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Alpha Husky
Location: West Coast
Gender: Male
yay!
 |  |  | Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
< on 3/11/2003 2:34 AM >
|  | | | I recently ordered an Infrared LED kit. It arrived today, so I assembled it and tried it out.
Basic Premise: Most digital cameras and video cameras can see small amounts of infrared light. You can test this by pointing an ordinary TV remote at a camera and seeing if there's a white spot on the screen.
(note: pictures 2 and 3 have been enhanced with photoshop)
Here's my test setup:
I have a yellow card with black writing. The thing with the red wires is the IR LED board I assembled.
Now, I turned off all the lights in the room, and shut off the camera flash:
Note that the view was pitch black to the naked eye, only the camera sees the infrared spot.
Finally, I tried a picture with the lights on but no flash:
You can still see the spot from the IR LED's on the yellow card.
Unfortunatly, this does not work well from a distance of more than maybe 30 centimeters. It WOULD however work very well with cameras that have a "nightvision" mode that's INTENDED to be used with IR light, and probably would also work great on cameras with long exposure (8+ seconds).
[last edit 3/10/2003 9:38 PM by Avatar-X - edited 1 times]
huskies - such fluff. |
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uem-Tux
Iron Wok Jan
Location: Montreal
Gender: Male
UE Geek
| |  | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 1 on 3/11/2003 3:03 AM >
| | | | On-topic: Is there an easy way (i.e not big arrays of IR LEDs) to generate flood-light amounts of IR to take good pics with?
Off-topic: Do you like your Cybiko? I rmemeber reading a few articles about them and thinking they were pretty neat.
Urban Exploration Montreal
Why are you the way that you are? |
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Avatar-X
Alpha Husky
Location: West Coast
Gender: Male
yay!
| | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 2 on 3/11/2003 3:23 AM >
| | | | Well, its probably best to get a camera that is sensitive to IR light.
The cybikos are a wonderful idea... cheap little PDAs that can run all sorts of apps, wireless internet, wireless file transfer, chat, games, and walkie-talkie between cybiko units, they can record WAV files (which you can send to other people), it's got great games
it's a really awesome idea and they made them very well
unfortunatly, the company seems to have died... the products are hard to find and it's rare you find someone else who has one.
I got mine off ebay for real cheap.
huskies - such fluff. |
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Caput_58
Location: Virginia, USA
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 3 on 3/11/2003 3:53 AM >
| | | | The daring can attempt to remove the IR filter from their camera.. I know there is a tutorial on the net on doing exactly that for a coolpix 990 camera. This should increase sensitivity. Cameras that have 'nightvision' like the sonys basically have a switch that allows you to move the filter out of the way.
As for IR flashes, my understanding is that you can improvise them by covering a normal flash with an IR filter, but any sort of often use will burn up the filter.
Final note, I've heard you can improvise an IR filter by using developed slide film that was exposed with the lens cap on.
Caput_58
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MoleNet94
Location: Skagit County, WA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 4 on 3/11/2003 3:59 AM >
| | | | Holy cow, Av, you should be able to see for a mile through dense fog with an LED bank that big. Yeah, you probably need an IR-sensitive camera.
Back before xmas, I picked up a Sony DCR-PC101 DV video camera. I wasn't shopping for "Nightshot" in particular, but I ended up with it anyway (they've all got it now). Thus far I've only used the camera to digitize my old 8mm tunnel footage from long ago--never tried the Nightshot, but when I saw your demo above I had to check it out. The results indicate the IR sensitivity of the CCD (or perhaps the lack of IR wavelength rejection filters in the camera) really makes a HUGE difference.
Here's what a TV remote looks like head-on:
 up_remote.jpg (24 kb, 320x240)
Here's what my old Akai tape deck looks like from three feet away with only a TV remote illuminating it:
up_w_remote_3ft.jpg (16 kb, 320x240)
Here's whay my old Akai tape deck looks like with the camera's dual Superbrite(tm) IR LEDs aimed at it:
up_nightshot.jpg (27 kb, 320x240)
The TV remove doesn't even operate its single LED at full capacity, plus it flashes it, which makes it crap for an IR flashlight. ...but it proves that one IR LED does a fair amount. Your bank ought to look like Las Vegas in front of this thing.
Wouldn't know what to recommend in the way of an IR-friendly still digital cam, but the Sony DCR-PC101 is a nice video cam (pocket-sized, almost) so it's about as handy as they get for UE'ing.
-MoleNet94
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MacGyver
Location: St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 5 on 3/11/2003 4:39 AM >
| | | | I just tried the remote trick with an HP photosmart 315(model number??).
It showed up bright and clear. Interesting ideas. People talk about using this to take pictures without being seen by people nearby, but what about security cameras? wouldn't they pick up plenty of the supposedly invisible UV? What about installing a UV-blocking filter over the cameras in question? Would that work? just a thought.
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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MoleNet94
Location: Skagit County, WA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 6 on 3/11/2003 4:55 AM >
| | | | Posted by Krazy
<snip> but what about security cameras? wouldn't they pick up plenty of the supposedly invisible UV? What about installing a UV-blocking filter over the cameras in question? Would that work? just a thought.
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I think you mean IR, not UV. Your camera's lens is a pretty good UV filter by itself. For IR, a piece of duct tape is probably your best bet, since you're assuming you can get close to the security cameras without drawing attention. Then you may as well just find a light switch  IR by itself only makes for black-and-white-ish photos. They're not pretty. I'd tend to avoid it whenever possible.
-The MoleNet
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MacGyver
Location: St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 7 on 3/11/2003 5:05 AM >
| | | | Posted by MoleNet94
I think you mean IR, not UV.
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My bad. It's late. Yeah you're right. I wouldn't mind having a UV remote contrtol. You could suntan by shining your remote on yourself. hehe. gnight y'all.
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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MoleNet94
Location: Skagit County, WA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 8 on 3/11/2003 5:10 AM >
| | | | Posted by Krazy
Posted by MoleNet94
I think you mean IR, not UV.
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My bad. It's late. Yeah you're right. I wouldn't mind having a UV remote contrtol. You could suntan by shining your remote on yourself. hehe. gnight y'all.
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A UV remote, eh? I think I'd get a magnifying glass and fry ants with it
Sayoonara.
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tekriter
Location: in the Hindu Kush
Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color.
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 9 on 3/11/2003 3:32 PM >
| | | | You can take IR pics with an SLR, an IR filter, IR film and any IR source. Mil-Spec red filters also produce a lot of light in the IR spectrum, but do do with visible red as well.
IR film is sensitive and doesn't last long out of the fridge. IR light focuses at different distances than visible light, so you either need a calculation sheet, or an old lens with red ranges that are for IR photograhpy. My old Pentax lenses all have them. You would focus normally, read the range then set the lens to the same number on the red scale. Some modern SLRs use IR to autofocus and the internal IR beam will expose the IR film.
You can get some cool pics with IR even in bright sunlight.
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so, and will follow it by suppressing opposition, subverting all education to seize early the minds of the young, and by killing, locking up, or driving underground all heretics. Robert A. Heinlen |
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matt ecksion
Location: Guelph
Gender: Male
back in black
| | | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 10 on 3/11/2003 4:13 PM >
| | | | the sony LED light for the minidv camcorders looks pretty decent..
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Dakiel
Location: Rhode Island
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 11 on 3/11/2003 8:35 PM >
| | | | Camera mod for A sony Cyber shot Here:
http://www.xrayfilters.net/sonymod.html
As far as Photography goes we have not used IR for pictures but have utilized several IR applications for Exploration.
Currently using a Sony DCR-TRV340 Video Camera with Night Shot.
Attatched Sony HVL-IRH2 IR Video light (which also has regular light source)
Light has 8 IR Diodes which are Adjustable.
Also IR Filters For Maglights and Surefires.
Russian Gen 1 Night vision Scope
Russian Gen 2 Night Vision Goggles
IR Cyclume Sticks
Although many think IR is invisible to the naked Eye (True IR is) most of the above sources give off some light so take care when pointing directly at persons as you may be detected but as far as seeing lights moving in a building no chance.
Don't Worry, If you die, We'll make it
www.insanebunkers.com
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whosdatguy
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 12 on 3/11/2003 9:49 PM >
| | | | Hey, After reading this thread you guys got me interested in the checking out the IR capabilities of my digicam, Sure enough after taking a picture of my tv remote it does see IR. I also seem to remember reading somewhere a while back that most of the newer CCD cameras see IR. Just from my regular trips around the internet I"ve seen numerous law enforcement/mil supply websites that sell all sorts of battery powered IR led banks. I also came across this little gem a photon micro light in IR (address below)Oh by the way my dig cam is one of the earlier ones a kodak DC215. I'm sure almost any web retailer of the photon light has the IR model this was just the first site I saw.
http://www.theledlight.com/photon-iruv.html
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MoleNet94
Location: Skagit County, WA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 13 on 3/12/2003 5:00 AM >
| | | | Posted by whosdatguy
I also came across this little gem a photon micro light in IR (address below)Oh by the way my dig cam is one of the earlier ones a kodak DC215. I'm sure almost any web retailer of the photon light has the IR model this was just the first site I saw.
http://www.theledlight.com/photon-iruv.html
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You could spend $25 USD on one of those, or you could build your own! All you need to get started are:
*) a nearly-dead AA battery. (free)
*) a worn-out rubber band. (free)
*) some low-value resistors ($.50 USD)
*) a IR LED/emitter from Radio Shack (about $1 USD)
Parts as described: (battery really was almost dead--1.0V on the meter, but it was all I had--stolen from my TV remote)
up_parts.jpg (26 kb, 320x240)
Twist the resistor leads together (depends on the value of resistor(s) you have) until you find a combination that doesn't catch fire immediately upon application of AA battery "power". Rubber band it all together (try to avoid short circuits) and you're set: Voila!
up_closeup.jpg (25 kb, 320x240)
Now let some IR loose:
up_demo.jpg (23 kb, 320x240)
An open page of a Thomas Guide (map book) is no match for the seering power of our dead-AA-battery-powered Frankenstienian masterpiece:
up_thomas.jpg (28 kb, 320x240)
Of course, one might consider its tendency to fall apart whenever you give it so much as a dirty look to be a downside. I, however, think that one's coolness is directly proportional to the number of highly-fragile homebrew circuits (generally only half-finished) lying all over his/her office
L8er,
-MoleNet94
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Avatar-X
Alpha Husky
Location: West Coast
Gender: Male
yay!
| | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 14 on 3/12/2003 12:14 PM >
| | | | three resistors cost you 50 cents here?
here I get them for 10 pieces / 10 cents
the LED array you see in the pictures is powered by a car-radio-powering 12 volts device... but im going to hook it to some batteries.
-av
huskies - such fluff. |
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MoleNet94
Location: Skagit County, WA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 15 on 3/12/2003 1:35 PM >
| | | | Posted by Avatar-X
three resistors cost you 50 cents here?
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You're right, I just found an unopened pack in my desk drawer: $.39 for five. That's at Radio Shack. We used to have an Active Electronics in town, but they went OOB  They were the place, man. I usually buy the 100-count "Valu-Paks" when I need some, but that day I must've had a particular value of resistor in mind.
You might want to check out some Ham Radio "ham fests" or other electronics flea markets going on in your area. One thing that would work great for powering your LED array (and something I see sold at places like these for cheap) would be a small sealed lead/acid battery. New, even small ones are $30-$50.
At a flea market recently in town, a guy had purchased a ton of these off a local hospital. Turns out, when they're used in stuff like portable medical equipment, they have to be replaced after a certain date, even if they're in great shape or even if they're brand new!! I got a brand new 12V one (5in x 1.5in x 3in) for $5. Can't count how many projects I've used it for, and for what you're doing it would be great 'cause then you could take it out in the field ... or tunnels ... or drains. Tragically, I can't tell you what the mAh rating on this one is right now because it's obscured by tape but I'm sure it's more than enough for a few dozen LEDs. ...and they're rechargable, of course. Just use a car battery recharger with a few resistors or any other 13-20V power supply. You might even luck out and find a cheap recharger made just for whatever you end up with.
Cheers,
-MoleNet94
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Crossfire
Location: Kay-Dub
Gender: Male
Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years.
| | | | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 16 on 3/12/2003 1:52 PM >
| | | | For those of you in the GTA, check out Active Surplus on Queen (about a block west of John & CityTV). The place is huge, the prices are rock bottom, and it smells really wierd. Perfect place for buying this sort of stuff in Bulk (and that's Bulk with a capital B ).
Great spot.
TMC.
[last edit 3/12/2003 8:53 AM by Crossfire - edited 1 times]
Disgruntled. |
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Avatar-X
Alpha Husky
Location: West Coast
Gender: Male
yay!
| | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 17 on 3/12/2003 3:27 PM >
| | | | Yeah, I shop at Active. Also, a few doors east is Supremetronics, a great store that sells NEW parts and chips at great prices. They're not surplus, they're just an electronics store.
huskies - such fluff. |
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h_ank
Location: Portland, Oregon , USA
| | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 18 on 3/22/2003 11:57 PM >
| | | | There are many types of LED flashlights available now. I would assume that it would be fairly easy to replace the existing LEDs with IR units. The reflector in the flashlight would certainly help and it should be cheaper than name-brand camera attachments.
Morons.org |
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Noah Vale
Location: Portland, Or
It's nobler to never get paid, than to bank on shit and dismay
| | | | Re: Pitch Black Photography with Infrared Light
<Reply # 19 on 3/24/2003 7:17 PM >
| | | | i dont really understand this stuff but it might be helpful to yall out there that are profecient with computers and electronics and such...
http://www.ee.washington.edu/circuit_archive/circuits/F_ASCII_Schem_IR.html#ASCIISCHEMIR_005
"Dallas is a magnificent and wide open city, and I'm deeply envious of any urban explorers who have the good fortune to live there." -Ninj. |
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up_remote.jpg (24 kb, 320x240)
up_w_remote_3ft.jpg (16 kb, 320x240)
up_nightshot.jpg (27 kb, 320x240)
up_parts.jpg (26 kb, 320x240)
up_closeup.jpg (25 kb, 320x240)
up_demo.jpg (23 kb, 320x240)
up_thomas.jpg (28 kb, 320x240)