chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

I've used Isaac Szabo for my last two conversions. Contact him and maybe set up a chat...he's real and reliable and pricing is good.

https://www.isaacszabo.com/

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

I’m another very happy customer of Isaac Szabo.
Also want to add it’s a ton of fun. I got the 590nm version so I can have blue skies when I want.

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

First thing - everything absorbs UV. With a glass lens you basically limited to UVA and UVB (some). However the Bayer filter has plastic in it and so strongly absorbs UVB and has a low transmission rate for UVA. All lens coatings seem to reduce UV transmission. Modern lenses have UV blocking coatings. Very old lenses are better as they are uncoated. There are UV designed lenses with no focus shift but they are difficult to get and extremely expensive.

Second - UV light at sea level is relatively dim. Uncoated (old) strobe flashes produce a reasonable amount of UV. But they’re very bright in visible light.

Third is focus shift. Not always correctable above f2 - usually I have to stop down to f4 or f5.6 to correct. Haven’t figured out the optics of this but I think the focus planes for UVA and B are different - a wider lens and stopping down increases both the exterior depth of field and the interior plane of focus.

The result is a really slow camera. Full bright daylight typical exposure in the 5-10 second range. A 300ws strobe @f5.6 or f4 is barely acceptable.

The net result of all this is that the MILF and LiveView don't render a usable image. Easier to use the old lens on the DSLR (D7000) on a tripod, focus, mount the filter and make the exposure. I also use the D7000 for strobe lit scenes. Focus on the model, mount the filter shoot blind. Using a short lens - I use a 35mm helps with both focus and aim if you not using a tripod.

The results are worth the effort, insects and some mammals see UVA so there’s a whole world of plant life colored in UV for them.

It’s also fun to show people what their expensive camouflage suit looks like in deer vision (UVA plus strong blues, attenuated greens, weak red) - day glow orange comes to mind.

Enough so that I’m considering getting a UV lens without a Bayer filter - Leica and Phase1 make them. Phase 1 will even deliver the camera without a hot mirror filter (bare base sensor) but at a formidable price.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

You might try Kolarivision. They have Pentax conversions listed. I had a Pentax K-100D IR converted a few years ago. LifePixel does not seem to like to work on Pentax DSLRs or even respect them. They were a bit rude to me for even calling and asking on the phone.

At this point I personally would not think of converting my K-5 as it is still my main camera. I am not happy with my K-3. If I had the cash to blow I might consider converting my K-20D. Though I still get excellent normal photos with it.

IR can be fun. I actually shot IR film many decades ago. I even managed to shoot IR with difficulty using an unconverted Digital camera and a number of IR passing filters. Tricky as you have to pre-focus then put a filter that looks black to the eye on the lens. Also one should use a vintage lens with click stops and distance scale with red IR focus marker on the lens. With a converted camera this is not an issue or even needs to be done. If you do have a camera converted you should pick a lens to have calibrated for use on the IR camera. IR light focuses in a different plane than visible light.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Excellent success with LifePixel on three conversions. Clean results, i.e.: no dust specs, and good customer service.

bwa

Photec

I sent mine to Life Pixel and they did an outstanding job. I would strongly encourage you to also send them a lens to be used with it exclusively. I currently have mine for sell on this buy/sell/trade site.

Sentinel4

I recommend Issac Szabo. I have a Fuji X10 converted by Issac. If you are willing to consider the Fuji system I do have it available and can include an adapter which will allow you to use your K Mount lenses. I also have several K Mount lenses for sale if interested.
Thanks.
Sentinel4

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

I just had a FF Sony done in 590...I already have one done in that, but I wanted a mirrorless FF body and, boy, what a deeeeeelight compared to my DSLR's (which are my other two)...

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Thank you smf85 for the full discussion. Indeed even the worse glass still absorbs UV and only quartz or pinhole lenses are workable. For Canon full spectra there is a lens for $30
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=pinhole%20lenses&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma

The $20 Holga with examples shown [I think the Holga is plastic]
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/762095-REG/Holga_775120_Holga_Lens_for_Canon.html

Big discussion:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pinhole-pro-s-world-s-widest-pinhole-lens#/

Of course me being me for my Sony A-65 a DIY project with a lens cap. The adapter fools the camera into thinking there is a lens.

There are a series of filters that block visible light allowing UV and IR. Discussion and examples of photos here.
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/41697
I purchased my filters from ALIEXPRESS a Chinese eBay/Amazon
https://www.aliexpress.com/
The filter shows spectra
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32998618727.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.5ab34c4dJ9KiJF

IR is not a problem is you do flash photography with a converted flash. Presenter lists materials and source for the conversion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7i3jKGwBr0

There is a 100 bulb UV flashlight also available, mine cost me $15 on eBay wow... also Wallmart

jscorbin Loc: Woodinville, WA

I'm on my 3rd conversion, a Nikon D600 (full frame), from LifePixel. The first was a Nikon D70s, which was stolen (bet the sobs had a surprise), then a Nikon D90. All of the conversions so far have been a 665 nm "Enhanced Color." I like the stronger IR effect of greater haze penetration and darker sky, but still can get a blue sky in post. I've tried a 720nm filter on front of the lens, for an even stronger IR effect, but that experience convinced me to avoid IR front filters. Unless the camera is mirrorless, you have to use Live View to see the subject and focus, or remove the filter and use a tripod. It is also essential that you send the lens you plan to use to get calibrated with the camera, and check with the conversion company whether that lens has an IR hot spot. Some of my Nikon lenses do (very annoying), and some don't.

My next conversion will definitely be a mirrorless camera, then a full spectrum conversion with various front filters might make sense, since you can see through the front filter with the EVF. My personal preference would be a 720 nm conversion, since I mostly do the black-and-white renderings but could still get a slight blue sky effect with color pp. The 830 nm conversion blocks too much light, needs 1 - 2 stops more exposure. If you like strong color effects, the 590 nm conversion is a good choice -- but with a little less sky contrast and haze penetration.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

With respect only to Lifepixel and Kolari Vision, it is true that the former has a more informative website. When it comes to the filters they sell, I find their proprietary names rather gimmicky and not so informative, e.g. Hypercolor rather than denoting that it’s a filter with a 470 nm cutoff, which Kolari would typically label as K470 (if they offered such a filter.)

I have found Kolari Vision staff to be more personable (on the phone and via e-mail when compared to Lifepixel,) and am happy with the Sony a6000 mirrorless camera which they converted and sold me brand new. With respect to some discounts on filters, though, they don’t appear to enumerate them explicitly on their website.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

if you click on each filter on Lifepixel's filter choice page, they do list the nm numbers.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Yuh, NOW they do, but not previously. And their labels still sound gimmicky, but that’s just my opinion. Yes, I did purchase from them a ‘SuperBlue', 'Hypercolor', and a 'Deep Infrared' filter, the last having a cutoff of 830 nm.

I wonder what Lifepixel would call the filter I bought elsewhere with a cutoff of 950 nm? "Superduperdeep Infrared"?

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

FYI - All I get from this URL is an "Error 404", which denotes a currently non-existent web address.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I use their "Enhanced Color" filter (665nm) and that seems like the perfect description to me.