Advice for using IR720 Filter?

I just bought this Digital High Definition IR720 filter. But the image I got was pitch black.


Is the filter defect or am I clueless in using it correctly?


Please advice. Thanks.

 That appears to be an infra-red filter. It is meant to be used on either a film camera with infra-red sensitive film, or a specially modified digital camera. If you are using it with a typical digital camera, you will not see any image.

(Edited on 2013-01-15 09:56:10 by wdstock)

Hi Wdstok, thanks for the reply. But the filter is Digital HD so it is intended for digital cameras.


It was black because I wasn't shooting with slow enough shutter.


But when I used much slower shutter, the images were all neon pink. Is it normal? Please advice how I should use it. Thanks again.

Most digital cameras have an IR (Infra-Red) blocking filter built in. If you are getting an image, that means your camera does not have a "strong" IR filter. Try using a "black and white" mode and seeing if your results look like typical IR photography (search on the net for examples). Ideally, the digital camera used with such a filter should not have an IR blocking filter built in (there are companies who remove such internal filters specifically for the purpose of IR photography).

I tried to change the RAW file in different color temperatures, the effect remains in red/pink hues.


I tried to shoot b/w with the filter, it does look more like IR images, with darkened sky and brightened trees. Is it not possible to retain the colors? I saw other people's images which retain the blue sky.


Is the filter too strong?

This was shot in monochrome mode:

There's some useful info here about IR photography.

http://www.infrared-photography.co.uk/

It's no something I've done myself, but I do know that some cameras are particularly unsuited for it..

Great link, Kevin, this is exactly what I need! Thanks a lot!

I have a Nikon D70 IR mod camera, the hot mirror was replaced by custom cut Hoya R72 filter. So I able to shoot IR photography with handheld.


Using IR filter on normal digital camera will have very slow shutter speed, you will need to mount your camera on tripod, you also need to do custom WB, mount the filter on and fill the frame with foilage, take the green foliage as reference. You will not get pinky images this way.


It is also best to shoot during sunny day, you will have shorter exposure time and better contrast images.


 


Hope this help.

Hi Catchlights, thanks for the suggestions. Yes the white balance is a problem. I don't think I can make proper adjustments in DPP. Will try to set the custom WB to see if it works. Slow shutter speed on tripod is not a problem.

I use one on my unmodified 5d2 and 17-40L and a £7 chinese 720nm IR filter of ebay. My methods may be flawed but I :


-Set camera to raw mode


-Compose and Focus with the lens as normal, then lock the focus (flick auofucs switch on the lens to manual).


-Screw the filter on.


-Change to M mode and set to F5.6 and 30 seconds, which usually makes a bright enough image (see note below).


This creates a really red image and raw file. However you should get a red image you can see detail on and and even spread histogram when you look on the screen.


Back at the house I use dpp to set the correct the white balance (your picture now looks blue and gold), and save as a tiff or jpeg (Lightoom doesnt seem to have enough temperature range to be able to do it) I guess you could set the white balance in the field, but I'm not too sure on how to do that, and I'm lazy


I then open in photoshop and change the red and blue channels, and adjust levels and saturation accordingly.


It seems to work well.


I live in the UK where the sun isnt very strong, so I need a long exposure , I had to experiment to get that. I could use f8/11 but I would need a remote and bulb mode and longer/double exposure times.


 


Why not try f5.6 @ 30seconds and see what it looks like.


I based my technique on theis article, which was excellent.


http://stevencastle.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/digital-infrared-processing-part-ii-false-colour/

My technique above generates images like this one


http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5818/img8312ylr.jpg


(for some reason i cant get the insert image link to work).

Pastie, your image is beautiful! I will try again where there are some green foliage in Toronto, hopefully in a few weeks.