The infrared photography guide.
Infrared photography is photography made with near-infrared light — wavelengths of roughly 700 to 900 nanometres, just past the red end of human vision. A normal digital camera can technically detect it, but a hot-mirror filter over the sensor blocks it. Remove or bypass that filter and healthy foliage turns brilliant white, clear sky turns near-black, and water and skin render in ways no visible-light filter imitates.
This page is the map of everything on the site. Each section below states what the topic is, then links to the pages that go deep on it. Everything here comes from a working practice — the sample frames in the infrared archive were made on the same bodies, filters and wavelengths the guides discuss.
Infrared cameras
An infrared camera is an ordinary digital camera whose internal hot-mirror filter has been removed and replaced with a filter that passes near-infrared light. Everything below covers what that change does and how to choose a body.
Infrared camera conversion explained
What a conversion physically changes, autofocus recalibration, and what it costs you in resale value.
Converted DSLR vs converted mirrorless
Why mirrorless bodies focus and white-balance more reliably after conversion, and when a cheap DSLR still wins.
Full spectrum camera conversion
Every wavelength in one body, chosen at the filter ring — and back to normal colour on demand.
Full-spectrum cameras & clip-in filters
One body, every wavelength, chosen at the filter rather than at the sensor.
Best infrared camera to convert
Mirrorless vs DSLR, full spectrum vs fixed wavelength, and notes on the four bodies used for this archive.
Camera conversion services
How to send a body in, turnaround expectations, and what to specify on the order form.
Infrared filters & wavelengths
The cut-on wavelength is the number that decides the look. A 590nm filter passes the most visible light and gives warm false color; 850nm passes almost none and gives pure monochrome.
Infrared lens filters compared
590nm, 665nm, 720nm and 850nm lens filters plus IRChrome — looks, exposure costs, and the best first filter.
590nm vs 665nm vs 720nm vs 850nm
Side-by-side of foliage colour, sky rendering, contrast, and what each is best for.
Clip-in filters vs lens filters
Cost, vignetting, filter-thread juggling, and which one suits a full-spectrum workflow.
Wavelength quick-reference table
The comparison table on the conversion guide, in one screen.
Infrared lenses
Lenses behave differently in infrared. Some coatings produce a bright central 'hotspot' when stopped down, and no amount of post-processing fixes it — lens choice matters more here than in visible-light work.
Infrared lens database
395 lenses across 36 mounts, rated good, maybe or bad for hot spots — searchable by mount.
Infrared lens hotspots
What causes them, how aperture affects them, and how to test a lens in ten minutes.
Lens compatibility notes
Observations from the Nikon bodies and glass used for the photographs in this archive.
Technique & post-processing
Infrared files come out of the camera looking wrong on purpose. Getting to the familiar white-foliage look is a white-balance and channel-swap problem, not a filter preset.
What is infrared photography?
Near-infrared light, roughly 700–900nm, recorded by a silicon sensor.
Infrared white balance & post-processing
Custom white balance, the red/blue channel swap, and black-and-white conversion.
False colour & channel swapping
Why 590nm and 665nm files respond to a red/blue channel swap and 850nm files don't.
Black and white infrared
The 720nm and 850nm route, and the monochrome frames in the archive shot that way.
Resources
Free material, background on how recommendations here are made, and how to get in touch.
Free infrared photography e-book
Downloadable PDF, no drip sequence.
How I evaluate infrared equipment
The criteria behind every recommendation on this site.
Affiliate disclosure
How this site makes money and what that does and doesn't influence.
The photograph archive
Sample images with camera and wavelength noted for each frame.
Every article, newest first
- Converting your camera to infrared: the honest primerConversions
- 590nm vs 665nm vs 720nm vs 850nm: choosing a wavelengthFilters
- DSLR vs mirrorless for infraredGear
- Full-spectrum conversions, clip-in filters, and lens filtersConversions
- My journey into infrared photographyPersonal
- IRChrome Lite from Kolari Vision: the Aerochrome wildcardFilters