Ilford SFX
Encyclopedia
SFX is a black-and-white
film from Ilford Photo
with extended sensitivity into the near-infrared at 740nm. It can be used as a panchromatic
film on its own, or with different red/infrared filter
s to give varying levels of the effect seen in infrared photography
; i.e dark skies
and bright plant foliage
. Ilford makes a 'deep red' filter specifically for this film, but others can be used as well.
SFX was discontinued
when Ilford went into receivership
in 2004 as it is a niche product
. On 2007-01-26, Ilford announced it would relaunch the film and it was relaunched in March 2007.
The film will be produced on what Ilford calls a 'manufacture on demand' (MOD) basis because of its low demand. With this relaunch, the Ilford product line-up is restored to its pre-receivership state.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
film from Ilford Photo
Ilford Photo
Ilford Photo is a manufacturer of photographic materials known worldwide for its black-and-white film and papers and chemicals, as well as its range of Ilfochrome and Ilfocolor colour printing materials. Ilfochrome was formerly called Cibachrome, developed in partnership with the Swiss company...
with extended sensitivity into the near-infrared at 740nm. It can be used as a panchromatic
Panchromatic
Panchromatic film is a type of black-and-white photographic film that is sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light. A panchromatic film therefore produces a realistic reproduction of a scene as it appears to the human eye. Almost all modern photographic film is panchromatic, but some types are...
film on its own, or with different red/infrared filter
Infrared filter
Infrared cut-off filters, sometimes called IR filters or heat-absorbing filters, are designed to reflect or block mid-infrared wavelengths while passing visible light. They are often used in devices with bright incandescent light bulbs to prevent unwanted heating...
s to give varying levels of the effect seen in infrared photography
Infrared photography
In infrared photography, the film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nm to about...
; i.e dark skies
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
and bright plant foliage
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
. Ilford makes a 'deep red' filter specifically for this film, but others can be used as well.
SFX was discontinued
Discontinuation
Discontinuation is the process of quitting a procedure, such as, the course of treatment with a drug or a consumer product line.*Discontinuation of a treatment is to stop taking a drug...
when Ilford went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in 2004 as it is a niche product
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
. On 2007-01-26, Ilford announced it would relaunch the film and it was relaunched in March 2007.
The film will be produced on what Ilford calls a 'manufacture on demand' (MOD) basis because of its low demand. With this relaunch, the Ilford product line-up is restored to its pre-receivership state.