Infrared photography with Digital Rebel

Has anybody succesfully taken infrared pictures with the Digital

Rebel? I have a Hoya R72 and tryed just a few pictures and I got

almost nothing. I put the filter en the lense and took a picture of

some trees and sky nad I only got the clouds. If i took just the trees

I got just a black picture. I tryed with ISO 100 and ISO 1600. With

the ISO 1600 I got nothing.

You might get better results by setting the Tv on 'Bulb' and taking several second (minute?) exposures. There are a couple of links about IR photography on http://photonotes.org/articles/ that should get you started.

 

Have fun!

<p>Many (most? all?) digital cameras' sensors are sensitive to IR. Most people want the camera to take a picture as their eye sees it, which means that the IR has to be blocked, so they have an IR-blocking filter over the sensor. There are also <a href="http://www.parascope.com/articles/slips/fs32_1.htm" target="_blank">famous issues with seeing through clothing</a> if IR isn't blocked.</p>

 

<p>The filter isn't designed to be removable but there are companies (such as <a href="http://www.irdigital.net/" target="_blank">this one</a> which will convert your Digital Rebel to an IR camera.</p>

Yeah, you'll have to put your camera on a tripod and take multi-second exposures with an

R72. It'll work, but there are two issues. First, the long exposure time means that it's only

good for static images like landscapes (or slightly fuzzy portraits if you can convince

someone to sit still). Second, for some mysterious reason some lenses result in glowing

hotspots in the middle of the lens when used for digital IR though not film IR.

Then my new question would be: how do you meter for infrared photography with a digital Rebel with R72?

I usually use HIE with a red 25 filter or SFX200 with the R72. I use an Elan 7e and I let the camera do the metering. So far, no problem (OK there is some foging with the HIE). Now with the digital the metering wont work. In another post, I read that overexposing 2 steps could be an option. I will try it, but I think it won't be enough and that is as far as the Digital Rebel would let me. I also have a lightmeter so I could meter with it, but what ISO should I set the light meter and the camera? I was thinking in setting the camera at ISO 100, but the lightmeter?

You get something like a 10 fstop drop in the sensitivity of the camera when using a filter like that so you'll want to set the shutter time for about 4 to 8 seconds.

I've had good luck taking IR pictures with a 10D using a Hoya R72 filter on a Canon 50 f/1.8 lens (this lens doesn't have the weird center hotspot that some others do). I initially guess at the starting exposure and then check the histogram and adjust the parameters (mostly shutter speed) as appropriate. Use manual mode, which will allow you to set the exposure time at will (you won't be limited to two stops of exposure compensation). Almost everything I've done has involved static subjects, so I've had the luxury of time to experiment. I've typically used rather small apertures and exposure times of 30-150+ seconds (on a tripod). I've done quite a few scenes that included moving water, which has led to interesting effects.

 

One complication with IR photography is that light with wavelengths in the infrared is focussed slightly differently from visible light, so some sort of focus compensation can be required for sharp pictures. Lenses with depth-of-field scales will often have a special marker indicating the necessary IR focus offset. My lens doesn't have a scale, so I try to compensate by stopping down.

 

Try using manual mode, long (5-90 seconds, depending on the subject, ISO setting, and aperture) exposures, and checking the exposure with the histogram.

Hi, Victor. I've done this with the 10D and R72, with pretty good luck. Since we have the same sensor, you should have the same luck. Note, though, that some lenses have an IR "hotspot" in the middle of them that can produce cloudy images. I've referred to <a href="http://www.ephotozine.com/forum/viewanswers.cfm?qid=11946&catid=6">this list</a> in the past, but I'm not sure of its accuracy. (My 28-105, for example, works just fine.)

<br><br>

Shooting in manual mode and on a lens with IR marks on focus ring are essential to getting well exposed, well focused pictures.

<br><br>

I typically shoot ISO 400, f/8 with exposure time from 4-6 seconds. You can, of course, go longer and reduce "film speed" but I've found the noise from higher ISO less objectionable than the noise from long exposure in IR.

<br><br>

This gallery (<a href="http://www.poweredbysteam.com/photos/2004_02_06/">Digital IR with the Canon 10D</a>) shows some of the shots from the very first day I had the R72. A few more from <a href="http://www.poweredbysteam.com/photos/2004_02_07/">O'Neill Regional Park</a> in Orange County are shown in this gallery.

<br><br>

The key is lots of practice and experimentation. Hope this helps!

I've tried it with the Hoya R72, and it does work, but the in camera meter is horribly fooled. My guess is that the meter is not IR shielded, but the image sensor is.

 

But since it's digital, metering is moot anyhow. Just take the shot, and check the histogram on the review.

 

I can't remember off hand, but about iso100 & 1 sec sounds about right.

This subject seems to be beaten to death in the dpreview forum...

 

Here is what I learned.

 

Lens like 50/1.8 works, but 50/1.4, or 28-135/IS won't work, as they have different coatings. I don't know what other lenses would work.

 

The exposure for IR picture would be long.

1. The IR filter w/i the 10D blocks light really well...

2. You need small aperture to get enough DOF to ensure that you are focusing on the wrong subject.

 

For landscape shots in a sunny day, my typical setting is: 100 ISO, f/11, 25 sec.

 

The good thing is that you have instant (almost) feedback with the histogram.

 

Good luck!

 

Lu<div></div>

I took these with my 10D and the EF 85 f/1.8 using a Kodak Wratten gelatin filter No. 89B

 

The one with the car is not as much IR looking as the ivy but, still it exibits the traits of an IR pix (lighter foliage, darker skies).<div></div>

another one...<div></div>

I too have a Canon 10D and have used an infrared R72 Filter with marginal success. Very much the same as other answers, you have to use a tripod and I have played around with shutter settings and exposure times. ISO 100 at 2 0r 3 sec exposures f5.6. I have found that if you use a larger fstop, say f16 or higher the concentrated area of light that appears in the centre of the shot tends to be more focused. When you use an smaller Fstop it tends to be more diffused and less obvious.

Also for some reason the stronger the sun light the more obvious the hot spot in the centre becomes.

 

I initially thought this may be due to some kind of infrared metering system the camera has for focusing, but when I use manual focus I still get it. I think it may have something to do with the suns rays or strong sun light but am not sure, just my best guess. I used these filter on my EOS 3ooN and had good sucess apart from a band od over exposed bleeding on the bottom due to something inside the camera. Still the problem with the concentrated hot spot remains a mystery to me.

 

If anybody knows for sure why this occurs could you please e-mail me as I would love to know.

 

Good luck, stick with a tripod and play with exposures.

 

Gary

Follow up to IR question. I have been doing a little more research and discovered that this problem of the concentrated hot spot of light is something to do with the Digital camera, as it does not happen on my 35 mm camera. Also, I think it has a lot to do with the sensor and light being relfected or excited on or off of it.

 

This problem does get worse with a small aperture, high Fstop (f22), which you need to get the depth of field.

 

However, if you buy a canon EF 50 mm fixed lens, the problem does not occur. I have done this and the results are beautiful. You still have to play around with exposure times v's fstops, but this works with no problem.

 

It does not answer the question but at least it gives you an option that works.

 

Gary<div></div>

I had great success with Digital Rebel infrared. I used 50mm 1.8 lens with a cheap lee filter 87 (about $13.00), tripod mounted, manual mode f8 @ 4 secounds iso 400. In photoshop I converted it to black and white via grayscale, increased brightness and contrast.

 

--- Dennis Wills

<a href="http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/d70v10d/eval.htm"> This page </a> might be of some interest to you. According to the conclusion, the Canon 10D has a very poor IR sensitivity...