Pressure dependences of luminescence intensities of the I-2(E0(g)(+) -> B0(u)(+), D0(g)(+) -> X0(g)(+) and beta 0(g)(+) -> A1(u)) transitions, temporal histories of the luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra at different time delays from the beginning of the probe laser pulse under OODR photolysis of the I-2 + SF6 mixture have been measured. A comparison of experimental dependences with those obtained after detailed analysis of kinetics of spontaneous and collision-induced processes in a free iodine molecule has been made. We have established that there is additional optical channel of population of the I-2(beta) state, namely, direct optical pumping of the SF6I2(IP) complexes, accompanied by their predissociation to the SF6 + I-2(beta) products. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.