D20 Infrared Photography

[stalbot12211]

I need to take technical photos of a material that emits at between 800 and 1000nm. I have been looking into the RM72 Hoya and #87 Tiffen filter and using my Canon D20. Does anyone have direct experiance using the D20 with the 28 -130mm lense. The lighting for the material is in the UV range under 450nm. Does anyone know of resource that talks of the sensitivity of the D20 sensor? Or does anyone know a resource on what lenses have anti-IR coating that would prohibited their use?

[Deckyon]

Actually, there is a "filter" on the sensor itself that prohibits this. However, I have seen that Canon is producing a D20 without this filter for "astrophotography" and other IR uses. Granted, this probably does not help you if you already got a 20D.

I have tried to use my RM72 from Hoya and am not impressed with the results, even after photoshopping the photos. By all means, give it a shot, maybe you will have better results.

There is a book, "Digital Infrared Photography: Professional Techniques and Images" by Patrick Rice. It looks like a very viable book, if you are interested in IR photography with digital camera. I saw it reviewed in a magazine (forgot which one) and I have ordered it.

[Longwatcher]

I need to take technical photos of a material that emits at between 800 and 1000nm. I have been looking into the RM72 Hoya and #87 Tiffen filter and using my Canon D20. Does anyone have direct experiance using the D20 with the 28 -130mm lense. The lighting for the material is in the UV range under 450nm. Does anyone know of resource that talks of the sensitivity of the D20 sensor? Or does anyone know a resource on what lenses have anti-IR coating that would prohibited their use?

For what you are trying to do, I doubt a standard Canon DSLR is going to work.

Can't speak to 20D specifically, but based on results from Hoya R72
D60 IR filter cutoff at almost exactly 720nm (As in no IR with this camera as is)
10D IR filter cutoff at about 800nm
1DsMkII filter cutoff at about 780nm, but seemed to pickup again at around 850nm or so. Could be my imagination though.

Non-scientific tests, based on image analayst's judgement. I have no mechanism to test the UV side of the line.

I have on several occasions asked Canon to provide this and keep getting "that information does not exist", which I know is Customer Service speak for we either don't want to give it out or we don't ever talk to our engineers. I got a nicer respose when asking for my 1DsMkII, but it was still the same.

keep meaning to take a visit over the NASA Langley and have some friends of mine test the spectral response, but it is too low of a priority to bother.

There are some folks who will mod the camera to take out the ir filter and as mentioned Canon has the astrography version. which if you ever get the spectral respose for that one, please let me know as well.

[Jon]

The 20Da has had the IR-cutoff filter replaced with one that passes Hα. Alternatively, there are companies that will remove the IR cutoff filter, and someone posted a link to a "how-to" on removing the filter yourself. If you want to try that, pick up an old D30 or D60, because it's an irreversible procedure (well, unless you want to get a new sensor). I think Pop. Photography's forum had a link to which Canon lenses do well for IR photography. But there is a list somewhere on it. Sorry I cxan't be more specific, but clicking on the link Google turned up got me a blank page.