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03/19/2012 09:58:45 AM · #1 |
| I wonder if anyone has any experience (bad or good) of the conversion of a camera to IR. I have found a few places that do it and a few sites that also tell you how to DIY but wondered if anyone has any results they could share with me? thanks |
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03/19/2012 11:28:05 AM · #2 |
| I had my 10D coverted by Lifepixel a few years back. I was very impressed. |
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03/19/2012 11:47:19 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
I had my 10D coverted by Lifepixel a few years back. I was very impressed. |
do you have any images on here in ir? which conversion did you have done? thanx |
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03/19/2012 12:12:22 PM · #4 |
I had the standard IR conversion done.
Here are 2 examples. They're no great photographs, but they show what the images look like pretty much right out of the camera. The examples on their site are probably a better indicator, but I'm at work and these are already in my workshop
An interesting note: The sunglasses in the second shot are quite dark when you look at them, yet form the photo they are obviously quite transparent to IR |
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03/19/2012 01:58:37 PM · #5 |
My Canon 30D was converted by LifePixel as well. I've had no problems with the camera. You do need to do a custom white balance at a green target in the sun. (A nice green lawn is perfect.) I usually have mine adjusted for about a 2/3 stop over exposure to get the results I want. But that is my preference, and my 30D.
 
ETA: It was the standard conversion as well...
Message edited by author 2012-03-19 13:59:23. |
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03/19/2012 03:52:29 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by ambaker:
My Canon 30D was converted by LifePixel as well. I've had no problems with the camera. You do need to do a custom white balance at a green target in the sun. (A nice green lawn is perfect.) I usually have mine adjusted for about a 2/3 stop over exposure to get the results I want. But that is my preference, and my 30D.
ETA: It was the standard conversion as well... |
do you know what the differences are between the different conversions? I read the site but I really need to see some examples to know what to go for (I have a spare D30 and D60 here so I guess I would get one of them done) |
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03/19/2012 04:54:13 PM · #7 |
I would like to get this done, too, but they talk about sending along a lens with it because they need to calibrate it to that lens. It sounds like it wouldn't be very successful if you tried to use the camera with any other lens after the conversion.
Is that really the case, or does it work easily and properly with different lenses? |
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03/19/2012 05:05:39 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
I would like to get this done, too, but they talk about sending along a lens with it because they need to calibrate it to that lens. It sounds like it wouldn't be very successful if you tried to use the camera with any other lens after the conversion.
Is that really the case, or does it work easily and properly with different lenses? |
I didn't send a lens with it. I haven't seen any issues. The biggest issue wityh lenses is that some have coatings that are not optimized for IR and you'll get a "spot" in the middle of the image... I believe I saw it mostly with the 50mm f1.8 and the Tamron 28-75, neither of which I still have. |
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03/19/2012 05:35:20 PM · #9 |
This is confusing me. They talk about "universal lens calibration" but say it is only an option for cameras with Live View, which the 20D (that is the one I want to convert) didn't have, if I remember correctly.
//shop.lifepixel.com/1-Convert-your-digital-camera-to-infrared-IR-only-/1-Canon-DSLR-infrared-conversion-service-p3.html
They also talk about a "Full Spectrum Conversion Calibration" and I haven't figured out yet exactly what that means.
ETA:
Ok, it means both. The camera will work for both visible light and IR.
I wonder if it still works as well with IR when you do it this way?
So, Dan, how do you focus your camera? Your 10D doesn't have live view, correct? Do you use auto focus only and that works? I thought the whole point of this conversion was that you could see everything through the viewfinder, instead of seeing just black (like with a filter)?
Message edited by author 2012-03-19 17:42:38. |
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03/19/2012 08:52:55 PM · #10 |
Unless you're shooting macro, wide open portraits or other work where plane of focus is critical, it won't really matter. If it does, you can compensate with MF. Some older lenses have a tick mark on their focusing scale that shows where IR would be focused vs visible. So, I usually just shoot at least a stop or two below wide open and let AF do its thing. If I want to shoot something where my DOF is shallow and focus IS critical, I can focus and manually shift it. The thing is that the image in the finder will seem OOF when the camera is focused for IR.
And yes, having the conversion lets you see the scene through the finder vs. just seeing black as with the filter. The image in the optical finder looks no different than it does through a normal camera (i.e. you don't see the IR effect looking through the finder). The filter is only affecting light hitting the sensor so you would see the effect in the final image or through Live View.
Message edited by author 2012-03-19 20:59:06. |
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03/19/2012 09:21:39 PM · #11 |
They will calibrate to your specific lens, if you want ultra critical focusing. However, I have found my 30D to work well with almost any decent lens. In the days of manual focus lenses, and film SLRs you had a registration mark for the IR focus point. You would focus through the viewfinder, and then move the reading at the lens over to the red line on the lens to compensate for the way IR travels through most glass lenses.
The LifePixel converted cams, are calibrated so the auto focus responds to the IR focal point. I have also been able to focus manually with no problems. As a bit of side info, Apochromatic lenses do not to be adjusted for IR vs regular light. They focus both equally well.
-Alex
Message edited by author 2012-03-19 21:21:53. |
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03/19/2012 09:25:02 PM · #12 |
Excellent - you gave me two very important bits of info... that AF does still work Originally posted by Spork99:
... and let AF do its thing. |
But I can't go by the viewfinder to focus manually
Originally posted by Spork99:
.. the image in the finder will seem OOF . |
My most favourite every day lens (Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS) does have the IR marks, so that's good to know.
Might go ahead with it, after all.
Thanks for your input! |
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03/19/2012 09:42:59 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
But I can't go by the viewfinder to focus manually
Originally posted by Spork99:
.. the image in the finder will seem OOF . |
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Not exactly...you have to know how far from visual light focus and what direction you need to be to focus manually. So to focus manually, you would focus manually so that things are sharp to your eye in the finder then move the focus rig a predetermined amount so that the IR light is focused. |
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04/05/2012 03:07:46 AM · #14 |
Thank you Canon for constantly putting out superior products.
Message edited by author 2012-04-05 10:19:33.
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