Infrared!

[sleeping]

So, like I mentioned in a different thread, I had my NEX 3 converted to IR.

For the uninitiated, what that means is the IR blocking filter on the sensor has been replaced with one that blocks visible light and allows the camera to capture the near IR spectrum instead. It’s not thermal imaging (that requires looking much deeper into the IR range than this allows) but it does change the tonal spectrum and color response quite dramatically….

In particular, foliage tends to reflect IR much more strongly, meaning it comes over much brighter – this bush is actually dark green to the eye:

Other things can just look plain weird:

But other stuff can look much more normal, apart from the color (I need to do more experimenting with the color settings…):

[orionid]

Nice. I like to start with manual wb on grass in full sun, human skin, or concrete, then WB bracket from there. Depending on the software you use for RAW, if you do this, your converter will fark it up by clipping the WB to a “reasonable” value.

[ravnostic]

Very cool! I was tempted to go the full IR route and then just stack them with the regular shots, but in the end, I’ve opted just to remove the IR filter so I can get the further spectrum in addition to the regular one.

[ravnostic]

From the ‘Ain’t datta bitch’ department: The camera shop called and my i/r converted xTi was ready. They didn’t have to repair it–turns out there was a screw, not from my camera body, that had lodged in there somehow (my guess is it came from the lens that fell apart the first time I put it on and tried to use autofocus–a little inset allen head thingy). So all they had to do was remove the i/r filter.

So do I get to go out this weekend (Sat night-Tues?) NO. 100% chance of rain Sat night/Sunday, 60% sunday night, cloudy Monday nad Tuesday (and cold, to boot.) W-T-F when I go back to work? Clear and warm.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Phoenix&state=AZ&site=PSR&textField1=33.4483&textField2=-112.073&e=0

sucks to be me. But I’ll be out in the morning to see what effect it has in photos; I’ll take them with the i/r converted and the regular xTi and see what happens in terrestrial photos (probably not much more than making the shots more ‘red’, but we’ll see.)

[lokisbong]

Lucky you only having rain. lol It’s supposed to snow here up to a foot over the next two days from what I read. lucky about them not having to do major surgery on your camera though I bet you didn’t feel so lucky when it decided not to work correctly and bought a new camera to replace it.

[ravnostic]

Yeah, I remember the last shot I took when I heard a little ‘whirr’ that just grew low in tone. Then…nothing. BUT having bought the replacement, AND having upgraded, that gives me a body, a spare body, and something I can play with besides. 🙂

[chupathingie]

You’re gonna love not having that IR block in place for astro… if you spring for an HA-pass filter you’ll be able to shoot long exposures even during the full moon in town through light pollution to combine with full-spectrum subs.

[ravnostic]

Trying the camera out terrestrially (it’s already overcast), I’m not overly thrilled. Sans any filter, it’s so noisy it’s useless, excepting for a fabric effect. With a polarizer it’s less-so, but even DPP isn’t let me edit properly (the image goes black unless I’m on full-res. And then, I see every pixel, surrounded by black, almost like a led jumbo screen, but square and up close. The lines across the sensor are aweful.).

So, as a ‘land’ based camera goes, it’s a bust. I’ll have to wait at least a week, and probably two, before I have a chance to try it out in dark skies. But I’m not at all impressed–perhaps this is why folks go full-on IR instead of the wide spectrum.

[orionid]

Weird.

[chupathingie]

That does not sound normal. Losing the IR block should only upset your color balance and increase the overall brightness of any IR source or reflectors… you should not see any additional noise.

Dumb question, but is your PC treating files from your other camera properly? (just wanna get that outta the way early on! :lol:)

[chupathingie]

Oh, and how do the exposures look on the camera’s display?

[sleeping]

A few more…

[ravnostic]

I don’t want to derail the thread with my woes, chupa I’ll start a new thread presently in the ‘tips and tricks’ forum. Suffice it to say it’s a WB issue (or appears to be.)

[CauseISaidSo]

sleeping, love that railroad tracks shot.

[sleeping]

sleeping, love that railroad tracks shot.

Thanks!

A couple more, we finally got some sun today so these look more like typical IR stuff:

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