 Lin Schlabach |
Infrared Photography Can I take infrared pictures with a digital camera? I have a Digital Rebel. What do I need to accomplish that? When I take infrared pictures on film, I need infrared film plus an infrared filter.Right? Does there have to be any light present?Can I take pictures in pitch darkness? What does the infrared filter do??? Any input is appreciated.
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Jon Close |
I don't know if the Digital Rebel will record infrared. It may. Some digitals have filters over the sensor that blocks infrared, others don't. Either way, I've read that PhotoShop has a facility to create infrared effect, so you don't actually have to have an infrared-sensitive camera or filter. Infrared in general refers to wavelengths of light longer than about 720 nanometers. Infrared photography generally deals with the wavelengths from 700nm to 1400nm (near infrared). Heat is generated at longer wavelengths of 3000nm+ (far infrared). So you generally need a light source (sun, lamps, flash, etc.) for infrared photography. Infrared films and digital sensors do not record heat. Infrared is possible in total darkness, but you need an infrared light source. Weegee's famous pictures of people in a movie theatre wearing 3D glasses was taken by covering a flash with an infrared filter. No visible light was emitted to distract the movie goers, but the flash was necessary to generate infrared light for the film to record. The infrared filter blocks visible light but allows infrared wavelengths through. A good infrared resource (mostly related to film) is http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm I also found this one dealing with digitals: http://dpfwiw.com/ir.htm.
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Mellanie |
I too have a digital rebel and don't think it will take infrared shots. I was told by someone who does do IR with his digital (Sony) to take a TV remote control, press a button, and put it to your lens. Look thru the viewfinder and if you see a light, you can do IR with the camera. Tried it with my Olympus c5060 and saw the light, but didn't see it with the digital rebel. Hope this helps,
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Ed Heaton |
Hello Lin, I don't have any experience with Canon IR work but I have shot a few with my Nikon D70 and have done quite a bit of research on the topic. Here’s a link to let you know that IR work can be done with a Canon D300 with the Hoya R72 filter with very nice results. Best of luck! Ed Heaton
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher  Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
Mel is right. That does work. You still need an IR filter, however.
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Andrew Laverghetta |
When you talk about holding the remote control up to your lens and looking through the viewfinder of your Digital Rebel, that won't work. You're just looking through glass and not like with the Olympus c5060. If you want to use the digital rebel to experiment, you won't be able to see it through the viewfinder which should be obvious. You will have to make an exposure to let the sensor see the light. You can best see this by setting a high ISO and a large aperture in a darkened room. Use something like a 2 second shutter speed or something and when the shutter opens, shine the remote control straight at the lens and press any button you feel like. When you check the replay on the camera, you should see something like little purple dots or something. That's what I saw through my 20D. Most if not all websites on near IR photography say that Nikons or point and shoot digitals are better than Canon digital SLRs because of Canon's lowpass filter. I believe there's a version of the 20D available in Japan that doesn't have this filter. It's mostly designed for astrophotography and it actually has a real time view on the rear LCD screen unlike any other Digital SLR. To get anything really good out of Canon's DSLRs, you would probably need to have that low pass filter removed. I wouldn't suggest this, because you pretty much can't use the camera for anything else after it's removed and I don't believe that's why you bought the camera. You should be able to get some sorts of images though with the Hoya filter but they won't be the kind of images you are familiar with. The other thing, if you're going to use IR film, your camera has to be compatible with it. I'm not sure what exactly that takes but I heard that you can't have any metal in the back of your camera. Not sure if that's true or not.
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Jon Close |
>>"The other thing, if you're going to use IR film, your camera has to be compatible with it. I'm not sure what exactly that takes but I heard that you can't have any metal in the back of your camera. Not sure if that's true or not."<< Not true. Metal v. plastic has nothing to do with whether a camera is usable with IR film. There are 3 issues with film cameras: (1) If the back has a window to read the loaded film cartridge, the foam seal around it may be light tight, but not necessarily infrared-tight. Test it, or if in doubt, cover the window with black gaffer or electric tape when using IR film. (2) Some IR films, such as Kodak's HIE/HSI, does not have an anti-halation layer (opaque layer that keeps light from passing all the way through the film). If the pressure plate behind the film has a cutout for time/date stamps, or is dimpled rather than smooth, then uneven exposure can result. (3) Many auto film loading and auto film advancing cameras use a IR emitter and sensor to count the sprocket holes along the film edge. This emitter has no effect on standard films, but will fog the edge and perhaps some of the image frame of IR film.
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