Leica R4 - Infra red?

[Gosia]

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Hello! I have a Leica R4 and I want to persue infra red photography. I am quite a newbie and I read that not all cameras are suitable for this due to the DX code? 

Does anyone know if I am able to successfully shoot infrared film on a Leica R4?

Thank you very much in advance!

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[jaapv]

The camera is quite irrelevant, any film camera can load IR film and the ISO value can always be adjusted. However with a DSLR camera framing and focusing will be a challenge as the IR filter is a black filter so you will have no functional viewfinder. A camera with a non-TTL viewfinder is far more suitable. Furthermore some lenses will produce a hot spot. 

[Pyrogallol]

I use Leica rangefinder cameras for infrared so I am not looking through the lens and it doesn’t matter how dense the filter is.

But my friend uses an slr and gets on all right, the camera meter even gets the exposure right, though it is best to bracket your exposures as a normal meter is not calibrated for infrared light. A 25A red filter will be enough to get an infrared effect and still let you see through the lens to focus.

I use Rollei 400 Infrared film. Rated at 400 I find adding +5 stops is about right using a separate hand meter, +5 seems to be right whether the filter is medium red or very dense. I guess the denser the filter is the more of the blue end of the spectrum it cuts out. Your R4 may well meter ok as my friend’s camera does, but bracket anyway.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I use my M3 with generally a wide angle lens, Rollei 400 IR with an R72 filter, this filter is as far as Rollei IR film can go. I meter at ISO 12 or 25 since the meter is not going through the filter. I also use an M8 with either the R72 or a B+W 093 a darker filter, both filters are close to opaque. The M8 set to ISO 320 meters well with the filter in place. A SLR or DSLR can be used, probably not hand held, a tripod helps. You have to compose the scene, and place the filter take the picture, a little cumbersome but doable. Your meter in the camera will probably work, test before you go out, it also depends on how the meter reads in the finder there will be no visible light in the finder with the IR filter in place.

As I said earlier, Rollei 400 IR can't be used with a filter darker than an R72. The B+W 093 gave me a blank roll. Lighter red filters can be used, a Wratten 25 or 25A, or better still a 29 will still give you some visibility in the SLR finder, at the expense of the IR affect, but with the advantage of being able to hand hold the camera. I do prefer a rangefinder or a 120 TLR for IR work, I really like the M8 as an IR camera.

[adan]

The only camera(s) I know of that really can't be used for Infrared photography were some late motorized Contaxes (1990s), which used an internal IR transmitter/receiver (similar to Leica's 6-bit coding detector for the digital Ms) to detect/count the sprocket-holes, to stop the film rewind with the leader still exposed (and provide other unique features). That IR transmitter can fog IR film.

DX-coding detection hardware is electrical (not IR) to detect the bare metal patches on the film cassette by flowing current. And most sensible DX cameras have an ISO dial as well, to override the DX detection when desired.

[Gosia]

3 hours ago, adan said:

The only camera(s) I know of that really can't be used for Infrared photography were some late motorized Contaxes (1990s), which used an internal IR transmitter/receiver (similar to Leica's 6-bit coding detector for the digital Ms) to detect/count the sprocket-holes, to stop the film rewind with the leader still exposed (and provide other unique features). That IR transmitter can fog IR film.

DX-coding detection hardware is electrical (not IR) to detect the bare metal patches on the film cassette by flowing current. And most sensible DX cameras have an ISO dial as well, to override the DX detection when desired.

Yes this is exactly what I meant! Thank you so much for explaining 

[adan]

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For clarification - the very compact Contax Aria SLR, and  Contax G1/G2 viewfinder cameras, used an IR "sprocket counter," thereby eliminating the need for the traditional shaft with sprocket teeth (to save money, and space inside, and allow for some unique film-handled features). There were some other cameras with built-in motors that also did this (Minolta Maxxum/Dynax 7 or 5xi autofocus SLRs, for example).

As did some very compact 35mm P&Ss - including the Leica Minilux, and possibly similar "made in Japan" Leica-branded film P&Ss

As far as I know, full-sized mainline Leicas built in-house (R and M systems) never used an IR sprocket detector, just the traditional mechanical toothed sprocket shaft.

[Gosia]

On 5/10/2022 at 4:01 PM, jaapv said:

The camera is quite irrelevant, any film camera can load IR film and the ISO value can always be adjusted. However with a DSLR camera framing and focusing will be a challenge as the IR filter is a black filter so you will have no functional viewfinder. A camera with a non-TTL viewfinder is far more suitable. Furthermore some lenses will produce a hot spot. 

Hi sorry if this is a silly question but do you know which lenses in particular?

[jaapv]

On 5/10/2022 at 8:50 PM, adan said:

The only camera(s) I know of that really can't be used for Infrared photography were some late motorized Contaxes (1990s), which used an internal IR transmitter/receiver (similar to Leica's 6-bit coding detector for the digital Ms) to detect/count the sprocket-holes, to stop the film rewind with the leader still exposed (and provide other unique features). That IR transmitter can fog IR film.

DX-coding detection hardware is electrical (not IR) to detect the bare metal patches on the film cassette by flowing current. And most sensible DX cameras have an ISO dial as well, to override the DX detection when desired.

Which means that you can tape the contacts  

[jaapv]

1 hour ago, Gosia said:

Hi sorry if this is a silly question but do you know which lenses in particular?

Many; experiment.
I had the best results with a Summarit 1.5/5cm  and B+W 093 filter.