720nm (Standard Infrared Filter)
This is the tried-and-true classic IR filter. It allows for some great blue sky false color and provides great contrast and dynamic range for black and white. This is equivalent to the Hoya R72 and Wratten 89b.
Read more
When to use this filter: This filter is good if you are interested in shooting some mild color and black and white. This filter produces the traditional dark blue skies and can also be processed for color.
While not as high contrast as the 850nm, people prefer this filter over the 850nm for B&W work, as it allows a little more color for B&W processing. This filter requires post-processing and is compatible with a full spectrum camera or a lower cutoff IR converted camera. This filter can also be used with stock cameras with a long exposure.
Available as:
850nm (Black and White Infrared Filter)
This filter is suitable for a dedicated black and white infrared camera. It will produce bright whites and pronounced darks. With a custom white balance in camera, the picture is close to pure B&W without any processing. Equivalent to the Wratten 87c.
When to use this filter: This filter is the best for the highest contrast B&W, resembling traditional B&W IR film. Also good for forensics and other applications where the deep IR wavelengths are helpful. This filter is compatible with a full spectrum camera or a lower cutoff IR converted camera. This filter can also be used with some stock cameras with a long exposure.
Available as:
Considerations for choosing an infrared filter
The first thing to consider is whether you will shoot color or not.
If you plan to shoot only B&W, then the 850nm filter is the best choice. If you plan to shoot color even occasionally, you should go with the 720nm ir filter or below.
When choosing between 590nm, 665nm, and 720nm, the first consideration is your aesthetic preference. If you like the yellow leaf effect, you should choose the 590nm or 665nm option. If you want to shoot regular color shots with white leaves and blue skies, then the 720nm ir filter is probably right for you.
Pros and Cons of the 590nm and 665nm ir filter
With these enhanced color filters, you will have an increased color range to work with. With processing, it is possible to desaturate photos from these two filters to look like the 720nm image.
This adds more flexibility when shooting and allows for good color results in some shooting situations that would not work so well with the standard 720nm filter.
Some cameras don’t have very good color results with the 720nm filter, such as the Nikon and some Canon PowerShots, but the 665nm filter can overcome this.
Another nice benefit of these filters is that you can use higher cutoff IR filters over them.
For example, with a 665nm conversion, you could use a 720nm or 850nm and still take handheld pictures that will look exactly like the higher cutoff filter.
However, you couldn’t use a lower filter, like the 590nm filter. If the camera you are converting has live view, this is an easy way to take advantage of both the color and B&W aspects of IR.
For more information, please visit IRLENS.
A downside to these two filters is that they have less contrast for B&W images.
These filters can be more unpredictable, yielding different results depending on the camera model and shooting conditions.
Cameras will also have a harder time setting a white balance with the enhanced color filters.
Another thing to watch out for is that the 590nm and 665nm filters can be a little less sharp than the 720nm and 850nm filters. Since they let in a broader light spectrum, there are more chromatic aberrations and a bit softer focus.
Considerations for point-and-shoot cameras
The replacement filters on most compact cameras need to be very thin and leak more visible light, so 590nm, 665nm, and 720nm filters can produce duller color.
The 850nm filter will also leak a little visible light. They will still be monochromatic but may be red or blue-tinged and require processing.
A custom white balance is crucial to achieving a good false color effect with the 590nm and 665nm filters. You should only order these filters if your camera has a custom white balance option.
Keep in mind that just because your camera has a custom white balance setting does not guarantee that you can achieve images like those above with these filters.
Camera white balances were not made to work in infrared, and the camera may not be able to measure a white balance correctly, leaving you with unexpected results. 590nm filters have the most trouble with this.
If your camera does not have a custom white balance option, the 850nm filter still works for B&W photography. The 720nm filter can still be used to get good false color results even with auto white balance, although the results are not quite as reliable.
Question
For the profiles in the Infrared Profile Pack, does it matter which profile I choose, Infrared Temp -50 or Infrared Temp -100?
Answer
You should select whichever profile allows you to set a good white balance. A good white balance is one where you are able to point the white balance picker to a neutral subject and the resulting Temp value falls between 2,000 and 50,000 kelvins. If the Temp value lands exactly on 2,000 kelvins or 50,000 kelvins, then switch to the other profile.
Details
The color temperature of infrared light is around 900 kelvins, well below the 2,000 to 50,000 kelvins range of the Temp scale in Lightroom and Camera Raw. The purpose of the Infrared Temp profiles in the Infrared Profile Pack is to shift the color temperatures values in the Temp slider towards the infrared range. While the labels on the Temp slider will remain as 2,000 and 50,000, the color temperatures supported will be lower with negative temperature profile. The exact amount of shift required will vary depending on the filter you are using and your camera sensor.
I’ve tested profiles with a Temp adjustment of -25 and -75 to see that that level of granularity was required. Those additional profiles don’t offer any benefit over the -50 and -100 profiles. The -50 and -100 profiles cover nearly all of the cases I have tested. There is only one case I’ve observed where they did not work. As a result, the Infrared Profile Pack only includes profiles for -50 and -100, since that should provide enough color temperature shift for all high-pass filters.
Want more information on Custom infrared lens? Feel free to contact us.
Ask a Question
Comments
0