Kodak DSLR/n Ultimate Infrared Camera

[jenbob2]

I loved my S2 for infrared, but have moved on to bigger images. I got the S3 and came up with horrible images, losing 4 to 6 stops over the S2. Even then the images always came out with missing (blank) pixels. I have since picked up a used Kodak DSLR/n and have done extensive testing with it in infrared. It looks to me like the 88a is the ultimate filter on this camera for infrared. I shot the attached photo from outside my office (only as a test) to check all of the camera settings.

It was shot at asa 160, f16, for 4 seconds. This same shot on my S2 would have been 20 seconds. I am floored by these results. I have tried the 87 filter and it adds about 3 stops to the expsure, but makes the images really noisy (pixelated) in the dark areas.

I have also tried shooting as asa 50 through to asa 6 and the results are less than optimal. There is a strange pin-stripe pattern going through the image. On the attached image shot at the asa 50, 12, and 6 settings, the pin-stripe was vertical. Having shot some normal (non infrared) photos the other day at asa6, I also noticed this pinstriping. Is this my camera or are others experiencing this as well?

The caveat in shooting infrared on the DSLR/n is that you must set the exposure to "Long." If you don't it will be very noisy. Also, even though my photo was perfectly exposed (by the histogram), before showing me the image, I get an alert that tells me the the image is overexposed. Not sure why I am getting this if the histogram is perfectly centered.

If you would like to see more of the images from this test, or what the pinstriping looks like, let me know. I would be please to post other images.

Springs hasn't quite sprung here in the West Virginia hills, but I am extremely excited to take this camera out on an infrared safari as soon as possible.

Best of luck to you all,
bob peak

[NZDoug]

Bob.
Post more!
Ill keep a weather eye out for an 88A.
Do you shoot raw?
Its almost easier to bracket high rez jpg with the Fuji ,at least.
What sort of exposure for asa 6?
Have you tried any long lens?
Ive stuck to the 12-24 on Fuji and kodak.
be interesting to see things on a longer lens if I can figer an exposure!
Wilm is the KaiserMeister of infrared on this board.
Wilm, buy a 14n so you can help us sort this!

[jenbob2]

I always shoot RAW. The infrared exposures are always the same (for me) regardless of the lens I am shooting. I have used my 80-200 shooting infrared on my S2 and took some shots last week with it on my SLR/n. Shooting asa 12 yesterday about mid day, my exposures were spot on at 60 seconds. Unfortunately, the pin-striping makes them unuseable unless you apply about 2-3% noise.

I tried Wilm's awesome color infrared technique but it doesn't seem to work on the Kodak files. They come out very green or have a blue ground and black sky. Sort of the reverse of the Wilm's S2 infrared look. I checked his technique also on some of my Fuji files from last year and they came out beautifully. His technique is awesome. I bow to you Wilm for figuring that beautiful process out. Now if I can just figure out how to apply it to the Kodak files....
bob

[Wilm]

Hi Bob,

thanks for your comment of my technique. This years summer is a drama, it's raining since weeks here, so there is no chance for me to take even a normal landscape photo. About the problem withthe Kodak-files. If you don't mind, you can send me a Kodak-RAW file and I can try to figure out a workflow for your raw-files. My S2 is getting older, time to seek for a new "IR" camera.

:cheers:
Wilm