dreff Loc: Bow, WA

Mike's Photo just posted some dynamic black and white shots from Yosemite taken with a Panasonic point and shoot and "converted to IR."
Anyone have any information I can be directed to? Thanks!

Leitz Loc: Solms

A "Digital IR Conversion" Google search brought this up:
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-1380809541018084%3A4766785855&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Digital+IR+Conversion&sa=Search#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Digital%20IR%20Conversion&gsc.page=1

TucsonCoyote Loc: Tucson AZ

I'm sure a UHH search will provide you with weeks of reading and plenty of info.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

As the searches will show, the photo was not converted to IR, but the camera is converted from full spectrum to a specific infrared capable camera to shoot in infrared.

I suggest looking at Life Pixel in the search above, as they have a lot of information about camera conversions and the various options.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Besides looking at LifePixel also look at kolarivision for information.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

Many digital sensors have an over-sensitivity in the IR spectrum, cured by covering the sensor with an IR absorbing filter at the factory. Remove this filter, and the camera becomes much more an IR camera. This is the conversion being discussed.

Way back when, we could shoot pure infrared by coating a glass plate with a thin film of micro-fine ice, and shooting onto that. You had to mind your temperatures and convert the plate to film pronto, but it was pure infrared.

Boentgru Loc: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Why would one do this for normal photography? I've used infrared cameras for scanning structures and mechanisms for thermal efficiency and heat leaks, and other devices for night vision and survellience purposes, but these produce "fuzzy and somewhat indistinct" images. For the purposes listed they are useful but otherwise not very interesting.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

There are postprocessing "filter" settings in edit programs.. even that old one, Photoshop ... that will give pseudo IR effects from normal color shots.
http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2013/03/how-to-simulate-infrared-photography-using-photoshop

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I had a couple of cameras converted to IR by LifePixel. Do a lot of online research before making the commitment. You have to decide what filter to use, and it makes a difference. There are a lot of processing options for IR images. A less expensive alternative would be looking for one on ebay. There are even some "ghost hunting" cameras listed.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR5.TRC2.A0.H0.Xinfrared+cameras.TRS0&_nkw=infrared+cameras&_sacat=0

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Those thermal imaging cameras are not what we are talking about. They show sources of infrared, or heat. That is different than filters which emphasize reflected IR light. IR photography started with IR film, which came in B&W or color. It was most effective when used with an IR filter, which filtered out most or all of the visible light. It produces interesting and surreal visual effects, like very dark skies and white foliage in B&W and red skies and other weird colors with the color film. The cover photo on the first Jimi Hendrix Experience album was color IR film.

There were challenges shooting IR film. The film is so sensitive to light that it had to be loaded into the camera in complete darkness, in a darkroom or a changing bag. The filters were very dark, so the exposures were long enough that a tripod was usually necessary. Also, it was hard to compose and focus through the filter, so you usually had to remove the filter to do that, again requiring a tripod.

When digital came along, someone discovered that the digital sensors were sensitive to IR and produced similar effects when IR filters were used. But the camera manufacturers must have felt the IR light degraded the visual light image, so they started putting internal filters in digital cameras to filter out the IR light, making them less effective for IR photography. So someone had the idea to remove that internal filter and replace it with clear glass or with an IR filter which would filter out visual light. There are various strengths of IR filters, so if you get the clear internal filter, you can use different IR filters on the lens for different effects. But you still have the dark filter to view and focus through and longer exposures. If you can decided on one filter you want, you can have it internally so you can focus and compose more easily and have hand holdable exposure times.

When you do digital color IR, you need to use an IR filter which does allow in some visible light. You still get the red skies like IR film, somewhere along the line, someone discovered that you can swap the red and blue channels on the digital image and you will get blue skies. The colors are still somewhat surreal, but the blue skies makes it closer to "reality". I had an old Nikon D70 converted to IR by Lifepixel with their enhanced color IR filter. Here is a link to some of my photos with it: http://swandaschindler.com/infrared/photos.htm

ISO100 Loc: Richland City Indiana

I converted a Sony DSC H9 to full spectrum myself following video on youtube. I added a filter holder ring to the lens which allows me to choose the filter I wish. It has served me well and produces good results IMO. This is just 1 example taken with 720nm external filter.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I used Isaac Szabo to convert my d5000 and it worked out very well. I really enjoy getting some unusual IR photographs with it. Isaac did a good job on the Camara.

http://www.isaacszabo.com/index.html

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Nice work! I haven't messed around with IR since the early 1980s. I was a HUGE fan of Ektachrome Infrared. I had seen several photographers' work with it on psychedelic posters in the 1960s. In 1974, I bought a few rolls of it, put it in my college dorm freezer, and experimented with it several times. Later, 1979, I think, I bought a 20-roll brick of it. I even used some for some bizarre wedding portraits.

This makes me want to find a used, cheap m43 body and have it converted...

Basil Loc: New Mexico

Thanks for posting this question, despite some pointing out that you could do a UHH and/or Google search (that could be said of ANY topic one might post these days). I have actually been thinking about converting a camera to IR. I have a first generation Canon Rebel (Only 6MP) that I was thinking of converting as a way to play around with IR and not spend a lot of money. If I found it was something I really enjoy, then I might pop for a better camera to convert (Maybe a used 7D).

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

You can convert a camera to IR BUT it cant be converted back ( so Im told)
you can begin to create the same effect in Photoshop. the attached pic was just a test, Im sure people here with a lot more experience than I have can
really get a much better effect.