Infrared filters?

Kukki3

Kukki3

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Rebecca
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I've recently seen some lovely photos on the internet that were taken using an infrared filter and then tweaked.
I quite fancy giving it a go myself as the results are stunning, but I'm unsure what make of filter to use.
I obviously want quality but I can't afford to fork out too much at this point in time, can anyone recommend a good infrared filter that they've used/heard good reviews about? And one that won't cost me an arm and a leg!

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I dont want to just buy a cheap naff filter :lol:
 
I'd look at a "B+W 093" or a "Hoya R72" for starters. It's not possible to predict a price without knowing the diameter you need.

Bob
 
Should have mentioned, have a read here for more background info.

Bob
 
I started my IR photography using the Cokin square filter...heed my advice....getting it right with filters requires a few things.
A solid tripod, if shooting a landscape with trees or clouds...or anything that moves in the wind...make sure you have a wind free day. A bright sunny day also can mean the diffrence of spending an hour or so getting the right set up..or moments as there are no adjustments needed.
I love IR photography and i made the move to a IR coverted 20D 4 years ago....and im very glad i did.
Im not knocking IR filters at all, its where my passion started, and its a good learning curve...but if youve some money burning a hole in your pocket, get yourself a IR converted camera.

If you don't, then I highly recommend using the Cokin square filters, they slot into an adaptor, that will fit any size lens with the right ring adaptor. Great if your going to use a couple of lenses as 7dayshop do them cheap, as well as the slot adaptor.
This is also the best way because using IR filters you have to focus before you put the filter on the lens.
Screw filters can unfocus a lens slightly, but with a square filter you would already have the adaptor ring and slot adaptor fitted, so all you had to do is slide in the filter...easy.

Apologies as that was abit of an essay answer..with answers to questions you didnt even ask..lol..its late and im stuck at work with time to kill..
 
Thanks for the responses! I'll check out the Hoya filter mentioned and also the cokin square one as that sounds very intriguing!!
No worries about the long reply either, you've given me a lovely detailed answer and one that's given me plenty to dwell on!!!
 
deadalus3000 said:
.....This is also the best way because using IR filters you have to focus before you put the filter on the lens.
Click to expand...
That may possibly be true for your IR converted 20D but manual focussing with Liveview is very do'able with a filter already installed.

Bob
 
deadalus3000 said:
If you don't, then I highly recommend using the Cokin square filters, they slot into an adaptor, that will fit any size lens with the right ring adaptor. Great if your going to use a couple of lenses as 7dayshop do them cheap, as well as the slot adaptor.
Click to expand...

It must be late your Cokin link leads to a pair of cycling glasses:thinking:
 
Canon Bob said:
That may possibly be true for your IR converted 20D but manual focussing with Liveview is very do'able with a filter already installed.

Bob
Click to expand...

You don't use a filter with a converted camera, no need, it only sees in IR.
The easy way is to set it up, focus, then slide in your filter, as a half decent filter would almost be impossible to see through.

parkmoy said:
It must be late your Cokin link leads to a pair of cycling glasses:thinking:
Click to expand...

Sorry buddy, not my link...just automatic link by skimworms.
These would be my links...
Cokin IR filter
Filter Holder
Adapter rings

Also,don't listen to the nay-sayer on Amazon about the square filter. When using a square filer you always use the slot closest the lens.
 
deadalus3000 said:
You don't use a filter with a converted camera, no need, it only sees in IR.
Click to expand...
I appreciate that....I have one.

deadalus3000 said:
The easy way is to set it up, focus, then slide in your filter, as a half decent filter would almost be impossible to see through.
.
Click to expand...
Doesn't the focal plane move when you install the filter and hence any pre-focussing is void?

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
I appreciate that....I have one.


Doesn't the focal plane move when you install the filter and hence any pre-focussing is void?

Bob
Click to expand...

Thats the way everyone who used to do film IR used to do it and it worked for them!

The focal plane is unaltered by the filter so the focus will remain the same although the IR spectrum requires a slight focus shift for optimum focusing so having an IR focus mark on the lens distance scale to align to where the lens was focused in visible light is useful, if not shooting at f8 onwards will give enough depth of field to cover the slight focus shift.
 
s162216 said:
......The focal plane is unaltered by the filter so the focus will remain the same although the IR spectrum requires a slight focus shift for optimum focusing ......
Click to expand...

I'll take your word for it but it differs from my understanding. I thought light with a longer wavelength focussed further back and hence the filter would shift the focal plane backwards....this becoming a bigger shift as the focal length shortened.

Time for me to read up again.

10120_5220047054fe5d1db74357.jpg


Doesn't this illustrate the focal plane shift between visible light and light solely from the IR part of the spectrum?

Bob
 
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Well me being me, I bought a square filter holder and the relevant adapter rings, I then purchased a filter. And realised when it arrived that I'd ordered an A filter rather than a P :whistling:
So I ordered an A holder but now the adapter rings dont seem to fit in it :bonk:

Basically I've found a P infrared filter, a cokin one, but its round. Will that fit in the square holder? (That sounds really daft I know!!)
 
Canon Bob said:
I'll take your word for it but it differs from my understanding. I thought light with a longer wavelength focussed further back and hence the filter would shift the focal plane backwards....this becoming a bigger shift as the focal length shortened.

Time for me to read up again.

10120_5220047054fe5d1db74357.jpg


Doesn't this illustrate the focal plane shift between visible light and light solely from the IR part of the spectrum?

Bob
Click to expand...

And it is not even that simple. R72 (720nm) will let in a little bit of visible (red, 650-700nm) light as well as something further a field (800 or more). This will spread out the focal plane into a diffused smeared distribution in space, and that looks particularly bad in the corners!
 
daugirdas said:
And it is not even that simple. R72 (720nm) will let in a little bit of visible (red, 650-700nm) light as well as something further a field (800 or more). This will spread out the focal plane into a diffused smeared distribution in space, and that looks particularly bad in the corners!
Click to expand...
It is that simple in theory but probably not so in practice.

Your lenses are designed to make a reasonable job of providing a flat subject plane within the visible spectrum. Field curvature will no doubt still exist and I suspect it's the reason for your "smeared" corners. Any residual curvature will be accentuated once you leave the visible spectrum.

Longer FL primes and especially macro lenses are usually better corrected and a test with one might show a big improvement....if it does, you'll know what you're fighting even if it doesn't give you a solution.

None of that is gospel, just my understanding of the problems and causes.

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
It is that simple in theory but probably not so in practice.

Your lenses are designed to make a reasonable job of providing a flat subject plane within the visible spectrum. Field curvature will no doubt still exist and I suspect it's the reason for your "smeared" corners. Any residual curvature will be accentuated once you leave the visible spectrum.

Longer FL primes and especially macro lenses are usually better corrected and a test with one might show a big improvement....if it does, you'll know what you're fighting even if it doesn't give you a solution.

None of that is gospel, just my understanding of the problems and causes.

Bob
Click to expand...

Yes, thinking about it 17-40 and 24-70mm (wide end) have severe field curvature, and lots of CA. (should be a lot better on APS-C) And the fact it is a mix of vis (red) + IR light...
Probably zeiss prime would be better :shrug: but I guess I am not going to find that out very soon.
 
Watch for lenses that have "hot spots" when using an IR filter. Not every lens will give the best result with this type of filter - nothing wrong with either the lens or the filter, but in combination they just work as well together. Google is your friend when searching for reported problems with a specific lens and IR filters.
 
Hi Kukki3

Having only started out in IR photography a few weeks ago after also seeing some very different and appealing photos on t'internet and being a tight wad I bought a couple of these Cheap IR Filter £2.65 including P&P basically so that I didn't spend out on expensive glass filters and then decide that I didn't get the results I wanted. I then avoided the Cokin filter cage and the (putting it in the closest slot idea) completely, leaving the Cokin adapter ring on the lens as if you are going to fit the cage I just placed the square filter against the adapter ring fitted onto the lens and used clips to hold it tight to the adapter ring avoiding any light leaks from the gap if using The filter holder totally. I can do 30 second exposures this way with no light leak problems etc.

I got these photos My IR shots I'm quite pleased and am now completely hooked on IR

My D700 is pushed aside for my daughters D70s as the older the camera the better it works for infrared and the D70s will also work if with a little more effort without spending out on an expensive conversion, and although as said you have to maybe remove the filter to focus before taking the shot

I take the photo like this.

Remove clips, remove filter, put camera in auto focus mode and focus the camera, click switch over to manual focus to avoid the lens and camera getting confused and hunting focus after refitting the filter and replace the filter on the lens using clips and shoot away. Try different apertures and shutter speeds and when you get home see which worked the best and try to use this as a starting point next time. There could be problems shooting into the sun as you can't fit a hood to avoid flare. I guess using some sort of hand held shade like some card or a book over the lens would solve this, any tips chaps??

I may be missing some technique here but this works for me and is a cheap and cheerful entry into IR.

Hope this helps

Oh and where is the Infrared forum btw :runaway:

Oh on re-reading your initial post maybe this is the cheap naf filter you are trying to avoid :lol:..
 
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