IR with a Canon 30d

[chewyuk]

Was thinking of giving this a go with an IR filter, anybody got any demo shots they can share that were shot on a 30d ?

I have found this : http://www.maxmax.com/canon_30d.htm which implies the CMOS can be tweaked !! for IR. (Not going down that route)
I'm guessing from that site, that perhaps it isn't the best body to shoot IR.... D200 I guess !!;)

Any thoughts ?

Cheers,
Neil

[KathyD]

Hi, I've got a 20d and it works fine (unconverted) with an IR filter, although most eos lenses will give a hotspot in the center of the image which can take some considerable photoshopping to get rid of. I originally thought the hotspot was due to stray light entering during the very long exposures (at least 25 seconds I have found), but apparently its due to how they are made.

Anyway, here is one of my IR attempts (I'm still new at this photography game, so be gentle!) to give you some idea of what can be done.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1040/ir41.jpg

To start with, I was manually setting the white balance to pickup IR, as suggested in some manual I had read, but there is a good tutorial in July's Digital Photo mage that takes you through the process of shooting IR and it doesn't mention altering WB at all. However, doing it their way results in a very dark red image that requires PSing into B&W, whereas if you change the WB it goes straight into IR - I guess these are just different ways of doing the same thing though.

Here is a link to a discussion on the eos forum about shooting IR - you may find it helpful.
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00IXFm

Look forward to seeing some of your results! ;)

[mole2k]

The 30D is capable of IR it just will have very long exposures. Around 30sec for a Hoya R72, or around 8 minutes if you use a Wratten 87c like me!

Here's a quick tut. I wrote on my technique:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=16861

Example:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/857/MG_6840.jpg

[Marcel]

I love IR. Can't put my finger on why, but I think it just looks lovely.

Something that's definitely on my "to try" list (which is growing by the day...lol)

[Steep]

I've always loved it, back in my film days I shot Fuji medium format IR film as much as I could but never had great success in digital with my 300D, not really tried with the 30D yet.

[ryan_in_nashville]

I read on a site somewhere that IR photography with the 30D isn't possible. Something about the internal IR (cut) filter was too strong for the IR (pass) lens filter.

Is that true?

Are the internal filters on the 20D the same as the 30D?

[Steep]

No it's not true ryan, you have two examples in this thread of good IR shots from a 30d. One thing I will say though is that not all lenses are ok for IR because of the coatings they have on the glass, the kit lens for example does not do a good job but the 50mm f1.8 is superb.

[mobilevirgin]

you have two examples in this thread of good IR shots from a 30d

From the exif data of the 2 images above, they were both taken with a 20D.

But, my new funky 30D arrived in the post this morning. So I decided to see whether it could do IR. And it can. These aren't great shots, and I didn't spend much time composing the shot or anything like that - it was a proof of concept really

[1]

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/IMG_3323_copy.jpg

Taken with a 30D and Canon 50mm f/1.8

[2]

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/IMG_3320_copy.jpg

Taken with 30D and Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5

Both using a Hoya R72 filter

[ryan_in_nashville]

Nice!

I got an non-branded filter on ebay. It's rated at 950nm...you can't see through it even holding it up to a light.

How long were your exposures using the R72?

I only have one lens right now...it's the L 24-105 f/4 IS.

Anyone ever tried that one with IR?

[Steep]

Google for canon IR lens you'll find lists of lenses that work or don't work m8. You'd be looking at around 5-6 minutes exposure at f10 on a bright sunny day I would say but it's trial and error.

[mobilevirgin]

How long were your exposures using the R72?


30 secs, both of them - that's the longest it will do on timer setting (I don't have a remote cable yet). ISO 100.

Ideally I would have liked to be able to use smaller apertures, to get a sharper focus, but until I can manage longer exposures, then this is about the limit without upping the ISO

[ryan_in_nashville]

I just ordered the cable remote last night.

Wish the 77mm Hoya wasn't so darned expensive!

What's your white balance set to?

[mobilevirgin]

What's your white balance set to?

Its set to auto - there's no point in doing anything else. Use the eye dropper tool in adobe camera raw and select a bit of the greenery as a white point - keep moving it around until you get something you like.

There's a really good IR tutorial here: http://www.pbase.com/dlarson2/ir_work_flow

[ryan_in_nashville]

Nice! Thanks for the link. Hopefully my cable remote will be in before Friday and I can toy with IR this weekend.

[mole2k]

I have a totally black (wratten 87c) IR filter, on the 20D my shutter speeds are generally in the 5-10min region at f8 iso400 on a sunny day.

[ryan_in_nashville]

I have a totally black (wratten 87c) IR filter, on the 20D my shutter speeds are generally in the 5-10min region at f8 iso400 on a sunny day.

I'm sure I'll be right up there with you on that time frame. My filter is totally black too. I can't wait to actually try it out. Just have to find something interesting to photograph now. LOL

[Slipper-one]

Ryan the 950 is the strongest IR filter so expect some seriously long exposures.
I have all 3, 720nm, 850nm and 950nm.
Just to throw some light on it for you, or block it in this instant, did some test exposures using my Minolta D7 all @f3.5 .
1. No filter 1/2000.
2. 720 1/45 hoya and kood
3. 850 1/8
4. 950 4sec or could that have been minutes;)

There are several theards re. ir and if you check some of the galleries you'll see plenty.
Russ

[Chillimonster]

I tend to use the Fuji F31 or Canon G7 for IR stuff as the require much shorter exposures. The Fuji can be hand-held.

Some from my holidays around the hotel.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Infrared_4_.JPG

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Infrared_3_.JPG

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Infrared_2_.JPG

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Infrared.JPG

[ryan_in_nashville]

SWEET!

[antonroland]

Can't we just mail the nice people at Adobe and ask them to develop an IR filter and build it into CS4?:shrug:

:D

[Messiah Khan]

Can't we just mail the nice people at Adobe and ask them to develop an IR filter and build it into CS4?:shrug:

:D

You mean like the one built into CS3? Its not too goog tbh, and half the fun of IR is the process you have to go through to get the shot.

[Marcel]

I did read a fake IR tutorial about 18 months ago in Practical Photography or Photography Monthly.

OK It wasn't the same as actually shooting in IR, but the results were quite realistic.