I noticed that there are still some hits for the infrared photos I had up on the site a long time ago. Those were taken with a Canon G2 – still a nice camera, although it feels like a toy these days, now that I am used to the Panasonic GH-1. And I guess there is equipment out there, compared to which the GH-1 feels even more like a toy.

Anyway, I digress. Here are the photos – I have uploaded them to Flickr:

For an IR filter, I have used an ORWO 585. This is a lowpass filter which passes light below 790nm. It’s not completely opaque above that threshold, but you have to look at a very bright light source to see a faint violet spot through it, so for all practical purposes it works well.

As you may know, the Canon G2 – like almost all other digital cameras – has a built-in IR filter. This is because the CCD sensor is very sensitive to IR light, and would otherwise produce images which are quite different from the usually intended standard film look.

Fortunately the G2 filter is not completely opaque for IR light, so it works in general, but you have to accept long exposure times and off-the-balance autofocus. This means working with a tripod and manual focus in as bright daylight as you can get. Don’t even think about doing this on an overcast day.

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