Infrared Photography: I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn. I know I’ll need to buy a...

baer

I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn.
I know I’ll need to buy a dale for conversion and it should probably be a Nikon. Any recommendations re camera and place for conversion?
Thanks!

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

baer wrote:

I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn.
I know I’ll need to buy a dale for conversion and it should probably be a Nikon. Any recommendations re camera and place for conversion?
Thanks!

Why not stick with F4 and Ftn for shooting and creating digital files?

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

baer wrote:

I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn.
I know I’ll need to buy a dale for conversion and it should probably be a Nikon. Any recommendations re camera and place for conversion?
Thanks!

I used LifePixel to convert a Nikon D300. Great people to deal with. Excellent pre and post service.
https://www.lifepixel.com

marquina Loc: Richmond, Virginia

I purchased an inexpensive APS-C digital camera and sent it to LifePixel to convert it to IR. Very happy with their work and the IR photos are great.

baer

Thanks very very much!!

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

There is another thread tonight on this very subject. One highly recommended shop was Kolari Vision.

Don

baer

Thank you!!

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

baer wrote:

I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn.
I know I’ll need to buy a dale for conversion and it should probably be a Nikon. Any recommendations re camera and place for conversion? Thanks!

I don’t know what a "dale" is but I have a recommendation and two suggestions:

1. The other major American company doing IR conversions of digital cameras is Kolarivision https://kolarivision.com/ I have purchased several IR filters from them as well as a brand new Sony mirrorless camera, which they converted to Full Spectrum, along with one lens. I am satisfied that this is a good, reputable merchant.

2. I suggest you consider converting a mirrorless, not a dSLR or dSLT, camera.

3. Of the various types of IR conversions to choose from, I suggest you strongly consider you obtaining a Full Spectrum conversion.

If you’d like to learn more about such a conversion, feel free to look it up yourself or ask me for a little more detail. It truly is the most versatile of all the conversion options available.

baer

Thanks very much! Any mirrorless suggestions?

marquina Loc: Richmond, Virginia

I have used a Sony a6000 with great results using LifePixel.

baer

Thanks very much!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

baer wrote:

I want to do both digital B&H and color infrared photography. My only digital camera is a D500. I use infrared film in my F4 and FTn.
I know I’ll need to buy a dale for conversion and it should probably be a Nikon. Any recommendations re camera and place for conversion?
Thanks!

LifePixel has been doing conversions for a long time. They can convert your camera or sell you one that has already been converted. Some cameras convert better than others, and LifePixel lists them. If you are conferring a camera that they don't list, contact them. They offer several choices of IR filters, and they also offer good information on which to choose and how to process. Unless you plan to go commercial with IR, I wouldn't spend a fortune on a camera. People don't usually pixel-peep an IR image.

https://www.lifepixel.com/

Someone posted about KolariVision yesterday.
https://kolarivision.com/

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

I would recommend talking to Lifepixel and kolarivision before buying a camera. Most Nikon and Canon camera’s can’t take a custom white balance in infrared.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

sueyeisert wrote:

I would recommend talking to Lifepixel and kolarivision before buying a camera. Most Nikon and Canon camera’s can’t take a custom white balance in infrared.

I have had two old Nikons, a D70 and a D2X, converted, and they set a custom WB for infrared just fine. I've never heard of any difficulty setting WB with Nikon or Canon.

OlinBost Loc: Marietta, Ga.

They converted a Nikon D70. Later I found a D70s and I use them in tandem for IR and color. I have the same lens on both cameras.