How To: IR modify an old camera.

Mitica100 · Dec 15, 2010

FYI, I just bought another Olynpus Camedia to convert to IR! One morning should do it, now I know the steps.

Just looking at the Canon disassembly makes me shiver! Oly is so much simpler and parts are accessible. Yeah, I had to de-solder and solder back a few wires to gain access to the IR blocking filter but that was easy.

altitude604 · Dec 15, 2010

very very cool!

i might just have to go buy a cheap p&s just for this. good project for working on when stuck inside this winter. lol

usayit · Dec 15, 2010

There's a person/company that does this type of conversion for a lot of money!!! I wonder if they actually get business? He/She/It also sells filters too...

The real reason for me posting this link is that they also have DIY tutorials for several cameras. I've been meaning to do this to my Canon G5.... its been "waiting" for several years now.

LifePixel Digital Camera Infrared IR Conversion Services. DIY IR Tutorials

Garbz · Dec 16, 2010

Mitica100 said:
A few more that I just took:

Work in progress...

Sorry Mitica. I missed your post, ... somehow. Glad to see you got it working

. I find that with my Olympus it works best with auto whitebalance, with exposure set to -0.3EV Otherwise it starts blowing out the purple into other colours and looks off. If you're using Lightroom or ACR to edit your images in black and white take great care with channel mixer settings. Hitting black and white defaults to a funky curve which looks great for colour focus but has a tendency to really screw up images that start off halfway between magenta and purple. I manually set all the channel mixer sliders to zero when converting to B&W.

If you set to B&W in camera you may not have this issue.

Again congrats

Mitica100 · Dec 16, 2010

Garbz said:
Mitica100 said:

A few more that I just took:

Work in progress...

Click to expand...

Sorry Mitica. I missed your post, ... somehow. Glad to see you got it working . I find that with my Olympus it works best with auto whitebalance, with exposure set to -0.3EV Otherwise it starts blowing out the purple into other colours and looks off. If you're using Lightroom or ACR to edit your images in black and white take great care with channel mixer settings. Hitting black and white defaults to a funky curve which looks great for colour focus but has a tendency to really screw up images that start off halfway between magenta and purple. I manually set all the channel mixer sliders to zero when converting to B&W.

If you set to B&W in camera you may not have this issue.

Again congrats

Thanks for the tip! I do actually work it in BW, with a 720 filter held in place by an adapter. I liked the idea of having the flexibility of changing filters without re-opening the camera. However, I might cut a piece of 720 filter and replace the IR glass altogether, with the new old Oly camera which should be here soon.

Thanks again!

Garbz · Dec 17, 2010

Watch the thicknesses. You need a material of the same thickness and refractive index as the filter. The latter part is usually easy, but the former is not

Tim N · Dec 17, 2010

Garbz said:
reznap said:

Tried this with a Canon Powershot A85.

Being worth it is a matter of opinion. Given the afternoon spent doing this and the result:

Click to expand...

This shot alone makes me want to get on eBay and find a donor to modify! This looks like a great project to do. I've fixed many cameras and have a Sony DSC-P72 that is old and sitting around. Any idea if this would work for that camera? Was our main camera for 3-4 years and now just collecting dust.

Tim N · Dec 17, 2010

I have 2 Sony DSC-P72 camera (one working and one parts.)

I found Removing the infrared filter on the Sony CyberShot DSC-P72 which shows how to get to the filter glass and I have already done just that on both. If I polish the glass as you have said for your conversion, is there another step that needs to be taken? The website shows a not so perfect result from the camera and says you still need a filter? Is there a way that you see to get around this?

Just curious and have the bug to tinker with my old toys

Mitica100 · Dec 17, 2010

Tim N said:
I have 2 Sony DSC-P72 camera (one working and one parts.)

I found Removing the infrared filter on the Sony CyberShot DSC-P72 which shows how to get to the filter glass and I have already done just that on both. If I polish the glass as you have said for your conversion, is there another step that needs to be taken? The website shows a not so perfect result from the camera and says you still need a filter? Is there a way that you see to get around this?

Just curious and have the bug to tinker with my old toys

Tim, as Garbz mentioned before, you can replace the original IR blocking filter with a square cut from another IR filter. The trick is to match the thickness of the original filter and its refractive index. Another way, also mentioned by the OP is to find a piece of light exposed and developed chrome (slide) film, usually from the leader of the film. You can get one for free at any photolabs that do slides. Cut a piece of it of same size as of the IR blocking filter that you just polished and place them both inside the camera, with lots of care so dust doesn't get on the sensor. That will turn your camera into an IR ready camera, no need for other filters.

I prefer having a filter that I can add in front of the camera because I then can vary the strength of the IR filter. Right now I'm using a 720.

Tim N · Dec 17, 2010

Thanks for the reply. Going to try to do the negative end piece.

I'm polishing the glass right now. Not sure I'm getting anywhere. I'm guessing you DON'T use 2000 grit sandpaper. You only rub with the finisher until the coat is removed, correct? Mines not changing from the looks of it. But will keep at it. Using a microfiber towel and the polish.

Mitica100 · Dec 17, 2010

Tim, no 2000 grit pape, just the rubbing compound Garbz mentioned inthe OP. And do it by hand, in an irregular pattern, using an old filter that you don't need anymore (Sky, Haze). That will ensure the flatness of the IR blocking filter. At the end clean the glass with a little Windex or simply with some mild detergent, rinse and clean with a microfiber cloth.

Tim N · Dec 17, 2010

Ok so I have it all done and put back together with the film piece between the sensor and glass, but the photos have a purple hue to them. Is this something weird or should that be the case?

Mitica100 · Dec 17, 2010

Purple is good!

Have you tried to do a White Balance? If not, point the camera at some vegetation and do the WB. Also, you can turn the pics into Black and White in-camera or in PS. I do mine in-camera, so all that comes out is IR Black and White.

Try the in-camera BW setting to see what comes out first.

Allen · Dec 17, 2010

My old Nikon point and shoot is about to be cracked open.
Thanks guys.

FemFugler · Dec 18, 2010

Allen said:
My old Nikon point and shoot is about to be cracked open.
Thanks guys.

if i can find my old nikon P&S mine will be too!

So i'm assuming it can work with any old camera.... i have an old nikon coolpix l2 if i can find it then it will be the next victim.