Greetings from San Diego

[CerpRem]

Hello everyone! Long-time lurker here, finally decided to make an account

 

My name's Nate (but you can call me Cerp). I'm 18, and photography's been one of my favorite hobbies since I was around 8 or 9. I found out about IR when I was maybe 11, and bought a cheap 850nm filter for my unconverted Nikon, but with an unconverted camera and limited experience, I didn't have much luck with it until a few years later (I'll attach some of those first IR photos I took). I mostly shoot analog now, but whenever I do shoot digital, it's almost always IR. Last year, I did a diy conversion on my Sony A5000 to make it full spectrum, which had the side effect of opening up the possibilities of the shorter wavelengths. Last month I ordered a ZWB2 and TSN575 from Tangsinuo, and they were finally delivered last week! So far, UV has been a really fun rabbit hole, especially because it encouraged me to learn more about what I'm photographing (like finding out why plants reflect IR, why certain flowers have unique patterns in UV but not visible, etc). And now that I have access to lots of research libraries through my community college, I've honestly found myself spending more time reading research papers than actually taking pictures 

 

Besides photography, some of my other hobbies are music (I've been playing bass and guitar for a few years), and also more recently, geology

 

Anyways, it really is an honor to be accepted into the forum, since I've learned so much from all the posts on here after lurking for almost a year. I'll be posting some of my pictures into the relevant forums soon, but for now, here's a few of my pictures, both new and old:

 

 

 

 

Two of my first few IR photos, taken with an unconverted Nikon D90 and no-name 850nm filter around mid-2018 I think. WBd to grey object, and R&B channels swapped. These exposure times were really long, I think like 25-30 seconds. The D90 gives some really unique false colors, despite being unmodified. I wonder if it has to do with the CFA response, or maybe the filter was letting some shorter wavelength IR through?

 

 

One of my favorites. Taken in Banff, some time in 2018, again with the unconverted D90 + 850nm filter. I love the Aerochrome-ish colors in this one

 

 

 

Some more recent ones, taken last week with a FS Sony A5000, Sigma 19mm f2.8 DN, and ZWB2 + TSN575. I think these were around 1/30s at ISO 2500 in daylight... definitely a bit grainy 

[nfoto]

Welcome and hopefully there will be a fruitful communication further on -- to the mutual benefit of all.

[colinbm]

Hi Cerp, looking good, keep them rolling.

[dabateman]

Welcome. 

I really like the Banff image. I never made it out there.

Maybe one day I will photograph some mountains. 

[lukaszgryglicki]

Welcome to the forum, I like your colorful IR photos, I wonder how they are so colorful when channels response > 830-850 is mostly monochrome (I mean R/G/B curves all look almost identical when scaled by some factor - so their response dos not give variation needed to create colors - at least with my cameras).

 

[GaryR]

Those are impressive colors from your stock D90.
It's been many years since I've been out there, but I do remember that profile of Mt. Norquay.
All the best in your UV journey.

[dabateman]

7 hours ago, lukaszgryglicki said:

Welcome to the forum, I like your colorful IR photos, I wonder how they are so colorful when channels response > 830-850 is mostly monochrome (I mean R/G/B curves all look almost identical when scaled by some factor - so their response dos not give variation needed to create colors - at least with my cameras).

 

My guess is that its not IR really.  The filter most likely has a long tail into Red and the stock camera is showing the upper red part of the spectrum.  

Remember its not on a converted camera, but off the shelf camera, stock camera. 

[photoni]

18 minutes ago, dabateman said:

7 hours ago, lukaszgryglicki said:

 

My guess is that its not IR really.  The filter most likely has a long tail into Red and the stock camera is showing the upper red part of the spectrum.  

Remember its not on a converted camera, but off the shelf camera, stock camera. 

 

a friend of mine tried R72 on a standard Fujifilm X, it works well but it takes a very long time,

@dabateman I think your guess is right, the 800 filter is so deep that it reveals the red channel

 

@CerpRem the D90 I think has special features that modern cameras don't have.

[Doug A]

Welcome to the forum, your photos are excellent. It isn't easy shooting IR with a stock camera. Love the color. Even with a modified camera UV is difficult. Did you modify the Sony or have it done? Looking forward to more posts.

Thanks for sharing,

Doug A

 

[Nate]

Nice images Cerp! Welcome 

[Andrea B.]

I'm happy to hear you are enjoying shooting in alternate light! I had the same experience falling down that rabbit hole of wanting to know more about the plants, landscapes, rocks, materials, and all. Now I own scads of filters and too many lenses and at least half the field guides ever written, but it's still great fun.

[CerpRem]

Thank you so much everyone! It is so great to finally be on the forum. I had some time this week to try out some IR - VIS - UV multispectral and I'll be posting those images soon, once I finish processing them

On 5/21/2023 at 1:00 PM, dabateman said:

My guess is that its not IR really.  The filter most likely has a long tail into Red and the stock camera is showing the upper red part of the spectrum.  

Remember its not on a converted camera, but off the shelf camera, stock camera. 

 

That's my best assumption too. Unfortunately I don't have any other filters (besides the 850nm) to test out, to see how much those false colors change with different wavelengths. It would be interesting to test that filter on my D5000 and see if it gives the same false colors as the D90 (I'm sure it will, considering those two cameras have the same sensor, but in the chance that it doesn't.... it would definitely be interesting)

[CerpRem]

On 5/22/2023 at 9:35 AM, Doug A said:

Welcome to the forum, your photos are excellent. It isn't easy shooting IR with a stock camera. Love the color. Even with a modified camera UV is difficult. Did you modify the Sony or have it done? Looking forward to more posts.

Thanks for sharing,

Doug A

 

Thank you  I modified the A5000 myself, it was already broken (a ribbon cable got disconnected somehow) and while I was fixing it I decided I might as well take out the IR filter while I'm at it. One of these days I might put a piece of clear glass in front of the sensor, I'm a bit scared to clean it since it's just the bare sensor 

[colinbm]

@CerpRem "I'm a bit scared to clean it since it's just the bare sensor"
Are the gold wire traces exposed or under the cover glass ? If they are under the cover glass then it is just another piece of glass that you are cleaning, nothing special, just anything on the glass will make a shadow (dust bunnies) that you can clean off.

[ulf]

To remove the protective window on an image sensor is normally very difficult, nothing you do when removing the IR-filter.

For using a converted camera it is in a way better to not replace the filter with a clear glass.

Removing the IR-filters causes a focal shift that can be corrected by recalibrating the focal point by shifting the sensor a bit forward or by replacing the filter with clear glass.

If replacing with a clear glass window it can be difficult to avoid trapping dust between the glass and the sensor's fixed front window.

 

My Sony A7 III is converted by removal of the filters and recalibration of the sensor position.

No gold wires are exposed.

[CerpRem]

On 6/8/2023 at 2:36 AM, colinbm said:

@CerpRem "I'm a bit scared to clean it since it's just the bare sensor"
Are the gold wire traces exposed or under the cover glass ? If they are under the cover glass then it is just another piece of glass that you are cleaning, nothing special, just anything on the glass will make a shadow (dust bunnies) that you can clean off.

 

On 6/8/2023 at 2:56 AM, ulf said:

To remove the protective window on an image sensor is normally very difficult, nothing you do when removing the IR-filter.

For using a converted camera it is in a way better to not replace the filter with a clear glass.

Removing the IR-filters causes a focal shift that can be corrected by recalibrating the focal point by shifting the sensor a bit forward or by replacing the filter with clear glass.

If replacing with a clear glass window it can be difficult to avoid trapping dust between the glass and the sensor's fixed front window.

 

My Sony A7 III is converted by removal of the filters and recalibration of the sensor position.

No gold wires are exposed.

 

Thank you! I just double checked and you both are right, there's definitely another piece of glass in front of the sensor. That gives me some peace of mind!