A Filter That Blocks Visible Light and Lets Through IR and UV
Kyle Clements
Well, I bought yet another cheap IR filter from a random company I've never heard of on AliExpress. This filter blocks visible light and allows infrared and ultraviolet to pass though. After shipping, I think it was about $40 CAD.
I screwed the filter to the end of my 14-30mm/4, stuck that on my full spectrum converted Nikon Z5, then went for a little walk through the park.
My Z5 wasn't able to make a custom white balance for this filter, I kept getting an error message. I found the preset I normally use for full spectrum shooting worked well in the evening with this filter, but looked too purple during the day. The preset for 720nm worked best for noon sunlight.
I haven't had any luck dialing white balance in though degrees kelvin, I always use the presets, using fresh concrete as a neutral point for the measurement. Most IR resources I've found suggest using grass to white balance your camera, but I've found concrete works better, especially with the 680nm filter.
The Infrared effect is stronger than my 680nm, but less strong than my 720nm, but with a vibrant blue/purple sky.
A section of this video has the saturation enhanced in post. This part of the video is marked. The rest of the footage is straight-out-of-camera, no colour grade, no curves, no WB tweaks. I use the 'flat' profile instead of 'standard'.
http://kyleclements.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhx-XJ5tsz4
137475706 Bytes