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UltravioletPhotography

Greetings from Baltimore! (Maryland, USA)


DanK

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Greetings, all. I'm told I should introduce myself in this forum, so I shall.

 

I'm an amateur photographer just getting into IR work (for myself) and UV work (for work). I work at a major university here, and I'm interested applications of nontraditional photography in health & safety.

 

My first project started a few weeks ago, when it occurred to me that many chemicals either fluoresce or absorb strongly in the UV region. Gee, I wonder if we can use UV photography to identify contamination in laboratories? Even well-kept labs are subject to spills, splatters, and other messes that don't get cleaned up effectively. If we can see the location of the contamination, we can work on removing it (or at least immobilizing it so it doesn't get tracked everywhere). I've had luck finding spills of DNA stains using a simple 395nm UV inspection flashlight, so I'm wondering what results I might get from a more professional approach.

 

So I'm looking at uses of ultraviolet photography that are quite different from much of the work people do here; probably closer to forensic work and photodocumentation. (Not that I won't take a few outings to do some landscape and botanical work for practice with the equipment!) I hope that with a little work, I'll be able to contribute to the knowledge base here.

 

I've sourced a Nikon Z6 modified for full-spectrum operation and an older Nikon 50mm lens that's known to pass UV well (checked that with a UV laser). I'm now trying to select filters for UV reflectance and induced fluorescence, both for the camera and for my UV light sources (xenon flash and a couple UV flashlights of differing wavelengths). Any suggestions the community could offer would be welcome.

 

Anyway, that's the long version of an introduction.

 

Regards,

Dan Kuespert

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Welcome to the forum Dan. There are a good mix of folks on here with expertise in different areas, and it's always good to see new application areas like yours.

 

I'd be interested to know which 50mm Nikon lens is good for UV.

 

There's plenty on filter choice for different applications. Something I've learnt recently is how many UV blocking filters used in fluorescence imaging actually fluoresce strongly themselves under UV.

 

Jonathan

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Andy Perrin
As a bona fide Dan, you are going to be fantastic with UV. All the Dans are! (c.f. Lifepixel Dan, MaxMax Dan, etc. etc.)
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Re: Nikon lenses for UV:

 

I doubt this 50mm is good for UV, but I'm hoping it'll be adequate. Various tests I've seen around the net suggested that the Nikon Ai-S 50mm Series E, which is a cheap F-mount lens Nikon made about 35 years ago, was reasonably transparent to UV, probably because of being inexpensive, it doesn't have much in the way of coatings on the glass. I picked up a copy in good condition on eBay and took it to our Laser Safety Officer, who set up a low-power UV laser and a fluorescent card used for beam location. The fluorescence difference between the uninterrupted beam and the beam routed through the lens was quite small, qualitatively speaking, so it seems that the net wisdom is correct.

 

Nikon assures me that this lens is usable with the FTZ adapter for use on the Z6. I'd have chosen an APS-C sensor model instead of the Z6, but since I don't currently have the choice of focal length, and I plan to take photos mainly indoors, I don't want my normal lens turning into a short telephoto. I'd have to take panoramas and stitch them together to get a decent view of the room, a complication I don't really need.

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Actually, this lens is listed in the sticky.

 

Yes, the laser test tests only one wavelength, but a) we had it to hand in the lab and B) it's adequate to verify that there's no overall gross issues with coatings that absorb or reflect UV. With luck, I'll find someone with an appropriate spectrometer; the Space Telescope Science Institute is on our grounds. I imagine it's likely they have the appropriate equipment. I just hesitate to purchase a quartz lens until I have some preliminary results to show.

 

Regards,

Dan

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I predict there will be a quartz UV lens in your future :D

 

What company did modify your Z6? It's about time to get a modified Z system to augment or even replace older work horses.

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Andy Perrin

Actually, this lens is listed in the sticky.

 

So I see (I was looking under the wrong place -- we have "Nikon AI/AIS" listed differently from "Nikon Series E" and I thought this was under the former...). Timber tested it here, and it looks pretty decent.

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I predict there will be a quartz UV lens in your future :D

 

What company did modify your Z6? It's about time to get a modified Z system to augment or even replace older work horses.

 

I've got a big budget this year, through some miracle, so I actually have the funds for a quartz lens. I feel I need some preliminary results before I pull the trigger on that, though. Recommendations on which quartz lens has the best balance of build quality, image quality, and price are invited.

 

The Z6 came from Kolari Vision, sold new already modified for full-spectrum use. I also picked up a UV/IR cut color-correction filter at the same time, since I have other visible-range uses for the camera (videography). Haven't tried that yet--still waiting on my F-mount to Z-mount adapter.

 

For what it's worth, I'm active in the Central Maryland Photographers Guild (cmpg.photography), and our Director told me recently she just swapped her Nikon DSLR for a Z7 and was very pleased with it. I think the Z7 will be better for stills, if only because of the larger sensor (45MP). The Z7 and Z6 are almost totally identical except for that. Z6 is a better video camera and still good for stills at 24MP. The biggest downsides I can see from the various reviews I've read/seen of the Z6/Z7 are slight wonkiness with the continuous autofocus and some banding in the shadows that is barely detectable under most conditions. I don't think either of those issues are likely to be a problem for UV. Both sound like they could be fixed in firmware, also.

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For quartz lenses, there really aren't too many options. I think the Rayfact 105mm f4.5 may get the most votes. Then would be the coastal optics 60mm Macro. But that lens has some issues.

Then there are the cheap UKA optics quartz lenses. But they are not corrected.

 

You can rent the 60mm from lens Rentals to see how it feels. Otherwise PM JMC, Jonathan. He owns more quartz lenses than people I know.

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  • 2 years later...

Greetings, all. I'm told I should introduce myself in this forum, so I shall.

 

I'm an amateur photographer just getting into IR work (for myself) and UV work (for work). I work at a major university here, and I'm interested applications of nontraditional photography in health & safety.

 

My first project started a few weeks ago, when it occurred to me that many chemicals either fluoresce or absorb strongly in the UV region. Gee, I wonder if we can use UV photography to identify contamination in laboratories? Even well-kept labs are subject to spills, splatters, and other messes that don't get cleaned up effectively. If we can see the location of the contamination, we can work on removing it (or at least immobilizing it so it doesn't get tracked everywhere). I've had luck finding spills of DNA stains using a simple 395nm UV inspection flashlight, so I'm wondering what results I might get from a more professional approach.

 

So I'm looking at uses of ultraviolet photography that are quite different from much of the work people do here; probably closer to forensic work and photodocumentation. (Not that I won't take a few outings to do some landscape and botanical work for practice with the equipment!) I hope that with a little work, I'll be able to contribute to the knowledge base here.

 

I've sourced a Nikon Z6 modified for full-spectrum operation and an older Nikon 50mm lens that's known to pass UV well (checked that with a UV laser). I'm now trying to select filters for UV reflectance and induced fluorescence, both for the camera and for my UV light sources (xenon flash and a couple UV flashlights of differing wavelengths). Any suggestions the community could offer would be welcome.

 

Anyway, that's the long version of an introduction.

 

Regards,

Dan Kuespert

 

 

Dan im in Baltimore too im trying to network and talk shop and get. motivated in my UV photography,

 

I can help you setup and test I actually already own all the UV equipment too.... im bored not much going on I need to work on my photography myself...

I own a costal optics 105mm and fuji is pro and now new astro cams ff monochrome cameras and money industrial cameras and quartz aka optics 25mm amount lens and keyoei's and clones and a bunch of other UV stuff, Venus u and all and UV flashes

 

I also have a Nikon Optiophot 66 dic polarized and do UV. and Nikon smz-10

 

 

FYI in maryland we have Company 7 http://www.company7.com/nikon/lens/0105f4.5uv.html

 

let me know if your interred in talking.

 

Joey

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