ultra violet photography?
- Thread starter AshleyC
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When I had my 20D converted to IR I had a chat with the guys doing it about UV photography. While the sensors used in digital cameras are sensitive to UV they normally have a UV filter in front of the sensor, so that filter would need to be removed - just like they do for the IR modification. However, there's another problem. Most normal lenses, indeed most normal glass, is exceptionally good at absorbing UV. So you'd need to use special UV-transparent glass in your lenses.
At the time (about 5 years ago) they said they were close to getting something usable using Nikon gear. But I've not heard anything since.
At the time (about 5 years ago) they said they were close to getting something usable using Nikon gear. But I've not heard anything since.
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ive seen one lens built for UV but the only price ive seen associated with it is about 6k :nuts: This thing
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It is possible to shoot long wave UV images using a UV passing, visible light cut off filter such as a Kodak Wratten 18A with B&W film or a digital camera with the internal absorbing filter removed but because of the lens glass, UV beneath 350 nm is absorbed and not recorded. The filters themselves are quite expensive and fairly uncommon. There is also a focus shift further forward compared to that of visible light.
For true UV photography lenses made of Quartz or Quartz-Fluorite are needed and both of those materials are expensive/difficult to produce so the price of the lenses is exceptionally high and they are very rare. I have a Pentax lens/accessory catalogue from 1973 that advertises the 'Asahi Pentax Ultra Achromatic Takumar 85 mm', which needed to be ordered several months in advance to let the fluorite crystals grow. They came in a set containing several UV/IR filters as it was primarily used for forensic work and most of the about 50 known examples were used by the police and scientific labs. Its also fully focus/aberration corrected up to the IR spectrum so it can be truely used for full spectrum photography. Shame that examples usually sell for £10,000+ especially if their a complete set....
For true UV photography lenses made of Quartz or Quartz-Fluorite are needed and both of those materials are expensive/difficult to produce so the price of the lenses is exceptionally high and they are very rare. I have a Pentax lens/accessory catalogue from 1973 that advertises the 'Asahi Pentax Ultra Achromatic Takumar 85 mm', which needed to be ordered several months in advance to let the fluorite crystals grow. They came in a set containing several UV/IR filters as it was primarily used for forensic work and most of the about 50 known examples were used by the police and scientific labs. Its also fully focus/aberration corrected up to the IR spectrum so it can be truely used for full spectrum photography. Shame that examples usually sell for £10,000+ especially if their a complete set....