Overview. We’ve had this 5D Mark IV modified for IR photography by the good people at Kolari Vision. The low-pass filter was removed and replaced with an internal 720nm infrared filter. Instead of capturing three different colors of visible light, the camera now sees three different wavelengths in the near-infrared spectrum.

This Thing is Different. For those of you who aren’t familiar with IR photography, the look is very different. You’ll want to read up on shooting in IR and the post-processing required for the images.

No Automatic Sensor Cleaning. The modification disables the automatic sensor cleaning function so the camera may report an error when powering up if you set it to clean the sensor when starting up. Ignore this; it’ll work just fine.

720nm Infrared Filter. The Standard IR Filter (720nm) This is the tried and true classic IR filter. It allows for good color for false color, and good contrast for black and white. This is equivalent to the Hoya R72 and Wratten 89b. This filter is good if you’re interested in shooting some mild color and black and white. This filter produces the traditional dark blue skies and can also be processed for color. While not as high contrast as the 850nm, many people prefer this filter over the 850nm for B&W work, as it allows a little more color for B&W processing.

Normal Use. You use an IR-modified camera just as you would a normal camera: autofocus works, live view works, and in-camera metering works. Exposure times are similar to a normal camera’s when shooting in sunny conditions where IR light is abundant. Try to shoot under indoor artificial lighting (not really any IR light there) and you’re going to need a tripod. Please note that you may see front or back-focusing using autofocus under some lighting conditions.

Anti-Reflective Coating. Applied to the IR filter, this special coating is centered in the infrared band to helps alleviate reflections/hotspots. Is it a cure-all for those pesky IR hotspots with some lenses? No, but it does help to greatly minimize them.