Kodak HIE - Any tips before I go shoot my first roll?

[shay_ohayon]

Hi All,

 

I bought it last week. I know the "basic" tips, which are

1. Load & Unload in total darkness.

2. Keep film in cold place until usage.

3. Develop as soon as possible to get maximum results.

4. Use R72 or similar filter.

 

I intend to follow these instructions.

I wanted to get some tips regarding "proper" exposure.

My last experience with something similar was with the SFX-200.

After several tries, I foundout that best exposure was taken with the

filter on, evaluative metering, and braceting a little bit.

Will this be useful in the HIE as well ?

Any photos + exposures data of others will help alot !

 

Thanks,

 

Shay

[stephen hazelton]

It seems like everyone has their own ideas of how to expose HIE. Mine is to use the sunny-16 rule with Kodak's recommended effective speed. And bracket. If I remember right, this gives me f/11 and 1/125 with a red filter, 1/60 with a #87 filter. But it's been a while.

[ebogaerts]

1 - You should load & unload in total darkness, but I actually will wait 10 minutes in darkness before I open the canister & load the film into the camera, and then wait another 10 minutes in darkness before I remove the roll from the back of the camera after exposing it.

 

2 and 3 are correct.

 

4 is controversial. I don't see a difference between a infrared "cut" filter and a regular red 25. If the difference is there, it's not that pronounced. I don't know how to meter Kodak HIE with an infrared cut filter. I just set my camera's ISO dial at 400 & make sure that I have a red filter on the front of whichever lens I am using. That technique has always given me great results.

 

Oh - and if I am exposing a shot indoors at night (using a flash) then I switch the ISO dial over to 125.

[kaiyen]

One thing to consider, but that might be a bit too advanced until you've shot a few more rolls, is that different settings require different exposures. This is beyond the indoor/outdoor considerations.

 

For instance, if you're taking a picture in a park, with almost all vegetation, you might want to set your meter to EI 800 instead of 400 (then meter through the filter). Or, if you're shooting with very little vegetation, maybe some buildings, you might rate it at 320 or even 200. This is because different objects reflect different amounts of IR. Vegetation, esp. the green variety, reflects it like crazy, so you might want to give yourself a bit less starting exposure. But buildings don't reflect as much, so maybe you want a bit more.

 

You should almost always bracket 1 stop over and under in any case.

 

I got most of these suggestiosn from the Infrared Workshop book.

 

allan

[maury_cohen]

I'm not sure what's up with Eric waiting 10 minutes when loading and unloading. No reasoning to that step IMO.

The films sensitivity to Infrared is what the ISO is based on, so the fact that the #87 I.R. bypass filter appears virtually opaque has no bearing on actual exposure.

[carlheinz bayer www.rocko]

I shoot a roll a while ago with a red 25 and set to 200 ASA. Subject was at the beach on a

partly clody day. I did one stop +/-. Result was, that most

of the underexposed images were just right. Means next time I shoot it at 400.

C.

[franka t.l.]

One thing to consider is to make sure your camera is not one of those that use a LED to track film transport ( 35mm bodies ). They will fog the film ..

[ebogaerts]

Maury -

 

I set my ISO dial to 400 and use a red 25 filter, and I actually meter through the lens with this setup. Outdoors, this has provided me with consistently great results.

 

If I had an opaque infrared cut filter, of course I wouldn't be able to meter through the lens.

 

I was told that there is residual infrared light, even in a light-tight room that dissipates over the course of a few minutes.

 

Off the top of my head, I cannot remember where I heard this little bit of information. But I can certainly say that as soon as I started processing my infrared film in that fashion, the odd occurance of fogging disappeared entirely.

[kevin_krumwiede2]

There's no "residual light." It dissapates at... well, the speed of light. :o) HIE only records IR just outside the visible spectrum; it is not sensitive to the heat emitted, for example, by a just-turned-off light bulb.

[richard_milner2]

I TTL meter at 400 ISO with an R25 filter. Sometimes I use an Orange filter and set the meter to 600 ISO because I get overexposure otherwise, especially in green areas -- woodland, for instance. I am still experimenting with orange filters.

 

I used to bracket but I don't bother now, because the exposure was usually acceptable at the first try. With experience you come to recognise situations where a bit of adjustment to the recommended exposure is useful. TO start with, I think you should bracket one stop up and down.

 

I think you get the best out of HIE if you do your own printing. This makes up for a lot of deficiencies in the negative. Unfortunately I don't have a darkroom, so my IR photography is rather experimental, waiting for the glorious day when I can find the space and money to set one up.

[shay_ohayon]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for all the answers.

 

Eric wrote : "If I had an opaque infrared cut filter, of course I wouldn't be able to meter through the lens"

 

Why is that ? I used my camera meter with totaly opaque filter (Hoya R72).

 

Well, Another issue is that I have an EOS-3, which people say it might fog the film a little bit. I hope it will only be on the holes (I've seen several sites which showed that fogging is only at the edges of the film).

 

I might be going on a trip to Sinai Desert in Egypt soon.

I am considering taking the HIE with me, but this region is known for it's high temperature, so I'm afarid it might affect it.

(If I take it with me, I will not be able to keep it in a cool place, and it will take me at least a week until I will be able to develop it). Any comments on this matter ? Did you ever kept this film in an unoptimal enviorment ? what were the resutls ?

[ebogaerts]

"HIE only records IR just outside the visible spectrum; it is not sensitive to the heat emitted, for example, by a just-turned-off light bulb."

 

Ah! I remembered the source of this information & I will have to have a chat with the guys down at my photo shop. :)

 

Shay -

 

The infrared cut filter cuts out visible light from coming through the lens. I do not know how your camera was able to provide a proper meter reading when it was not receiving any light that the meter was capable of sensing.

 

If you put your R72 over you lens and look through the viewfinder, you should see nothing but complete darkness no matter where you point your lens at. The meters inside your SLR need visible light to give a proper meter reading.

[shay_ohayon]

Hey Eric-

 

I think you are wrong. The R72 does block almost all light. (Well, if you point it to a strong lamp or the sun, you'll notice them...)

And metering does seem to work. Not only that, but the AF seems to be function properly as well.

[FilmPhotography-DuaneHorne]

Hi. I shoot @ ISO 200 with an opaque red filter most of the time on my 50mm 1.8 lens. For othere lens sizes, I will use a dark red. I will have to try shooting at ISO 400. Sometimes, I will use flash, and sometimes I will put a red filter over the flash head. I will soon be experimenting with placing an exposed piece of developed Colour IR film over the flash head. It is opaque and I am curious as to the results.

[snowmen]

<p>Just wondering...</p>

<p>Do I need to develop in total darkness as well?<br>

Or I can turn on the light after I put the film into the tank?</p>