Filters
590nm vs 665nm vs 720nm vs 850nm: choosing a wavelength
A practical comparison of the four common infrared cut-on filters — what each one gives you, what it takes away, and which one to pick for the work you actually want to make.
Part of the infrared photography guide. Equipment links are affiliate links — disclosure.
The number stamped on an infrared filter is a cut-on wavelength: light shorter than that number is blocked, light longer than it passes through. Lower numbers let in more of the visible spectrum (especially red) alongside the infrared. Higher numbers block more visible light and leave you with almost pure IR. That single spec drives everything else — color, contrast, how much post you’ll do, and how flexible the camera is on a cloudy day.
590nm — “Goldie”
The most permissive of the four. Foliage renders golden to peach, skies stay a rich teal-blue, and skin tones remain readable. Because so much visible red still gets through, a channel swap in Photoshop yields the widest, most saturated color palette of any IR conversion.
- Look: warm, painterly, closest to a normal photo.
- Best for: portraits with foliage, autumn scenes, editorial color work.
- Trade-off: the “infrared glow” on leaves is the most subtle here.
665nm — “Extra color”
The sweet spot most working IR photographers end up on. Foliage goes fully white when you swap channels, skies stay believably blue, and you keep enough color separation for landscapes to feel alive rather than surreal-for-the-sake-of-it. Everything on this site is shot at 665nm.
- Look: classic false-color IR — white trees, blue skies, pink or coral accents.
- Best for: landscape, travel, most editorial IR work, first-time converters.
- Trade-off: less warm than 590nm, less high-contrast than 720nm.
720nm — “Standard IR”
The original digital IR filter. Blocks nearly all visible light, so results are almost monochrome out of camera. A channel swap gives you a cooler, cleaner false-color image than 665nm, with less color range but more predictable output.
- Look: high-contrast, mostly monochromatic, easy to convert to true B&W.
- Best for: black & white infrared, architectural work, high-sun landscapes.
- Trade-off: muted color options; skies can go nearly black.
850nm — “Deep IR”
A pure infrared filter. There is no meaningful color information — this is a dedicated black-and-white tool. Skies render near-black, water goes inky, foliage glows bright white. Nothing else gets this look.
- Look: pure monochrome IR — dramatic, high contrast, otherworldly.
- Best for: fine-art black & white, minimalist landscapes, long-exposure water.
- Trade-off: no false-color option at all; needs more light than lower cut-ons.
Quick reference
| Filter | Color range | Sky | Foliage | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 590nm | Widest | Deep teal | Gold / peach | Warm color IR |
| 665nm | Balanced | Blue | White / pink | All-round landscape |
| 720nm | Muted | Near-black | Bright white | Classic IR / B&W |
| 850nm | None | Black | Glowing white | Pure B&W IR |