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Seeking full spectrum advice..

tcdeveau

Well-known member
I've really enjoyed the IR posts on this section of GetDPI. I've been wanting to get into infrared for awhile and am finally going to make the full spectrum plunge and convert my A7R. The cover glass on the sensor probably needs to be replaced anyway thanks to a bad cleaning job by myself (d'oh) and I figure for the price I may as well convert. I want to go full spectrum vs. dedicated IR because I'm selling my Nikon gear and need the visible light option as this will be my only 35mm system until I can save up for an A7RII. Anyway....

I was thinking about going with Life Pixel because it seems like a more cost-effective option compared to other vendors and it seems others posting here have had their cameras converted by them. Would anyone out there recommended Life Pixel or are there other vendors one would recommend instead? Seems the price for FS conversion is the same between LP and Kolari for the A7R. Maxmax quoted me a bit more for dedicated IR but I assume they're more $$ than LP or Kolari.

Where would it be recommended to purchase hot mirror/IR filters? I was just going to buy some from Life Pixel if I did the conversion there (hot mirror and 720nm IR to start) but I noticed some others are using Kolari in other posts. The price points seem similar between the two, any reason to go with one over the other? I wouldn't anticipate big differences in quality but others with experience may say otherwise.

As far as lenses go, so far I only have the 55mm f1.8 FE for the A7R. I need a wide angle and was debating between the 16-35mm FE and the Zeiss Batis 25mm. Obviously they're not really comparable for several reasons but opted for speed over zoom and to stick with a prime. Has anyone out there tried the Batis 25mm with FS/IR? If so, how does it perform? I ordered a Batis 25mm today but I imagine it will take awhile to get here and can cancel if others have had horrible experiences with it doing IR. I'm anticipating some hot spots but just hoping they're not too bad. What about the Sony 90mm FE Macro? That is the next E-mount lens I'm planning to budget for.

Sorry for the long post, any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Todd
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
I am happy with my A7II Lifepixel full spectrum conversion. I have used
Lifepixel before and never had a problem, though I have heard good things about Kolari, too. My filters are from Kolari, MaxMax, and B+W. LP didn't offer filters when I was acquiring mine. I am satisfied with all of mine.
I use a Canon FD or Voigtlander wide on mine, so I can't comment on your lens choice.
 
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iiiNelson

Well-known member
My A7R was converted by Life Pixel. If I could do it again there's a possibility that I'd just settle on the IR590 (Super Color IR) conversion now that I have a A7RII. Another option is Kolari IR/Vis (2-band).

Regarding the Batis 25. I recommend going with the 16-35 or the 28mm is size is of concern. The Batis (Like many Zeiss lenses) can show hot spots due to the lens coatings. It's not terrible from f/2-5.6 or so but you'll be doing PP on every image to fix it beyond that.
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Thanks for the advice. I ended up going with Life Pixel for the conversion and filters. Unforunately when the sent the camera back to me, it had a scratch in the sensor cover glass they installed, but I sent it back to them and the replaced it at no cost. Good service in that regard and the contact person I've been working with there is very friendly. It's been fun to shoot with, although if I were to do it over again, I'd do a 720nm IR conversion as thats what I shoot the most, and I find keeping with external filters of various wavelengths to be annoying. I've mainly been doing 720nm IR with the 55mm FE and stiching panos when I need to go wider. I've also shot on Loxia 21mm and Batis 18mm that I've rented.

Thanks also for the advice on the Sony zoom, that seems to be a good choice. I'm holding off on new FE glass for now as I've got other gear for another system on order, so will just continue renting as-needed.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Thanks for the advice. I ended up going with Life Pixel for the conversion and filters. Unforunately when the sent the camera back to me, it had a scratch in the sensor cover glass they installed, but I sent it back to them and the replaced it at no cost. Good service in that regard and the contact person I've been working with there is very friendly. It's been fun to shoot with, although if I were to do it over again, I'd do a 720nm IR conversion as thats what I shoot the most, and I find keeping with external filters of various wavelengths to be annoying. I've mainly been doing 720nm IR with the 55mm FE and stiching panos when I need to go wider. I've also shot on Loxia 21mm and Batis 18mm that I've rented.

Thanks also for the advice on the Sony zoom, that seems to be a good choice. I'm holding off on new FE glass for now as I've got other gear for another system on order, so will just continue renting as-needed.
I agree about the filter swapping and the customer service of LifePixel (they're top notch) although if unsure about what you'll like then the full spectrum is the "best" option due to flexibility. I only recommend the 590nm conversion due to being able to emulate nearly every IR look from that wavelength. Glad you like the 55 (I used it alot in Seattle for stitching panos) and I read good things about the 28mm for IR (they share filter sizes too) as a complement.

If I decide to get the Fuji GFX 50S I may dump my non-IR compatible Sony glass and pick up a 28mm and 70-300mm for travel to go along with the 55mm lens.
 
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