IR filters for Canon Powershot A85 [Archive]

View Full Version : IR filters for Canon Powershot A85

wmilberry

07-10-2005, 02:58 AM

I have a Canon Powershot A85 and I'm interested in playing with infrared photography. I've confirmed that my camera is at least a little IR sensitive by going into a dark room, and taking a picture of my face illuminated only by a TV remote control 
 
I've seen a 52mm adapter ring availabe for my camera. I was looking for 52mm IR filters and found a Hoya R72 IR filter for $34 and a Tiffen Infrared 87 filter for $75. I'd like to do it as inexpensively as possible since I'm just getting into the hobby of photography. 
 
Any input on these two filters? Would the Hoya work? Is there another filter I should look at buying? 
 
I heard about Kodak Wratten #87 gelatin filters but they seem to just be squares that you have to cut and mount in a ring ... I'm looking for something a little more simple that I can just put on and use. 
 
Thanks.

mudman

07-10-2005, 11:45 AM

Check out the photos in the reader gallery. Someone just put up photos using both filters. Go back a few pages and you should be able to find it.

wmilberry

07-10-2005, 12:30 PM

Wow, thanks for the link! I won't be able to get results of THAT quality with my camera, but it's encouraging to see that filter in use and giving good results since it's much cheaper than the Tiffen filter I read about and was considering. I think I'll give it a try.

DrJalapeno

07-10-2005, 12:34 PM

The post that mudman referred to is a bit tricky to find. 
Here's a link to it... 
 
 
<A HREF=http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39969 TARGET='_blank'>http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39969</A>

drh681

07-11-2005, 03:27 AM

the chief difference in those two filters is in how much light you need to make the image. I dont know precisely, but the R72 is probably less ''dark'than the IR87. (the numbers refer to the Nanometer range where the light is more than 50% ''passed''; so the 72 will have marginally less effect but be easier to use. 
I like to set the camera white balance to either ''tungsten''(for color), or b/w when shooting with the IR filter.

mudman

07-11-2005, 10:44 PM

here's a post that had the tiffen filter 
<A HREF=http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39851 TARGET='_blank'>http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39851</A> 
 
EDIT: Heres the post comparing the two 
<A HREF=http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39874 TARGET='_blank'>http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=39874</A>