After several months of trial and error with various media in an attempt to find a unique and affordable IR filter for my digital photography. Here is a little run down:

• I tore apart a perfectly good Pentax Optio S4 and removed the hot filter between the lens and CCD.

• Keeping this VERY cheap, I replaced the hot filter with a cut piece of microscope slide and my filter material. In this case I settled on two pieces of unexposed but processed slide film.

• I then reversed the disassembly and prepared for tests.

!!!!! If anyone here has and Optio S-model camera you can enter a diagnostic mode and shoot in RAW...an option not given in the normal menu !!!!!

I think this particular shot was at iso 50 handheld...bye bye tripod, long exposures and guesswork...this will be fun.

Outstanding result :)

Oh yeah! That is what I'm talkin about! Thanks for providing some more info about the filter and glass you used. Was that sky color due to postwork or straight out of the cam? Did you cut your own glass?

Message edited on: 02/09/2006 10:32

wowza! perfect!!!!!!!!!!

have taken the liberty of adding your steps:

The Smallest Digital IR Camera ... and it's MINE!!!
The Smallest Digital IR Camera ...Part II
Another random IR test shot

Message edited on: 02/09/2006 11:44

Awsome :) Thanx for the "edventure" :)

Attached Link: DIGITAL IR photography

Good idea Cyn. :) So, you gonna convert your C5050? ;] After NPLUS posted his threads on this conversion I did some hunting on the internet. There is actually a lot of interest out there for doing IR with digital. The link above is probably the most inclusive info wise, and has links to most of the other sites I visited. It got me so stoked I'm looking into picking up a cheap C2020 on eBay to play with. Maybe more when funds allow. ;]

Message edited on: 02/09/2006 13:59

you mean convert my broken C4000? it's actually not broken.. still works.. just standing in permanent "salute" mode sice i stripped the gear on the extend-a-lens but would luv to pull the sucker apart just to check out it's guts! (btw.. i haven't gotten any ebots in the last 3 hrs.. hmmm)

Attached Link: http://www.maxmax.com/aX-RayExamples.htm

Just don't use it to see through clothing. ;^}

Yes I cut my own glass...pretty easy to score and snap microscope slides using a regular glass cutter...

Also by using slides, you can create a stack to get the right thickness...if you have to....(mine worked using 1 glass piece and 2 pieces of slide film)...slight quality loss due to the stack, but not really noticeable with such a cheap camera.

I plan on replacing the cheap IR solution with a Wratten gel when I can afford one to cut up...

Yes the image has been post worked starting from the RAW image data, that I cheated my camera into supplying me.

here is what the above image looks like untouched...straight out of the camera. shot using the auto settings...

it is pretty fascinating.. adding this to the tips & tuts

i can fix up a better, easier to follow on if you would like.

Attached Link: for cyn

Yes, cyn, why not play with your 4000. That Maxmax.com company (aside from Xray filters) also does camera conversions. Thanks for sharing the original file nplus and the info about the glass and slides. It would be great if you could fix up your "tutorial" even more. ;]

thanks Kort! will put it on my "to do" list been very busy working on a surprise for next week.. :o)))) can't say.. cuz it's a surprise! LOL & nplus.. yes!.. would luv to be able to follow your tut if someone wanted to try this too.. would be much appreciated :]

And I is a Super Surprise!!!!! :) Trallalaaaa lalalaaa :D :D :D xoxoxoxoxo :)

Hey, not fair! Modesty knows sumthin! (You better share with your fellow MAS members!)

titidittittidit :) Nope :) Kort...U have to be patient :D LOL!!!! Sais the most unpatient lass in the world...not nice I know :) But I'm not a nice girl ;)

Bah! We'll just see if Andreas send you Grover now! I know he wanted to play in the band with you, but after this... ;^P

LOL!!!!!! The band has temporarily, unfortunatley a huge, very loooooong vaccation.....but that's another story...perhaps if Grover reconsider...he can help me in the musicstudio as an ingeneer? xoxo ;)

Maybe he could be convinced, if you whisper something in my ear... :^] Actually, it is in Andreas' hands. I don't know if Grover will even survive his stay with him... :/

I'm mutant like a stubborn mule :D