What’s Your Preference?

Boscopix · #1 (**permalink**) 04-17-2009, 02:02 PM

Alright, so long long ago I did some infared with film and I loved loved loved it...now I have the urge to try it again with digital, only I have nooooo clue what one would be right for my camera / lens.

Heres the deal, I have a Fuji S3 and I would like an IR filter to use with my Nikon 24-85mm if possible. Any advise on this one would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone!!!

Tonya

OsmosisStudios · #2 (**permalink**) 04-17-2009, 08:07 PM

Hoya R72 is the only IR filter I know of.

jim.neff · #3 (**permalink**) 04-17-2009, 08:13 PM

Check out this thread here:

Infrared shooting/processing techniques?

Do the IR test with your camera. Point a TV remote control at it and keep the shutter open for about a second. If you see a light from the remote then you camera is sensitive to IR.

You'll need a filter, get the Hoya R72 for about $50 from B&H. You'll need a tripod.

Read through the thread I linked and there's another link in there to how to do post processing of IR pictures. The biggest thing I see is instructions on how to swap the colors to make the sky blue, but keep the original IR in the rest of the frame. Very cool effect if you ask me.

I'm going to get my first IR filter next month.

Also search Flickr for IR pictures. You can even search by camera to see what others are doing with your model. I have a Nikon D40 and it happens to be very sensitive to IR.

Good luck!

inkista · #4 (**permalink**) 04-17-2009, 09:31 PM

The big problem is this isn't going to be like infrared with film, unless you've got the S3 Pro UVIR.

Most digital sensor are sensitive to infrared--sensitive enough to throw off visible light colors, so most manufacturers put IR blockers over the sensor. The blockers aren't 100% effective, which is why we can use digital SLRs for infrared, but you're stuck with very long exposure times. No handholding is going to happen.

The S3 PRO UVIR, however, doesn't have the usual blockers over the sensor, and can be used like IR-sensitive film (or UV for that matter, which is a helluva lot harder than infrared).

Nearly everybody makes a variety of infrared filters. Hoya's R72 is the cheapest and good quality which makes it the most popular (72=> blocks wavelengths ≤720nm). Hoya also makes a R90 which probably filters out stuff shorter than 900nm (filters out all visible light) and is completely opaque. B+W has three different infrared filters along the same lines (092, 093, 099).

Boscopix · #5 (**permalink**) 04-18-2009, 09:37 AM

Ok! Tested and worked with the tv remote

Thats good right?
I was reading that I needed to send my camera in to get the IR sensor disabled (I only have the S3, not the IR Version) but maybe that is only if I want to do it with no filters?

I do have a tripod, so the long exposures shouldnt be a problem. Now...does anyone know if the Nikon 24-85mm is working well with these pictures? I will have a little look on Flickr and see if anyone has them...but just incase you guys have any more words of wisdom, I am all ears!

Thanks for the help so far, very useful!

OsmosisStudios · #6 (**permalink**) 04-18-2009, 02:43 PM

Chances are it wont. Zooms tend to be complicated little buggers internally. A prim would likely be best.

inkista · #7 (**permalink**) 04-18-2009, 07:51 PM

You only need to have the camera modified if you don't want to go the long exposure route. It usually costs in the neighborhood of US$300, and if you have the camera modified, you will need to add infrared blocking filters to your lenses for any non-infrared shots you want to take. Most folks who get a camera modified do so with an older body they're not using, and they dedicate it for IR use, usually for astrophotography or portraiture. If you just want to try out infrared, I wouldn't recommend it.

The 24-80 is fine for infrared--no IR hotspots.