Dedicated Infrared Digital Camera Conversions: Why it makes you a better Photographer

What you read about Digital Infrared Camera Conversion in the next few paragraphs may come as a surprise. I know when I first came across this idea of converting a camera to infrared only, I was NOT convinced about its necessity nor its benefits.

In the dedicated infrared digital camera conversion process the sensor filter that normally blocks the IR light (IR light in a regular visible light image is an unwanted intruder, and causes poor results in normal shooting conditions) is removed. This is replaced with a permanent opaque 87B or equivalent IR filter right over the sensor. The exact type of filter will depend on the make and model of your camera.

But more important than WHAT it is, is HOW you use a dedicated infrared digital camera conversion like this. What if I were to tell you you’d be able to shoot fine IR images but no longer have to schlep your tripod everywhere, you wouldn’t have another filter to keep track of, you could actually see your composition in the view finder, you could use normal exposure times and shutter speeds, and you could shoot IR anytime, anywhere! Even of fast moving subjects like kids, people, and trees and plants on windy days? Well, now conversion makes it all possible.

And a bonus! Long exposure noise reduction is reduced with dedicated infrared digital camera conversions; post production time reduced by half - or more! Are you starting to wonder, even just a bit - about whether or not this may be a good idea?

And did I mention the amazing image quality? Here are 2 100% crops of the same scene, the first taken with my original D70 and the Cokin 007 IR filter (89B equivalent - it's the one I always use).

And the second taken with the new convered D70 from Lifepixel. I think you can see the difference quite plainly. I attribute this to the much faster exposure times for the converted camera, and that the sensor is capturing MORE IR light and less visible light.

Because of size constraints I can't post the hi-res images here, but send me an e-mail and I'll send you the full-size crops. the difference in quaility is amazing. Digital "noise" is almost non-existant.