IR Filter question

[agroni]

My next step in photography will be to try the infrared filter. I saw many photos in Pbase and i really liked the combination of blue gradient sky and white objects. I have some questions about this technique:

What is good IR filter to buy???
Is there anything special to do to shoot with this filter?

If you have anything more interesting to say about this filter and it's usage, please do tell
thanx

[agroni]

Does anyone shoot with Infrared in here??????

[dang]

You can find some helpful information on Allon's site here: http://www.pbase.com/allonkira/infrared
He has example shots, and a brief explanation that should help.
One thing to note, different bodies and lenses offer various results. If you're using a point & shoot, many of the oldest ones are best since they're not set up to filter as much IR. DSLR's usually have these filters made into them, and the technique Allon supplies gives some of the best results I've seen using one. I have a topic set up for IR, where you might find additional information from others shooting IR if you'd care to browse through it. You can find it via the Topics link on my profile page.

[agroni]

Thanx for the tip. I will contact Allon in these days if i have other questions
cheers

[gschmickle]

I use a Hoya R72 and find it works well for me. What kind of camera are you going to use for shooting IR? Success in IR shooting is very much dependent on the type of camera you use and how sensitive it is to IR light. For instance I use the Sony V3 where you can actually flip the IR blocking filter away from the sensor. Only a handful of Sony cameras have this feature though. Otherwise you are looking at having a camera modified specifically for IR shooting or using an existing camera and just slapping an IR filter on it. The disadvantage of the last option is that it will require very long exposures to properly expose any scene. This limits usage to very static scenes and can cause problems with excessive noise.

Here's a link that may be of interest to you:

http://dpfwiw.com/ir.htm

Here's a link to what I've done with both a Sony F707 and V3:

http://www.pbase.com/gschmickle/infrared

Infrared shooting is very cool and I highly encourage you to pursue it. There's a lot of information on the net if your willing to search for it. That's how I figured it out.

[agroni]

i'm going to be using the filter on a Digital Rebel. I hope that there are no problems related to this camera!!!
THanx for the site with all the topics about IR
BTW....great gallery

[sheila]

I bought the Hoya R72 and rarely used it. A much cheaper option is Fred Miranda's DI action here

http://www.fredmiranda.com/shopping/DI

I have a few infrared shots using this action here - the last gallery.

http://www.pbase.com/sheila/bw


Cheers
Sheila

[ishida]

I've taken a bunch of IR photos with my older 300D. The tricky part is finding a lens that doesn't produce a hot spot in the middle of the photo. As of now I use my Sigma 50mm f2.8 macro lens with a Hoya R72 filter. I also use a cable release and a tripod.

http://www.pbase.com/ishida/infrared

[philway]

I wonder how one can make nearly true infra-red without removing the filter in front of the sensor : http://www.astrosurf.fr/buil/baader/eval_us.htm

Without removing the original IR cutoff filter, wouldn't you get similar results with digital simulation with an image processing software (pseudo-IR) rather than by using a filter in front of the lens? : http://www.photoshopforphotographers.co ... frared.pdf
http://www.peimag.com/pdf/pei00/pei1200 ... ei1200.pdf

Some links :
Infrared world on pbase :
http://www.pbase.com/catson/color_infrared_workflow
http://www.pbase.com/catson/infrared_world

Invisible light : http://www.atsf.co.uk/ilight/index.html
Infrared Photography FAQ : http://www.cocam.co.uk/CoCamWS/Infrared/INFRARED.HTM
Infrared Photography with a Digital Camera : http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/infrared/index.html
Digital Infrared Emulation : http://www.fredmiranda.com/DI/
dpfwiw : http://dpfwiw.com/ir.htm
Hoya Infrared Transmitting Filters : http://www.besoptics.com/html/hoya_infr ... g_fil.html
Infrared Photography : http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/text-infrared-basics.html
Infrared Photography – Some Personal Experiences : http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/infrared/infrared.html
Beyond Red : http://home.twcny.rr.com/scho/newpics/intro.html
How to Ruin Your New Camera : http://www.abe.msstate.edu/~jwooten/camera/lense.html

Nota : true IR http://www.bophoto.com/e-10/ir-photo-01.html#top

[agroni]

I've taken a bunch of IR photos with my older 300D. The tricky part is finding a lens that doesn't produce a hot spot in the middle of the photo. As of now I use my Sigma 50mm f2.8 macro lens with a Hoya R72 filter. I also use a cable release and a tripod.

Do you mean that i will need to shoot in long exposures while having the IR filter mounted??? I don´t quite undersand why you use the cable and tripod! How come you use long exposures and some other don´t?

I have the standard lens Canon 18-55mm that came with 300D.
Will there be any problems when shooting IR with this lens?

[dang]

Argon,
It is possible to use a 300D, though it's not the first choice. What everyone is talking about is a filter that's made into the camera to cut the light spectrum before reaching IR. However, it's probably not 100% effective, so some should still pass through. Then adding the IR filter cuts the light spectrum below the point of infrared, so effectively, most light is being kept from striking the sensor. This being the reason you need to increase your exposure time to make up the difference. This should help in understanding the need for a tripod. The cable release is just simply to help keep movement down, to avoid a blurred image if it seems to be a problem. But, you can always use your self timer, and a cable release isn't really necessary. Since the 300D doesn't have mirror lock up, the self timer is about as good as you can do anyway.. unless you want to install the "hack" firmware which adds the mirror lock up feature back. Just one of the things Canon thought they'd disable on the 300D. Note to, that even though there might be added noise due to the longer exposure times, this can be minimized with noise reduction. Here's a free one you can download: http://www.neatimage.com

Next,
"Hot Spots" can sometimes be a problem because of reflections inside the lens it's self. If you find the center of the shot has a much lighter spot, you'll know you might need a different lens. This is due to some lenses less better coatings, and/or the type of optical formula the elements are made from. There's not an easy "get-around" for this. So just be aware if you notice it, where the problem comes from.

Another thing you'll find..
You'll need to focus (without the filter), and afterwards switch the lens to manual focus so it doesn't change when you press the shutter. After focusing, you'll then screw on the IR filter. This is required because the IR filter throws the focus point off. Plus, since the filter is dark to begin with, it makes it easier to see without the filter in place. Once you focus, you'll need to bring the focus back in a just a little (if I recall right), to make up the difference in focus point with the filter in place. Sorry I can't give you a specific amount, but it's going to vary by scene and equipment used. Just back the focus up a foot, or two. And hopefully someone will correct me if I remember wrong.

While I've seen some nice looking results using Freds' actions, it isn't quiet the same look to me. And if you've already purchased your filter, don't give up before you start. Once you do it a few times, you'll get the hang of it, and it won't seem a big deal.

Then as I'd mentioned before, the short processing description Allon gives should help you produce the results you're after.

Hope that helps clear some of it up,
happy shooting.

[agroni]

i still didn't bye the filter dang but in the comming days i'm going to do that. I am a bit busy at work to concentrate where to buy at best price.
Thanx also for the explanation, you really did explain everything there that i need to know
thanx

[ishida]

Agron,

If you still plan on purchasing an IR filter you may want to invest in a lens that does not produce a hot spot. The 18-55mm kit lens produces a bright hot spot. Since I've taken IR photos with a 300D, here are the steps that I take for setting up an IR photo...

1. With your camera mounted on a tripod, focus on your subject using manual focus.

2. Change the focus so that the focus is slightly closer than your subject (your subject will look slightly blurry).

3. Without disturbing the focus, carefully screw on the IR filter.

4. Adjust the ISO, aperture and exposure. On a sunny day I have found that ISO 100 works with f/5.6 - f/8.0 and anywhere between 5 - 10 seconds. You will have to experiment to figure out what settings works for you. Your best friend will be the histogram along with bracketing.

5. Using either the self timer or a cable release, take the photo.

It takes a lot of patience and time, have fun!

If anybody else has any other ways of taking their IR photos I would definitely like to hear from you. I just kind of dove into the IR photography using trial and error.

Barry

[jestev]

I use a Hoya R72. I got the 52mm so I could use it on my Nikkor 18-55mm kit, my 55mm micro-Nikkor, and my Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 prime.

Here's a link to my Digital IR gallery. I posted all the stuff I looked at when I did it. Hope it helps:

http://www.pbase.com/jestev/digir

John

[ianbirch]

I also have a 300D with 18-55mm lens which i tried out with the Hoya R72
filter and suffered with a bad hotspot, long exposures and no live preview.

As a consequence of this I bought a Minolta dimage 7 which addresses all
of the issues mentioned above.

Regards Ian Birch

http://www.pbase.com/ianbirch