Infrared filters.

[pbyrne]

February 25, 2012 at 11:08 am

Hi there

Can anyone out there give me some information about these filters? The filters that screw onto the front of the lens btw.
Is there anyone out there who has experience of these filters and are they worth buying?

I understand they will not produce the same quality as a dedicated infrared camera, but do they produce acceptable images?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[flynny]

February 27, 2012 at 8:48 pm

If your using a DSLR, you have 2 choices,
An infrared filter Which fits on the front of your lens,
Or convert your DSLR to infrared.
The first option is straight foreword enough,purchase a filter and shoot away.
The drawbacks here are ,longer shutter speeds,and the necessity for a tripod,
The screw on filters are fairly opaque and doesn’t leave a huge amount off light through,thus longer shutter speeds/tripods.
The second option is to convert a cam,
This is expensive to get done and it’s irreversible , your cam can’t be used for ordinary shots anymore.
I have a Canon 350d which is converted to IR and I find it excellent,it works just like a regular cam,
Compose,focus,and shoot.
The cam can be handheld more often than not,(most IR shots are taken in bright sunny days).
Hope this helps

[bigalguitarpicker]

February 27, 2012 at 9:10 pm

I occasionally use a Hoya R72 filter. It’s best used on a sunny day. Focus can be a problem as the point of focus is a bit different with Infrared to what it is in normal light. Focus first, set camera to manual focus, carefully add the filter so’s not to disturb the focus, then using a tripod, take your shot. Trial and error probably required to establish exposure time. This is one of the first IR images I’m happy with, taken as described. I had previously been trying to focus with the filter in place. You may need to blank off the view-finder before tripping the shutter, as light can enter and cause a bright spot to appear in the centre of your photograph.