Canon EOS 5D - Infrared

We love IR photography and after shooting with an IR modified camera there’s no way we’ll ever go back to using IR filters and long exposure times. Our IR modified XTi is wonderful but there’s one weakness: Ultra wide lenses just don’t focus well in IR. So we’ve finally had one of our 5Ds modified for full time IR by MaxMax so we can get the advantage of a full frame camera and those big pixels with an IR image.

This a full time IR camera with the built in infrared filter removed and replaced with a 715 nm (like Hoya RM72) visible light filter. It provides the ability to shoot infrared with normal exposure times (in fact a bit faster than normal). You also get the ability to see through the viewfinder, autofocus, set white balance etc. In short its like shooting with a normal 5D but you get beautiful Infrared images.

For those of you just getting into IR photography, we strongly recommend this introductory article and highly recommend paying the little bit of change to get the complete Diglloyd Guide to Digital Infrared Photography – it has more information in one place than any other resource we’ve found.

Remember the best visible light lens is not always the best IR lens. This list is compiled from various sources and may not be 100% accurate:

Good for IR photography:

• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L;
• Canon EF-S 17-85 f/4-5.6 IS;
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L;
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS;
• Canon EF 28-135mm/3.5-5.6 IS;
• Canon EF 28mm f/2.8;
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8;
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L;
• Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM;
• Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS;
• Canon EF 135mm f/2 L;
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6 L IS;
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro;
• Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L;
• Tamron 28-300mm XR;
• Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 SP AF XR Di;
• Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 EX DG macro

Not recommended for IR:

• Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5;
• Sigma 10-20 mm f/4.0-5.6 EX DC HSM ;
• Sigma 70-200 mm f/2.8;
• Canon EF 85 mm f/1.8;
• Canon EF 200 mm f/2.8 L
• Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye;
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L;
• Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6;
• Canon EF 20mm f/2.8;
• Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM;
• Canon EF 24/2.8;
• Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5;
• Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L;
• Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5;
• Canon EF 35mm f/2;
• Canon EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6;
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.4;
• Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro;
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS;
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO;
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8;
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5;
• Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8 EX;
• Sigma 30 mm f/1.4;
• Tamron 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 AF XR (IF) Di-II;
• Tamron 70-300mm Macro;
• Tokina 12-24mm