Starting into IR

[mercphoto]

I know a 20D is not a great infrared camera, but I wanted to take a start. I know the minimum is an IR filter, like a Hoya R72. And I know the lens is critical, as some of the newer lenses have IR coatings to block IR to the sensor. Apparantly my 50/1.4 is one of those. Apparantly my 28-135 is not. However, a 72mm R72 filter is ghastly expensive. A 58mm R72 is rather reasonable.

So, how is the EF-S 18-55 lens for IR work? Is it coated to block IR, seeing as how it is a digital camera only lens?

[ziggy53]

Bill,

A link to an interresting discussion:

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-8068.html

The EF 20-35/3.5-4.5 USM and the EF 28-105/3.5-4.5 USM both have IR focussing marks, usually a good indication that they are OK for IR. www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/10d300dlenses.html (http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/10d300dlenses.html)

ziggy53

[mercphoto]

A link to an interresting discussion:

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-8068.html


Cool. Thanks. I was looking at the Canon website about their lenses, and I notice at the bottom of a page for a given lens will be a series of boxes with letters inside them that signify the features of the lens. For example, a box with "IS" means image stabilized. "FTM" means full-time manual focusing. Etc. I see some that have "IR" in them. I suppose this means the lens is infra-red capable? I don't see a glossary for any of these symbols, and some are not easy to decipher.

However, I do think my 18-55 kit lens is IR capable, and uses a small filter, both of which are good!