Analog Therapy/Film Test: Ilford SFX 200 – Contax G1 – Zeiss 28mm f/2.8

In a prior post I stated that camera gear rabbit holes are a thing. They are everywhere. How I got here:

1. Bought a leatherette for a camera.
2. Emailed Hamish a “Hey. This is neat.” note about the leatherette.
3. Hamish replied that he knows the owner, and asked that I write a 35mmc review.
4. Me: Yep. Wrote a review. Checked recent 35mmc posts.
5. I see a post about Rollei Infrared 400.
6. I now want to try Rollei Infrared 400.
7. Visits local camera shop to pick up Infrared film.
   • Chris tells me about Ilford SFX.
   • Purchased Rollei Infrared 400, Ilford SFX, and necessary filters.
   • More on how this turns out in future posts.

This is one of those posts. As Chris explained Ilford SFX 200…

…is not really Infrared but gives an approximation when used with a red filter.

After a disappointing round with a full on Infrared film, I decided to go with this arrangement. The thinking was that this was a safer bet because:

• The red filter required blocks much less light than the 720 filter needed for the Rollei film so hand holding would be on the table.
• Unlike the Fujifilm GA645 the Contax G1 does meter through the lens so no other compensation would be needed.
• The Contax G1 is one of the most consistently accurate metering cameras I have ever used.

As soon as I pulled the negatives out of the tank, developed with Cinestill df96, I knew it was a success.

A while back I wrote a post saying this was my favorite analog camera system in a blog post I wrote for KEH Spotlight. I still stand by this.

The pics.

Thoughts.

I like it and will buy it again.

More?

While not a true Infrared look, I miss the white foliage aesthetic, but I do like it. Clouds render well, likely thanks to the red filter. The grain is pleasing while being sharp. Additionally, I am glad I have this red filter. I have seen great results with regular black and white film. That about wraps it up.

Happy capturing.

-ELW