DIYPhotography.net

i've always heard that using negatives was a "fake" way to make IR lookalikes... seems they have been proved wrong with that shot of the sun glasses

It is quite well documented that negatives can be used as an IR filter. The quality may not be as high as some of the commercialy available filters, but it's not bad.
The pictures here were taken with a Canon A60, and I am currently working on a better filter for my new Canon A710IS...

Sam

You are using the film leader (which IS exposed). Unexposed, Processed negatives are almost clear (less density) where the leader is heavily overexposed (opaque).

I would like to add to my previous comment that if you use slide film (not negative film) unexposed and processed film is black. Also, purchasing 120 film is a good idea for larger lens diameters.

No bad, but...it's work?

Just a question: every camera has an IR filter inside. So to take "real" near IR photos, I think we have to remove that IR filter before, like in the old sony night shot video recorder.

Sir,
I really like the idea. I have been trying to figure out a method for detection of rotten vegetable. Can this infrared camera spot out the hidden larvae inside a potato? Can you just test this and shows its results?

You accually do not have to remove your IR blocker filter on the sensor to have an infrared camera, just an IR pass filter like the hoya R72. If you want to take hand held shots and IR portraits then removing the IR blocking filter is going to be required. But if you want to take landscape pictures then you only need the hoya r72 filter and a tripod. Almost all digital cameras will work with IR pass filters but your expossure times will increase to about 1 to 2 seconds without the removal of the sensor filter. The best cameras to use if you do not want to remove the sensor filter is the older 3 megapixles or less cameras. Preferably the ones that have some camera controls like custom white balance and shutter prority, but I have had success with 4 mp point and shoots without any controls. The reason for this is the newer cameras have a much better IR blocking filter on the sensor then the older ones. I have however been told that almost all nikon cameras will do decent IR shots straight out of the box. Canon and Sony have much stronger IR blocking filters in there newer models. I also would like to add that I have had very good luck with the film DIY filter and have turned out some very crisp images.

i wanted to try this out but had sometrouble with the film. i bought some kodak utra max and the back of the film had a brownish color on it. i did make the mistake of pulling all the film out so it is not processed. i have never used film before because i am 17 and by the time i got into photography everything was digital. one of the previous comments was saying that you were using the lead film or something. would you please specify a type of film for me to buy. also a different post said that you could use a different type of film for cameras with a larger diameter. i have a dslr so the bigger the better. thank you

i have the same question as the comment above. i use a canon dslr, and the lens i use has a diameter of 58mm. what kind of film should you buy to make a filter for that?

I have an sd1000 and it seems to be completely compensating for the filter, after adjusting the white balance I can barely tell the difference between NOT having the filter on. I have only tried landscapes thus far. Anyone have any advice?
Thanks!

I found using the disk material from a 3.5 floppy and the leader from some developed film worked well. I set the white balance with the floppy layer then added the additional film layer. I had to play with different film leaders, some were darker than others, the exposure settings (-1.3 coolpix 995 in bright sunlight) and the white balance to get a good result. I saved the settings to one of my custom user mode profiles.

Can this filter work with the cell phone digital camera? I mean any phone model as I think the principles in the phone camera are the same as those in the complete digital camera.

Thanks

For some reason, when using the floppy disk with an old sony P&S, the material seems to be acting like a neutral density dilter rather than IR. The pictures do turn out red, but there are no characterstic tonal ranges such as white for trees and black for blue skies. It looks like a regular photo which was colorized to red. I'm just going to go ahead and invest in a Lee Filters 3x3 IR filter, they're less than 15 dollers> I think it would be worth it to transcend the low quality I'm getting now.

Hello

Thanks for the advice. I to test

Thanks

hey!will scotch tape work instead of electrical tape?

i used floppy disk as filter and my images are black. why?

So I tried this and the pictures just came out cloudy. They didn't come out IR at all. Sorry for the disappointment, but don't waste your time.

This is a wonderful idea. I have entire rolls of blank, processed 120 film from testing cameras that ended up being broken. I can't wait to put them to use.

Could u see thru clothes?

Interesting, never thought it would be that easy. Thanks for the great guide!

wow that is nifty! i never thought it would be possible to take infared with my normal cam, but i will give it a try

can you see thru clothes with it?

You can test the material you choose for filtering the same way you test the camera. hold it over the lens and look at the IR that a remote control produces. If bright IR and black everything else, you have a good material.

The simplest and fastest way to make this is to not to bother with any cardboard, but to use thin film, ie, roll film and not 35mm, put it on the lens,bend the edges over, and tape around it. Cut to leave a minimum border.

But do it gently so as not to break the zoom. Easier to do if you have something exactly the same diameter as the lens. Or use something slightly larger and use some tape inside as a shim.

tOM

Self-made infrared optical filter from the compact disc 

http://art.photo-element.ru/ts/CD/CD.html

The sample photos in this hack are is dull, unfocussed and diffused.  The secret to getting better IR photos, involves:

(1) To get better lighting and reduce camera shake and subject movement blur, remove the infra-red cut filter (ICF) highpass filter that cuts out 90% of the IR light from reaching the sensor.  If you can't do that , you need a high ISO (such as a Canon 5D Mark II) and/or a tripod.

(2) The photo shown above is burred because it is focussed badly. Ideally you need a lens that with either focus past infinity and uses manual focus or TTL autofocus, (contrast detect AF, or phase detect AF), rather than external passive AF (eg. early Ricoh's)/ active IR (e.g. Hexar AF).  Your camera is using TTL contrast detect AF, but it does not focus past infinity, so IR light, which does not refract as much as visible light, cannot be focussed onto the sensor's focal plane.  The worst thing is that many AF systems will focus incorrectly even with the ICFremoved and replaced with an IR lowpass filter.  Actually they focus correctly for visible light.  You need to prefocus with AF then intervene with manual focus, or re-tune the AF for IR.

One work around is to pick a camera with a wide lens and an especially small sensor and shoot with a reasonably small aperture and hope that you push the far end of the depth of field back far enough that IR at infinity is in focus.  The small aperture works against fast exposures, so it is all the more important that your camera should have the ICF removed, offer high ISO and be held steady.  It all sounds a bit complex, but if you understand depth of field, you will know what I'm getting at.

(3) The picture above is diffused.  Exposed film is not meant to be an IR filter.  Like some plastics, it passes IR light better than visible light, but it is not designed for its optical qualities. As others have said you do need a decent photographic IR filter.  A full sized high quality filter will set you back the best part of a hundred bucks or more, hence why this exposed film hack is so popular.  However, it doesn't need to be so expensive.  The Russian site linked above shows that the red-black CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs are IR transparent and make better IR filters.  But they're not perfect.  one reason the Russian pictures are a lot clearer than the one shown above is they were shot with a Nikon D50 which can probably focus past infinity.  A major problem with the CDs is they are tuned for 780Nm and are pretty sloppy at cutting lower wavelengths, so they let through some visible light.  You need to do a lot of post-processing and boost the contrast.  Another problem is again they are not designed as optical components.  In addition to the polycarbonate layer they have a reflective layer designed to reflect IR light, plus a layer of lacquer and possibly artwork.  Like the film, it will be less efficient, less wavelength specific, more diffuse and prone to scratching.

So it is always best to use an optical quality glass IR filter of a defined wavelength.  A 720nm filter looks different to a 750nm or 795nm filter and all are very different to an 850nm filter.  I prefer more extreme (longer wavelength) filters which produce colours that are further from what your eye can see, but the pictures are a bit darker too and need more sensitive sensors and certainly wouldn't work with a compact camera that still had the ICF on.  They are more expensive too.

If you can't afford a Hoya/ Suntec/ etc. filter, then look for a glass filter designed to turn an incandescent torch into an IR source.  These cost about $10-$15 and do the job just about as well as a lens filter.  I got one that was tuned specifcially to 850nm.

Another (less accurate) solution is a cheap (not good quality) ND filter.  These leak IR wavelengths and if you have removed the ICF, they're not too bad as IR filters.

For those that are inclined to toy with their cameras and have a little knowledge of electronics.. I offer this suggestion. Every camera has a piece of glass on the sensor (about 1cm square in most cases). I opened my old Sony DSC-P72 and carefully removed the front lens from the circuit board. Underneath is the glass. You can remove this glass and polish off the IR blocking filter. I used 3M Rubbing Compound (autoparts stores all carry this), 1. You place some polishing compound on a flat (preferably glass) surface. 2, Rub the glass from the camera around in the compound until the filter is visibly removed (it is an iridescent red color and noticeable on an angle) This may take 15 minutes or more. 3. Once you can't see the film any more, clean the glass with glass cleaner. 4. Optional: Cut a film negative end to the size of the camera glass. 5. Place the filter back into the camera; If you are putting the film negative in, place this between the sensor and glass. 6. Put the camera back together the same as you took it apart. Note: If you do not place the film negative in the camera, you will need a 720nm to 850nm filter in front of the lens for the camera to work. You can shoot through a film neg too like in this post. This will also PERMANENTLY IR your camera. There's no going back and pictures are taken much faster without having to use a tripod and long exposure because you have removed the filter from the sensor. Be aware, if you don't know what you're doing you can BREAK your camera too. I take no responsibility for your broken camera. Have fun!

i have tried the filter and got lucky by owning old negative. Sadly, after had made the simplified version of the filter, the pictures i tried with nokia n95 8gb, came out to be slight purple tinted, but the expected near IR colour isn't there. I have 4 pictures with colour similar to 10 year old diapositive film. Either the white balance option in cell phone isn't capable to get the right setting, or i haven't got the right stuff. I hope the author would be kind to give further help, since i primarily use cell phone for photography.

I am very curious about an experience, could you please take a picture of an orgonite piece without the film over the lens? With the most sensible setting, it may be possible to see the Orgone energy with this. For those interested in both Orgone and infrared photos, read Trevor James Constable book, The Comic Pulse of Life. There is explained the link between the two things.