Full-spectrum conversions, clip-in filters, and lens filters

A standard IR conversion locks you into one wavelength forever. A full-spectrumconversion removes the hot mirror and replaces it with clear glass — meaning the sensor now sees everything from ultraviolet through the whole near-infrared range, plus normal visible light. It becomes a blank canvas that a filter, screwed onto the lens or clipped in behind it, defines for each shot.

Why go full-spectrum

• One body covers 590, 665, 720, 830, 850, UV, and normal-visible with the right filter.
• Great for photographers who want to experiment before committing to a single wavelength.
• Only sensible option for UV, astrophotography (H-alpha), or scientific work.

Option A: screw-on lens filters

The traditional route. Each lens takes a threaded filter in its own diameter — 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm are the common ones. You either buy a filter for every diameter you own or buy the largest and use step-up rings.

• Pros: works on any camera + lens; huge selection (Hoya R72, B+W 093, Kolari IR Chrome, etc.); protects the front element.
• Cons: you must compose and focus before screwing the filter on (dark IR filters make the viewfinder go black on a DSLR); slower workflow; multiple filters per diameter gets expensive fast.

Option B: clip-in filters

A clip-in filter is a thin square of glass that snaps into the camera body, sitting between the lens mount and the sensor. It effectively re-installs a filter into the hot-mirror slot — but you can pop it in and out in seconds and swap wavelengths as easily as changing batteries.

• Pros: one filter works with every lens you own; nothing to unscrew mid-shoot; live preview stays IR-accurate through the EVF; no vignetting or extra stack-up on wide lenses.
• Cons: body-specific (Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fuji X all use different formats); requires a mirrorless body with enough clearance behind the mount; harder to source than screw-on filters.

Brands worth knowing

• Kolari Vision — full range of clip-ins in every major mount; good customer support.
• STC Optics — high optical quality, especially for astro / UV variants.
• Haida — solid mid-price option; growing IR lineup.

Which route fits which shooter

• DSLR full-spectrum → screw-on filters. Compose without the filter, screw it on, shoot from a tripod.
• Mirrorless full-spectrum → clip-in filters. The EVF and clip-in combination is why full-spectrum mirrorless exists.
• Committed to one wavelength → dedicated conversion. Simpler, cheaper, one less thing to lose.