Which Infrared Camera Conversion Will Give Me The Darkest Skies

Infrared Camera Conversion by LifePixel Review

Do you want your photos of popular destinations to stand out from the pack? Do you want to bound start your own inventiveness? Infrared photography may exist just what you've been looking for.

Infrared Primer: The Calorie-free Spectrum

The oh-so-familiar visible light spectrum includes wavelengths from 400nm to 700nm (ROY G. BIV, anyone?). The spectrum just below visible light contains the ultraviolet spectrum; the range just above contains almost infrared low-cal (700nm to 1400nm) which converted/modified cameras can utilise. Beyond the nearly infrared range is the far infrared spectrum which contains wavelengths which are detected by infrared thermal imaging devices. For review purposes, we're only concerned with the IR light we tin can really capture in a photo – most infrared – so anytime y'all run across the words "infrared" or "IR" in the following paragraphs, assume we are talking most near infrared light.

How to Capture Infrared Images

There are two fairly mutual techniques for capturing infrared images with your DSLR. Equally yous would probably expect, both take their advantages and disadvantages.

Option 1: Use an Infrared Filter

First of all, I should explain something: the term "infrared filter" is a misnomer. If a UV filter blocks ultraviolet lite, then an "IR filter" should block infrared light. Instead, an IR filter actually blocks visible calorie-free while assuasive infrared light to pass through to the sensor. That sounds like a simple and elegant solution for caputring infrared photographs, simply at that place are three major drawbacks that make shooting with an IR filter quite inconvenient.

The first is that considering the filter blocks all visible calorie-free, yous cannot frame your composition and/or focus with the filter in place. Instead, you must compose your shot and focus earlier you place the filter on the lens. If y'all want to effort a unlike framing, you lot'll be forced to remove the filter, recompose then supplant the filter before shooting again.

2d, autofocus and metering do not piece of work with the filter in identify. In fact, focusing in regards to infrared lite is a piffling different than visible light. Infrared wavelengths do not focus at the same points equally visible light, so if yous focus the camera using visible lite, your focus volition not be exactly the same when infrared prototype is captured. I fashion to bargain with this is to apply a broad angle lens and a narrow aperture to ensure a moderate focus shift won't ruin your image. Metering could work if it weren't for the fact that your DSLR photographic camera is designed to block infrared light.

Wait, what?

Unfortunately for the purposes of infrared photography (but advantageous for those creating pictures with visible calorie-free), camera manufacturers implement a hot mirror filter which is designed to cake infrared lite from hitting the sensor. The practiced news is that the hot mirror doesn't block all of the infrared low-cal, just most of it. Which brings u.s.a. to the next point...

3rd, your exposure times are going to be very long when using an IR filter. If shooting in full, bright sunlight, your exposure fourth dimension tin can go from a fraction of a 2nd with visible light to several minutes at the same exposure settings (peculiarly when using narrower apertures). A tripod or similar back up and static subjects are required for creating sharp images.

Pick ii: Utilize an IR Sensitive Camera

Fortunately, using a camera that has been modified to record IR lite volition let you to avoid many of the pitfalls of using an IR filter. With an IR converted camera, you can actually see the scene in forepart of your camera through the viewfinder and via the photographic camera'due south Live View (if bachelor). The shutter speeds required are comparable to visible light exposures meaning that a tripod (or other type of support) is non an accented necessity. And if using using a camera featuring Live View (which I highly recommended), focusing will be much easier as yous are focusing your image using the wavelengths of light that are really being recorded by the camera's sensor. Utilizing Live View at 10x magnification makes precise selective focus using wide apertures very like shooting fish in a barrel.

However, in that location are a few drawbacks associated with an IR conversion. Probably the most minor drawback is the reduced battery life yous can experience while using an IR converted DSLR if constantly using Live View. Pack a couple of extra batteries for any lengthy excursion and that consequence is easily dealt with.

Two major drawbacks of converting a DSLR for IR sensitivity provide the greatest stumbling blocks for those who might otherwise savor exploring IR photography to its fullest – cost and permanence.

While it is possible to buy a the components to catechumen your camera to an IR sensitive camera yourself, the exercise-information technology-yourself option is extremely risky. LifePixel actually sells the hot mirror replacement filters that they use for IR conversions directly to consumers. Still, they provide a very strong alert:

"The mere act of removing the sensor from within the photographic camera could potentially ruin the original factory calibration and render your photographic camera completely incapable of achieving proper focus. If this happens we will be unable to assistance you and even the manufacturer may refuse to service your camera. This is very serious stuff folks.

  Focus and dust are in fact the about hard parts of the conversion process. We highly recommend you send your camera in for conversion instead of attempting to practise this yourself."

Indeed, most people will prefer to send their cameras to a competent tertiary political party to complete the conversion process. Unfortunately, the conversion procedure is not necessarily inexpensive. The price volition vary depending on the specific camera model being modified and the type of IR sensor existence installed. In my item instance, the cost of modifying my original EOS 7D with the Super Color Infrared option was a little less than $300.00 including aircraft.

The other major downside is that once a photographic camera is converted to IR, you can no longer utilise it for visible low-cal photography. For For this reason, an IR conversion may be best suited for those who are upgrading cameras and do non need a 2d (or third?) DSLR for fill-in purposes. One might also consider purchasing a used, older generation DSLR to dedicate to IR photography through conversion. Of grade, buying a new DSLR and converting it is some other selection, albeit with the highest investment required. Annotation that an IR conversion will definitely void your photographic camera'south warranty, then choosing a body that'southward past its warranty menstruation tends to brand the nearly sense.

My LifePixel IR Conversion Experience

With the EOS 7D Marking 2 beingness used equally my backup photographic camera, my older backup camera – the original EOS 7D – was just gathering dust on the shelf. Having thoroughly enjoyed a summertime using my IR filter, I decided to take my IR photography to the side by side level and catechumen my rarely-used EOS 7D to IR. After quite a bit of research I decided to transport my camera to LifePixel for an IR conversion using their Super Color IR (590nm) filter option.

Why the Super Colour IR filter option? Considering with a footling post-processing, the Super Color IR filter'due south images can be made to await very similar to images created with the other filters they offer. Sound crazy? Check out the video below to run across just how it's possible (the narrorator begins describing the Super Colour IR filter at the 2:xx marker).

After my filter choice was ready in stone, I had to determine what kind of Focus Scale Blazon I desired. Options included:

• Standard 50mm f/1.8 Lens (Don't send lens)
• Universal (For Live View cameras)
• Custom (Send Canon brand lens with camera)
• Custom (Send non-Canon brand lens)

If your camera features Live View, and you lot don't mind using the LCD full-time when composing and focusing, choosing the Universal selection volition permit for the utmost versatility. As I wanted to employ the wide variety of lenses I accept at my disposal, and my EOS 7D featured Alive View, the pick was easy – Universal was the correct choice for me (and will likely be for most people).

Next you must enter your camera's serial number and choose a Processing Time selection. I chose the "Normal Processing Time – 10 Business organization Days" option. However, notation that the "x Business Days" mentioned is only a guideline. Because LifePixel was backlogged when I sent my camera in for conversion, the turnaround time for my social club was a full month (including aircraft both means). Thankfully, the camera finally arrived – protectively packaged – and proved to exist well worth the look.

I take seen a few reports of people lament of grit on their sensors afterwards an IR conversion (a complaint not limited to LifePixel), only close inspection with a Movo LCT7X SLR Sensor Loupe showed my EOS 7D'due south sensor was spotless upon return. And speaking of the sensor, you might notice that it looks a little different later the IR conversion. For example, yous can see a portion of the sensor through the sensor loupe I mentioned:

There's no need to adjust your monitor; the sensor is at present unmistakably red.

Scenes Ideally Suited for an IR Converted Camera

Photographers have long known that the golden hour (shortly after sunrise or but before sunset) is ofttimes the optimal time to shoot landscape photos. Typically speaking, landscapes do not look their best in the middle of the day. I say "typically," because shooting in IR introduces an exception to this dominion. When the sun is at its highest (and brightest) and the sky is very blue, shooting in IR allows for capturing bright yellow or white (depending on type of IR sensor and post-processing choices) foliage against a beautiful blue/dark toned sky. In this style, having an IR photographic camera at manus can greatly increase the times during which captivating photographs can be taken.

For case, the following image was taken at approximately i:45 ET:

Another benefit of using a converted IR camera is that capturing portraits is very easy. Because of the long exposure times necessary with IR filters, shooting portraiture requires that the subject remain admittedly motionless for long periods of time in social club to create sharp imagery. Even so, the shutter speeds required to obtain proper exposures when using IR converted cameras are comparable to the shutter speeds required to obtain proper exposures with "normal" DSLRs.

Infrared portraits have a very unique expect to them. Note that I didn't swap the red and blue channels for the portrait above (more on that later). I don't think many families will desire their portraits taken in IR, just… kids, high school seniors and artists may relish an infrared portrait in improver to their already-scheduled [visible lite] photo session (for a small additional fee, maybe?)

Postal service Processing Infrared Photos

Note that the type of IR sensor called and the desired final expect volition determine one's post-procesing workflow. Following are the steps I mostly have while editing images taken with LifePixel's Super Color IR sensor.

You might assume that Photoshop is the all-time programme for editing RAW IR images. Even so, Adobe Camera RAW does not have the White Balance lattitude to correctly color balance IR images. Thankfully, Canon's Digital Photo Professional is able to color correct IR images without any issues. While shooting IR, I by and large prepare a custom white balance using a large white object that is in the same type of light every bit my subject or scene (I have used a white machine, white house pigment/siding, and even a white tractor trailer). Afterwards white balance has been fix and other settings chosen, press ALT-P (on Windows) to send a TIFF of your IR prototype to Photoshop (if applicative).

Now that the image is in Photoshop, we need to flip the Red and Blueish color channels in the prototype. Here are the steps:

1. Click Image -->Adjustments-->Channel Mixer
2. With Red selected as the Output Channel, change the Red Source Aqueduct from +100% to 0 and the Blue Source Aqueduct from 0 to +100%.
3. Select the Blueish Output Channel from the drop downwardly menu and modify the Bluish Source Aqueduct from +100% to 0 and the Blood-red Source Channel from 0 to 100%.

You volition also probable also want to adjust levels at this point because IR-captured images mostly lack contrast. I find "Auto" Levels tends to work well.

After the Ruby-red/Blue channel bandy, the sky becomes blue and leafage takes on aureate yellow hues with the Super Color IR sensor selection.

If you prefer that your foliage wait white instead of yellowish, simply add together a Hue/Saturation aligning layer, setting yellow's Saturation to -100 and Lightness to +100. This will requite the paradigm a more classic IR look except that the blueish sky volition be preserved. If you find some yellow even so remains in your paradigm, utilize the "+" eyedropper tool to select the xanthous hues that remain.

Summary

Converting a DSLR to infrared is a cracking style to expand your imaging capability while providing an excellent excuse to go out and relish bright, sunny days alee. Every bit the photography market grows, increasing creativity is needed to get your images noticed, and infrared is a sure style to set your images apart while simulatenously expanding your creative imaging options. LifePixel did a great task with my conversion, and every bit such has earned my highest recommendation.

Bringing y'all this site is my total-time task (typically 60-fourscore hours per week). Thus, I depend solely on the commissions received from you using the links on this site to make whatsoever purchase. I am grateful for your support! - Bryan

My Recommended Infrared Photographic camera Conversion by LifePixel Retailers

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Source: https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/LifePixel-IR-Conversion.aspx

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