually I just checked and I think the film I have is Rollei Infrared. It comes in a black box with "Infrared" printed on the side. I bought this film 2 years ago and I have been wanting so bad to shoot that film but stuff always comes up. What kind of filter do you use after you let the meter find the right exposure given a low iso? I have a Hoya R72.

anyone?

I use an Heliopan RG715 filter that I suppose is similar to your Hoya R72. Give it a try. Read the light on green folige or mid tone subject using the lighmeter set to 12 iso; first time bracket the exposure at 9 iso and 25 iso. Then, with the experience, you'll naile the exposure without the need of bracketing.