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Digital infrared photography is not an esoteric pursuit, but one that is gaining in popularity as digital technology takes over even more aspects of traditional film photography. Why> Digital infrared photography has the power to transform mundane visual experiences into images that can be unforgettable. Ordinary scenes that you might walk right by and never think of photographing take on a remarkable look when imaged using invisible light. If surreal color or dark skies with snow-white foliage and increased contrast appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities, IR capture is definitely for you.

And what the heck, digital IR is FUN!

Is Your Digital Camera IR Sensitive?

Digital cameras are designed to make pictures using visible light. But nearly all of the sensors used in digital cameras are sensitive to infrared as well. However, because this sensitivity could cause problems with accurate color rendition, exposure metering, and focusing, manufacturers usually place a filter in front of the imaging sensor to prevent excessive infrared light from striking it (but allowing visible light to pass). These internal IR cut-off filters, sometimes referred to as low pass or hot mirrors, protect the image from color errors and desaturation without reducing ISO speed.

The low pass filters that are fitted to today’s cameras are not uniform in their ability to completely stop infrared light from striking the sensor. Consequently, some brands of digital cameras (e.g., Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, and some models from Leica and Panasonic) have a reputation for transmitting more IR light than others. Many compact digital cameras from the earlier days (pre-2002) of digital imaging are also known for their IR capture capability when used with the appropriate filter. But that’s not to say that other, newer models cannot successfully shoot infrared images. If your digital camera is relatively sensative to IR, you can place an infrared filer(see Which Infrared Filter) in front of your camera’s lens to perform the opposite task of a hot mirror: the IR filter will block visible light, thereby allowing infrared wavelengths to pass through the lens to the sensor.

Strong IR capture capability is a feature that is often overlooked when cameras are reviewed in the photographic press. So how do you know if your camera is capable of photographing IR?

Test Your Camera for IR Capability

Like everything else in the world of digital photography, equipment is changing rapidly, so you’ll need to test your own camera to find it’s potential to record infrared. How do you do it?

Whenever I get a new digital camera, I give it the “remote control test.” What’s that? One of the easiest ways to check whether your digital camera is capable of recording infrared images is to activate and point a TV remote control at the camera and take a picture or look at the subject on the LCD panel of a digital point & shoot.

When photographing the IR-emitting end of the remote control in your camera’s black-and-white mode (the best way to do this test), you should see a point of white, the brighter the better. If the camera does not record the beam, it is probably not sensitive to infrared radiation. Since I originally wrote “The Complete Guide to Digital Infrared Photography," I’ve discovered that this test is not infallible and there’s some empirical data to substantiate that assumption. Part of that is the fact that consumer electronics change and evolve faster even then digital cameras. The only bulletproof test is to borrow an infrared filter, stick in front of your digital camera’s lens, and make an outdoor test shot. Then as Groucho Marx once famously said “what are you going to believe, what I tell you or your own eyes.”

If your camera passes either of these test, all you need to do is get yourself an external IR filter to fit on the front of your lenses and you ready to enter the world of digital infrared photography. If your camera doesn’t pass, you can still find a way to create infrared images by purchasing an IR-modified camera or having one of your existing cameras converted, a subject that will covered in an upcoming blog post.