Digital Infrared

[naturequestphoto]

Has anyone done it, and how is it done?

[Barefoot]

At our club meeting this past Tuesday night, we had a speaker by the name of Mark Hilliard that went into some detail on IR photography. Very informative.

Although he had the ways and means to have the best offerings from Canon converted to shoot IR, he recommended the Canon G9 and G10 to us as a reasonably priced means by which to enter the field of IR. He also spoke about filters that can be used if one wasn’t ready to bear the expense of conversion.

I’m going to have a D70 converted. When we saw some of Mark’s work, I was immediately hooked. I have a roll of Efke 820IR that I haven’t loaded yet. Just waiting until I think I’ve boned up on it enough to get started.

http://www.infraredatelier.com/top1024x768.html

Probably the biggest benefit of IR is that you shoot in the mid-day sun for the best results at a time when you wouldn’t dream of shooting the visiable color.

[jjeling]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Converted-Pentax-K10D-10-2-Megapixel-to-IR-720nm_W0QQitemZ300304654345QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigi tal_Cameras?hash=item300304654345&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

Here is a camera I was also looking at. Unlike film, digital cameras must be converted to IR and once the procedure is done, that is all the camera will ever capture. Barefoot is right, the more sunlight(IR light) the better.

It would be a great venture to get into. There does not seem to have been much experimentation in this field yet other than your standard landscapes from what Ive seen.

[Marko]

I look forward to this topic and I can contribute....but it's a large topic.

Basically digital infrared can be accomplished in MANY ways.

- A modified DSLR camera (the best way but then the camera can ONLY be used for infrared)
- A camera already capable of infrared (I don't believe these include any DSLRs)
- Using filters with DSLR
- Software in post

Each of these ways requires a lengthy explanation but if we keep adding to this thread it can be done.

Barefoot's link has loads and loads of this basic info
Keep in mind there IS a learning curve here - but the results are great!

I used to do A LOT of traditional infrared - so I'm happy to contribute as well as learn in this thread.

[Marko]

Not sure why you mentioned that roll of efke film barefoot :confused:

We are talking bout digital infrared....no film is used.

[jjeling]

Marko I was unaware that you could produce an IR image simply through PP. It has always been my understanding that digital IR could only be produced through a converted camera.

[Marko]

The easiest way (and least satisfying IMO) is software.

LOADS of infrared software filters/actions/pluggins around; LOADS. Just google it.

There are also tons of people doing fantastic digital infrared work all over the place. It's one of my favourite alternative techniques.

[jjeling]

It is my favorite alternative as well.

You mention that PP is the easiest way, but IMO, a conversion is the ONLY way. I have seen many IR images but now wonder how many were done through PP.

Like other techniques, it seems that IR is a type of light that must be captured correctly in order to be displayed correctly. No justice really can be done to the technique if handled in PP instead of the raw IR capture. A standard sensor is not made to capture IR light specifically so it seems the IR range would be skewed not geared directly for this application. Not only that, but the IR range is a completely different range of light than the eye or standard sensor in a camera is capable of handling.

I have no formal education on this stuff, basic thoughts on this really. If this is wrong let me know, Im all for learning about this technique.

[Marko]

JJ - you are wrong.....sorry.

There are loads of simple filters/actions/pluggins that will give an infrared look some with conversion some without conversion.

They won't be as good IMO - but plenty exist.

You should also know that there is B/w infrared and colour infrared. Both in traditional and digital.

here's just one link that lists several of these effects (I haven't tried these though)
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?searchfield=infrared&search_exchange=&num=25&startnum=1&event=search&sort=0&Submit=

Hope that helps
Marko

[Barefoot]

Not sure why you mentioned that roll of efke film barefoot :confused:

We are talking bout digital infrared....no film is used.

I only mentioned the Efke in passing although it may be an affordable alterative to Digital IR for some that doesn’t involve conversion of gear. I say affordable, but I’ll let you know if that rings true after I’ve shot a few rolls.

As far as being able to buy a IR sensitive camera new and out of the box with the warrantee, Fuji makes the IS-1 for forensics purposes that the average joe can get his hands on with only a little difficulty. It's not a DSLR, though.

My understanding from what our club speaker indicated is that all CCD and CMOS sensors will capture the IR spectrum, but you might not like the results. That’s why they employ what’s known as a “Hot Mirror” in front of the sensor to reflect the IR wave lengths while allowing the light that you and I see to pass. I’ve seen discussions where people have removed this mirror themselves from Sony compact digitals, but don’t recall what the results were.

Anyway, I really interested in all aspects of IR so lets keep this one going.

[Marko]

I'm very anxious to see those EFKE results barefoot.
I too purchased some IR film recently. Medium format IR Rollei film (400).
I'm so looking forward to trying it soon.

I'm SO Po'd that Kodak HIE is dead. That was the best IR film IMO and 95% of my IR experience is with that film.

That Fuji Camera looks interesting even though it's a P&S. At 450 USD - it's the same price as the conversion price.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/492415-REG/view_%20Fujifilm%20IS-1.html/BI/1564/KBID/2119


Seems like this dude knows his digital infra-red - was he a good speaker?

[jjeling]

Thanks for correcting me marko. I am extremely curious about this subject. Now that I am using my K10d almost exclusively and just use my 110 as a backup, I would consider getting it converted. I will not do this until I have another backup, but the 110 can be purchased so cheaply now that I am considering the possibility.

Anyone know what it costs to get a dslr converted?

[Marko]

It costs around 450 USD to have a camera modified - but once it's modified it's EXCLUSIVELY an IR camera.

[Barefoot]

I'm SO Po'd that Kodak HIE is dead. That was the best IR film IMO and 95% of my IR experience is with that film. Seems like this dude knows his digital infra-red - was he a good speaker?

The cat's out of the bag, now. :goodvibes Either here, in another thread, or with pm's I'm gonna be picking your brain on the way to go about getting the best results with IR film.

Mark was an excellent speaker. He didn't show us Nikon shooters much love, but it was all in fun. I think it was, anyway. About the only positive had for what he referred to as "the dark side" was that the Nikon D70 was considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, candidates for IR conversion. Something about it's sharpness. I picked one up on CraigsList Friday. I hope to have it converted within the next month or two.

[naturequestphoto]

Thanks

I have not done IR since Kodak's HIE. It was AWESOME film. Wonderful grain and a richness to the image that I have not found since.
I don't want to modify my 40D, as it is my primary camera right now, but would look for a cheapie to convert. What are your recommendations for the best conversion camera?

Question 2..Will I be satisfied with what a converted camera produces when comparing it to film?

[Greg_Nuspel]

What I have seen from http://www.lifepixel.com/index.html it looks pretty good. You don't have to use a filter on the camera. You can do it yourself if you are brave.

[jjeling]

It costs around 450 USD to have a camera modified - but once it's modified it's EXCLUSIVELY an IR camera.

That really does not seem too bad. If everything goes right here this summer it seems like it would be worth every penny. It would be extremely fun and great experimentation. It seems like IR has yet to be fully exploited.

Do you know where to send the camera to be modified?

[Barefoot]

What I have seen from http://www.lifepixel.com/index.html it looks pretty good. You don't have to use a filter on the camera. You can do it yourself if you are brave.

Mark Hilliard recommended two labs to us in his talk on Digital IR at our club meeting. One was the lab that you mentioned, Life Pixel in Washington State, and the other was LDP in New Jersey. If I remember correctly, he has used LDP for the majority of his many conversions.

www.maxmax.com

www.lifepixel.com