SFX 200 film from Ilford is a premium B&W film created for high-quality and high-detail infrared photography. Add an intense red filter to get unique and powerful images.
As always with infrared we recommend aiming your camera at full vegetation and dramatic cloudy skies. In medium format this infrared film will dazzle with its detail and other-worldly impact.
To learn more you can check out the full video review here:
Ilford was founded in 1879 in the English town of the same name. They are B&W royalty in the photography industry thanks to their 140-year heritage and their support for photographers with chemicals and development as well as film. In the mid-20th Century they produced several well-regarded camera lines (including one given to Princess Elizabeth that was later stolen!) but today they are focused on producing the best films and development processes that they can.
For more information about the brand check out our bio of Ilford
When you buy your camera film from us we can ship it across the UK, Europe, USA, New Zealand, Australia and Canada (more countries planned soon!) So buy Ilford SFX Film 120 B&W ISO 200 today and dive back into the fun of medium format film photography!
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I went to Scotland armed with SFX and an IR filter, in search of dramatic skies. 2 weeks of 100% cloud cover later I gave up and shot it on a drizzly afternoon. Pleasing grain (to my eyes) and a nice range of tones. I develop in caffenol, and it works OK but this one seems to have a darker base than usual. The scanner dealt with that OK though.
Before using this film I checked the advice from the Ilford website. You absolutely need a tripod and a IR filter - I used a Hoya R72.
Choice of camera helps. With an SLR you won't be able to see anything with the filter in place - A TLR or Rangefinder will be easier to use. I used my Mamiya C220 TLR.
Pick a bright sunny day to get the best results. Overcast conditions will give dull, grey results.
For exposure your exposure meter will not be accurate, and it is best to use a modified version of the "Sunny 16" rule. For sunny conditions it's best to start with 1 second at F8 (using the R72 filter) and bracket 1-2 stops either side.
Follow that and you'll get great results. Skies are dark, foliage is almost luminescent, and stone buildings shine !
N
Nick H. (Edinburgh, GB)
Perfect for:Landscapes, Creative/Abstract
Lots of fun
I bought this film and some IR filters to have a play with the idea of shooting "near" infrared. This isn't a true IR film -- it's a perfectly good B&W film at 200 ISO -- but it is sensitive to infrared light, so if you put a 760nm filter on and add about 6-8 stops to your exposure, you get a mysterious whitening of foliage that changes the entire mood of a landscape.
I put this roll in a Fuji GW690ii "Texas Leica" rangefinder 6x9 on a trip to Dunkeld and the Hermitage Forest in Scotland. In autumn, there's not so much chlorophyll, which I think would render foliage brighter white, but I'm quite pleased with the results and will come back for more.
Another 3.5 star film for me, and this time because of the price. I'll tend to wait for it to go short date before picking up and here's why. (current price £13)
It's not really any better than Rollei 400 IR in my opinion, and certainly not worth twice the price. If this ever drops to within shouting distance of the Rollei film I may try another roll. It's also ISO 200 which means longer exposure times with a red filter (ISO 25 is pushing it for hand-held use with this) or an IR720nm filter. The reciprocity is less flexible too, and when you couple this with (for example) an IR filter, it can make for some silly (6 minute+) exposure times.
I shot this side by side with the Rollei film when I was looking for my "IR go to" film, and there's not much in it quality wise between the two - certainly to my old eyes. Sharpness is very good, and the grain is pleasing (to my old eyes anyway). It's a great film, but hard to buy at the price point when there's others just as good for less money.
O
Oliver C. (Berlin, DE)
Perfect for:Landscapes
Great for dramatic Landscapes
I use this for landscapes with a dark red or orange filter to get some dramatic skies and a lot of detail in the distance even if it's a bit hazy.
The film is quite sensitive to light leaks etc so good to load /unload in subdued light and wouldn't use if the lights seals/bellows on the camera aren't super tight.