D200 - Infrared Photography -- Where do I start from ???

<p>Hello Forum,</p>

<p>I always was curious about infrared photography and have no knowledge of it at all !! Where should I start from with a D200, and a few mid-range normal and zoom lenses that I have. I need please some advise on books and tools that I need (filters, lenses, etc.), something suitable for an infrared-virgin. Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>For film infrared was relativly simple - you changed the film to infrared and shot away.</p>

<p>For digital - there are a couple of ways to go. One is to have the camera converted to IR. Basically think of it as major surgery on your D200. In this case the "surgeon" removes the filters from in front of the sensor that blocks the IR light. As far as I know - It's irreversable and it's certainly not something that I would attempt on my own.</p>

<p>The second option is to find a good post processing converter such as Alien Skin that allows you to shoot in "normal" mode then modify the file in Photoshop to simulate IR. In my opinion they do a pretty decent job of simulating it. And it doesn't cost you a camera to see if it works or not.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Hi,<br>

You mean to get photos that look like this?:<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/4880761<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/8468680&size=lg<br>

=======<br>

This is the best discussion forum for Infrared photography I am familiar with:<br>

http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?board=57.0<br>

there are a few superb photographers on that list including Bjorn Rorslett PhD (posts as nfoto), Dr. Klaus D. Schmitt (posts as kds315...see his web site for lens evaluation for Infrared and UV photography: http://www.macrolenses.de/start.php?lang=en); and finally a woman from New Jersey: "annedi."<br>

If you want to convert your D200 camera yourself, here are the directions:<br>

http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?topic=10528.0<br>

...but I recommend having a business such as LifePixel (do google search) perform the conversion for you.<br>

Other recommended IR sites are:<br>

http://www.dimagemaker.com/digital-infrared/ir-beginners.php<br>

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=214<br>

http://irphotocom.proboards49.com/index.cgi?<br>

============<br>

That is sufficient for now...I do recommend posting all your IR questions over at the site with nFoto, kds315 and annedi.</p>

<p>rdc/nyc</p>

<p> </p>

<p>You don't have to alter the D200 to take IR photos. You just need a filter like the Hoya R72 to screw onto the lens. The exposures will be very long though, because the D200's internal IR filter is very strong (resulting in sharper "normal" images).</p>

<p>The D200 has very very poor IR sensitivity unless you remove& replace the AA filter inside.</p>

<p>I would use the channel mixer in photoshop on a regular color image. Lighten the green and red, decrease the blue channel and convert it to monochrome.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Joseph is right, you don't need the conversion to do infrared photography. But not having the "major surgery" means that you will require longer exposure times to get properly exposed pictures and will definitely require a tripod. Do NOT trust your light meter. Your best bet is to set the camera in manual exposure mode, guess the exposure, and check on the LCD.<br>

You will need a Hoya R72 (or equivalent) infrared filter. These can be VERY expensive in larger filter diameters. Opteka makes a cheaper option that I have used with OK results. <br>

Your choice of lens will also determine the quality of your pictures and will impact exposure times. Some lenses do funny things in infrared that do not show up in normal shooting conditions, haze, weird spots ("hot spots"), etc. In the Nikon system, many of the 18-xx zoom lenses work very well.</p>

<p>(a) save yourself some (total!) headaches and have the D200 converted - it will make life so much easier and you will not need to use a tripod (can shoot at normal shutter speeds of 1/30 sec or GREATER) as opposed to seconds with the deep Hoya (not true IR if one wants to be picky) filter-over-lens route. However, to be fair, the latter is much cheaper. A conversion by a third part will cost $300 or so.</p>

<p>(2) You must decide on the type of conversion...standard IR; deep IR (just for black-and-white; or a type of conversion where a clear glass filter is placed over your sensor and you place an IR filter (preferably a Baader IR filter) over the lens.</p>

<p>Again, the folks who could best address your interest are over at:<br>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?board=57.0" target="_blank">http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?board=57.0</a></p>

 

<p>Thank you, Dr. Robert and everybody !!! I really don't want the Infrared to be my only thing and am kind of wory about converting my D200. I thought it's something that can be done in parallel with general photography. Use of filters and long exposure are great but sending my D200 to a surgery is kind of "I don't really want to do" type of thing. </p>

<p>The two links that Dr. Robert posted are exactly what I have in mind:<br>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.photo.net/photo/4880761">http://www.photo.net/photo/4880761</a><br /><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.photo.net/photo/8468680&size=lg">http://www.photo.net/photo/8468680&size=lg</a></p>

<p>These are exactly what I want to get out of D200. Thanks folks.</p>

Try the camera Black-and-white setting and see if you like results?

 

Try color, and convert to black and white in Photoshop, and see if you like it better?

 

Experiment a bit before you destroy your D200 for $300.

<p>Don't know if it is any cheaper than a conversion but a D70 has much better IR response than a D200. Another alternative is a Kodak DCS 760, basicly a digital modded Nikon F5, these had removeable IR filters. Kodak no longer supports the camera so this is a little iffy as they were last made in 2003.<br>

Tom</p>

<p>I just had my D200 converted by Lifepixel (arrived today).</p>

<p>Lifepixel says they will replace the sensor they took out if you want to go back to shooting the visual light spectrum. The cost is around $150 or so.</p>

<p>Depending on where do you live, sending your camera to IR conversion can be affordable or not...<br>

I just did my hot mirror filter replacement for my D80. Not exactly a piece of cake, but its doable. Be aware that you need to readjust the focus for IR if you replace the filter yourself. Some of the pics I have taken with the converted camera are available on my gallery, if interested.</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Luis</p>

<p>If you happen to find cheap Sigma SD10 or 14 they have easily removable filters. Easy to put back too as the filter is not directly on the sensor.</p>

<p>http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4089/camera-hack-capture-invisible-light-with-your-sigma-sd14.html</p>

<p>http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~gisle/photo/ir4.html</p>