| Wow. Getting a little ambitious, aren't we?
There are special types of 35mm film that can detect infra-red (IR) light. The image is converted into a form of light we can see during development. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the same thing as seeing heat. IR is actually just another form of electro-magnetic radiation. EM waves are measures in units called nanometers. The human eye can detect EM wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. IR light exists between 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter. Just because the eye can detect it doesn't mean you can see it. In fact, this is why bright days often give people headaches; too much IR light coming in. All cameras can detect IR light, but they have special filters that block it out (it makes poor-quality pictures). But other filters can block out all visible light while allowing IR light to pass onto the film. Once converted into a form we can see, this produces a very high-detail image. It is believed that these cameras can detect some unseen entities, and there have been many IR photos taken of "invisible" apparitions. IR film is very expensive, requires special storage, and is very expensive to develop. Also, there are not many places that can do that kind of development. But fear not, there is an option; Webcams. Many commercial webcams can easily be converted to see in IR wavelengths. And they are cheap enough that, should you break the camera during the conversion, it won't break your wallet along with it. The webcams feed straight to your computer, so you don't need to worry about expensive and problematic film or special development. But you will certainly need a laptop to use these in field research. Geoff Johnson has the instructions on his website; http://www.hoagieshouse.com/IR/ His site also has some links to other IR conversions for camcorders, digital cameras, cellphone cameras, and more. There's also an IR conversion for glasses and goggles, which may be use great use when operating in low-light areas. Bill Beatty has the instructions here; http://amasci.com/amateur/irgoggl.html But all of this is useless without a source of IR lighting. Many LED spotlights can be converted with infra-red LEDs bought from Radio Shack. In fact, there is a site that provides all the instructions on how to make one. http://www.i-hacked.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=176 This is actually a device called a MIRT, and it is against federal law to have one, but it's perfectly legal as long as you don't put in the timing circuit. You really don't want your light source flashing anyway. Bad for the video. (You have been warned.) Keep going! Gimme More! Back to the Equipment page Back to the main Q&A page Back to the Front Page |
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| Why do we use Infra-Red? |