1cmb23

Hi,
I have worked with infrared photography when using film, but can I do this with a digital camera?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Infrared filter?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've used an IR filter with several digital cameras. It worked quite well. The best was with a Sony DSC-F-707 used in Night Shot mode. However, it has worked well with my Nikon digital cameras also.
--Bob

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Most digital cameras have an internal filter to block IR light. If you use an IR filter on the lens, the exposure times will be very long. There are companies which will remove that IR blocking filter and either install a specific IR internal filter or put a clear filter in its place so different IR filters can be used on the lens, called a "full spectrum" conversion. One of the companies which does conversions, Lifepixel, has a lot of good information on IR photography on its web site.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I have several modified cameras for IR photography, and its really fun.

First one was an older Sony A55. This is not a mirrorless, and because IR focuses differently, the auto focus is always off by a bit forcing me to do manual focus.

The second one was a mirrorless Olympus EM5ii. Since it is mirrorless, it auto focuses perfectly. Guess which one gets used more!

I also elected to have the cameras be full spectrum. This means that I have to use an external IR filter. But it also means that I can use a special UV_IR cut filter and get back the normal camera operation.

I really like being able to pick 590nm or 650nm or 720nm or even 850nm depending upon what I'm in the mood for. The longer the wavelength, the less visible light gets through meaning that it can only be used for B&W.

Some people decide they only want to do B&W with the camera and have the camera modified with a 720nm or even 850nm filter. But a little secret. I like the B&W results I get with a 590nm or 650nm filter over what I get with the longer wavelength options. Reason is that more visible light gets captured, and when I turn it into B&W (usually with NIK's Silver Efex Pro - and I really like what I get with the preset WetRocks). With the longer wavelengths, it certainly is B&W, but I find that it is also harsher. The beauty of B&W comes when there is a richness of gray tonality, and with the longer wavelengths, some of this tonality is lost.

One more thing. Once a camera is modified, it is just as sensitive to IR light as it was to visible light. This means you can hand hold the camera without out those ridiculously long shutter times.

And about lenses. Some lenses are prone to hot spots which cause the center of the image to be brighter than the area around it. And it gets worse as you stop down farther and farther. And other lenses don't have this problem at all. There are web sites that advise on which lenses have this problem or not. And you can ask on this site for information on lenses you have on if they exhibit this problem or not. Perhaps some of the newer lens coatings contribute to this? Many older lenses don't seem to have this problem. One lens I find good to use on my Olympus EM5ii is the low cost 14-42mm lens. When compared to the more expensive 12-40mm f2.8 pro lens, I find that this more expensive lens has a hot spot issue, whereas the cheaper one mentioned here doesn't seem to have any issues at all.

I do tend to do most of my IR shooting at wider focal lengths. But there is also an aspect of IR that it can penetrate haze and smoke fairly well. When we have had wildfire problems here in California, I have shots that cut through the smoke with the IR camera that are opaque to a visible light camera.

I recommend using a mirrorless camera. If you don't have a mirrorless camera to use, look for a used one. I am perfectly happy with my EM5ii which came out in 2016 if I remember correctly. I don't need the latest, greatest features for IR. The EM5ii has IBIS and it has electronic shutter. These I care about. Images per second, and eye focus, and other stuff are not of interest to me for IR.

Let us know what you decide.

ELNikkor

I set my D750 on monochrome with a bit of increased contrast and sharpness, and set to an orange internal filter. With a Hoya R72 filter, I get some awesome B&W shots, looking just like those from dedicated IR cameras.

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

Go on line search for “LifePixel” they convert cameras to IR I had an Olympus Pen-F converted.

JBRIII

Full spectrum usually means the UV is also accessible. An IR filter on a lens will block the UV .
A good UV-IR filter gives a color camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

LifePixel can convert a camera for IR photography. Other companies do that, as well. Some cameras are better than others for IR, so spend some time on their site. There are several filters available, so spend some time reading their site. There is an awful lot of variation in processing, though, so regardless what filter you get, you can produce different results.

https://www.lifepixel.com/

You can also just buy one outright.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=infrared+digital+cameras&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=infrared+cameras&_osacat=0

https://photographylife.com/how-to-process-infrared-photographs
http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/an-in-depth-guide-to-infrared-photography-processing--photo-9540
http://digital-photography-school.com/5-creative-ways-to-process-infrared-photographs-in-photoshop/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmq6VwvPY8
http://infrared-photography.freeforums.net/
http://www.lifepixel.com/
http://www.kolarivision.com/
http://lightroom-blog.com/2015/05/26/creating-false-color-infrared-in-lightroom/

Grey Ghost

I use IR filter on my Fuji camera. Works well and is simple to do. Fuji cameras do not have an IR blocker which is why it works so well with these cameras.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Are you sure about this? When IR is mixed in with visible light, the image won't look right in visible light. I have heard of cameras with weaker IR blocking. But not NO IR blocking.

Nicholas J DeSciose

Have a camera converted byLifePixels They know everything there is to know about infrared photography. Contact them, it will save you a great deal of time and stress

DEBJENROB Loc: DELRAY BEACH FL

Have an old digital camera converted ..... try kolari vision in new jersey

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

You can indeed. Imaging sensors are sensitive to both UV and IR light. Regular camera’s have a filter as the sensor cover glass that cuts out non-visible light. Several companies specialize in removing the filter cover glass and replacing it with either a clear glass cover or one that filters for a selective IR/VL combination. If you go for the clear glass - you’ll need to use filters over the lens.

I have had good experiences with Lifepixel and LDP LLC (aka Max Max). Both are reputable sources.

You can also go a step further and get a monochrome converted camera with the clear cover glass. Again you’ll need to use filters on the lens to control the bandwidth that the camera sees.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

This is the next level of fun in going pure mono sensor! Besides the two cameras I have converted to IR, I have another converted to mono. And all the fun of using mono film has come back. Now the camera can be used with all the colored filters, including IR filters.

And as a bonus, the detail in the resultant images takes a step up since there is no need for demosaicing.

And more bonus. When you limit the wavelengths of light that the sensor is going to respond to, some lens with CA problems can now operate without CA since there is no longer a range of wavelengths failing to converge on the sensor.