Just converted a Nikon D1 to Infrared!

03/07/2008 12:05:49 PM · #1

So I was super excited when I bought a Nikon D1 used from my local National Camera for LESS THAN $150! I brought it home and immediately opened it up and removed the low-pass filter. Unfortunately, I don't yet have a replacement IR filter to put where the low-pass was, but I'll get one soon. For now I'm shooting with my Tokina 28mm f/2.8 manual lens and my Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 and my 52mm Hoya R72 filter on the end. The quality on some is great, but focus is sometimes tricky to nail :)

Anyways, enough of my babble! Here's a couple images I've taken already! Any criticism or tips from other IR shooter would be lovely!

D1 Infrared Set on Flickr

PS: Who knows how to set a custom white balance for IR?

PSS: If I got dust on the sensor in the process, do I use one of those blower things (not canned air, the ones you squeeze) to get it off?

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

03/07/2008 12:49:30 PM · #2

Originally posted by Anti-Martyr:

fun! i can't wait to buy a d300 so i can convert my d70 to ir... sigh.

anyway, as for white balance, point the camera at something green (trees, grass, etc) and take a white balance value from those. other idea is to grab a few shades of solid green card stock paper (try a hobby store or scrapbooking store) and set your white balance using those...

guess we could always beg expodisc to make an IR version...

PhotoDave

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/07/2008 12:52:14 PM · #3

Judi also posted a tut on shooting IR that you mite want to look at..

//www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=56

-dave

caba

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

03/07/2008 01:05:56 PM · #4

We have a local comany that does conversions, IR conversion

Frank

03/07/2008 01:16:31 PM · #5

Yeah! Lifepixel is great. I used their conversion tutorial to take out my low-pass filter and it went off without a hitch! (except for one of the screws becoming pretty stripped D:)

I still need to clean my sensor somehow. I think I'm gonna try one of the blower thingies.

Also, do you think I'd be able to cut up my Hoya R72 filter and be able to place it where the low-pass filter is? My mom has glass cutting stuff because she does glass art, so I'd be able to make accurate cuts. I'm worried though because the low-pass filter is thinner on the edges and I don't know if I'd be able to recreate that effect-- and if I can't, I don't know if it will fit into the filter holder... What to do!

EDIT: I don't think shooting green card as a WB setting would work. Infrared pictures come out more according to reflectance, not the actual color itself. If you look at the Flickr page I posted, you'll see in 2 of the portraits that he's wearing what appears to be a white jacked-- that jacket was actually a dark plaid pattern, but it still came up white. Therefore I'm not sure green card would reflect correctly.

Message edited by author 2008-03-07 13:18:28.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

03/07/2008 01:29:07 PM · #6

Originally posted by Anti-Martyr:

EDIT: I don't think shooting green card as a WB setting would work. Infrared pictures come out more according to reflectance, not the actual color itself. If you look at the Flickr page I posted, you'll see in 2 of the portraits that he's wearing what appears to be a white jacked-- that jacket was actually a dark plaid pattern, but it still came up white. Therefore I'm not sure green card would reflect correctly.

not saying it works or that it wasn't just a fluke, but this photo was shot using a medium green sheet of card stock to set the WB :

(the color is pretty much what they were in camera...)

not sure what it would do outside, either...

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

03/07/2008 01:31:03 PM · #7

How exactly do you COVERT a camera to IR? Can't you just buy an R72 filter and shoot IR?

03/07/2008 01:37:01 PM · #8

Originally posted by Dirt_Diver:

How exactly do you COVERT a camera to IR? Can't you just buy an R72 filter and shoot IR?

you convert it by replacing the low pass filter with an ir filter just over the sensor. that way, every lens is an ir lens regardless of thread size, you can shoot at (nearly) normal shutter speeds, and you can now use the view finder to frame a shot...

03/07/2008 02:29:39 PM · #9

I haven't put the IR filter over the sensor yet. I'm still looking for an answer as to whether I'd just be able to cut my filter to fit over the sensor or not. The problem is that the D1's low pass filter's 2 vertical edges are considerably bevelled. I wouldn't be able to reproduce that, so I don't know if just cutting a correctly sized rectangle without the bevels would work.

hyperfocal

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

03/07/2008 02:30:36 PM · #10

Originally posted by kudzu:

fun! i can't wait to buy a d300 so i can convert my d70 to ir... sigh.

Hey Kudzu I've still got that LifePixel infrared filter that I've never installed (or even opened), your welcome to it IF you do the conversion. Just a little help to nudge you towards the D300;-)

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

03/07/2008 02:31:40 PM · #11

Originally posted by hyperfocal:

Originally posted by kudzu:

fun! i can't wait to buy a d300 so i can convert my d70 to ir... sigh.

Hey Kudzu I've still got that LifePixel infrared filter that I've never installed (or even opened), your welcome to it IF you do the conversion. Just a little help to nudge you towards the D300;-)

great... thanks! now can you do something about my debt to income ratio?

;)

FireBird

03/07/2008 03:09:46 PM · #12

Wow. Is Alex going to school to be a proctologist???? He's qualified!
Try different white balances and shoot in raw so you can change it. I think
the D1 has raw. You'll find a setting you like. That's the nice thing about
IR. It is weird to start with. Choose the weird you like. Cool. I'd like to
get one of those and play around. I keep hoping my brother will tire of my spare D70 at some point. Then I will convert it. If you decide to get rid of yours, drop me a line.

PhotoDave

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/07/2008 03:10:03 PM · #13

I mite just have to buy one of them filters to convert my old 400D :D nothing to loose since it pretty much works for the most part even after the drowning it got LOL :P

-dave

03/07/2008 03:13:18 PM · #14

Originally posted by hyperfocal:

Hey Kudzu I've still got that LifePixel infrared filter that I've never installed (or even opened), your welcome to it IF you do the conversion. Just a little help to nudge you towards the D300;-)

Say... I could use a filter. Haha, I don't even know if that one will fit in the D1, even though they're the same sensor size.

Actually, would you mind taking a picture of it, if it's visible from the packaging and posting it somewhere? I'm a bit interested in the physical shape.

hyperfocal

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

03/07/2008 03:33:23 PM · #15

Originally posted by kudzu:

Originally posted by hyperfocal:

Originally posted by kudzu:

fun! i can't wait to buy a d300 so i can convert my d70 to ir... sigh.

Hey Kudzu I've still got that LifePixel infrared filter that I've never installed (or even opened), your welcome to it IF you do the conversion. Just a little help to nudge you towards the D300;-)

great... thanks! now can you do something about my debt to income ratio?

;)

Sure, I'll swap houses with you. Midtown, save ya some gas money ;-).