Latest additions ... 'Night Shot' Digital Infrared
To recap: the imaging chips used in digital cameras are usually very sensitive
to near-infrared light. This ought to make them a dream for us subluminals
but this light also spoils normal colour photos. So most cameras block out
the infrared to a greater or lesser degree. Sony's 'Night Shot' feature enables
the infrared blocking filter to be flipped out of the light path at the push
of a button. This should make these cameras ideal for infrared photography,
but unfortunately the facility is somewhat crippled by forcing the camera
to operate with fully-open iris and relatively long exposures. This was supposed
to counteract so-called 'X-Ray' photos taken through people's clothing.
With care, and suitable neutral-density filtering, such cameras can be
used for daylight infrared photography. In my case, I use a Sony DSC F-828
with a Hoya R72 and 12 stops of ND-filter. The images this camera produces
are excellent, with good tonal resolution, especially if you use the RAW
facility. There is no false colour, possibly because of the 4-colour chip
used in this camera.
The live preview with this camera, and the fact that it's digital, allow
for more experimentation. The shallow depth of field is sometimes a problem
but it does allow for good separation of foreground. Most of these are also
cropped, as I find I prefer a wider aspect ratio than the standard digital
4 by 3.
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