Nikon SLR Cameras

Can the Nikon d3300 pick up infra red?

Guest
Guest

I'm trying to think of a way to make the night vision on my Nikon d3300 work in dark rooms, it works fine when filming with a source of light nearby such as a lamp post or a light in someone's window but when I take it down into my cellar it doesn't work at all. Now I was thinking if it could pick up infra red the maybe I could strap a light to it and be able to film in those really dark rooms without using a flash light, potentially being unseen, if not does anyone else have any ideas about how I could do this?

henoch
henoch

Remove the internal ir filter then it can capture visible and ir spectrum.

retiredPhil
retiredPhil

If getting a faster lens, such as the 50mm f/1.8G doesn't do the trick, try infrared filters.

AWBoater
AWBoater

An infrared filter will not work - it simply filters OUT infrared… You want to capture infrared.
While camera sensors are capable of producing infrared images, they have an infrared filter over the sensor that prevents that from happening.
You can remove that filter, but there are some other issues.
First, when you remove the infrared filter, you want to install a visible light filter or you will get visible + infrared. Of course at night, this might not be an issue.
Second, you need to manually focus the camera as the focus point changes on infrared, and the camera's focus system will put the lens out of focus.
I did an experiment about a year ago where I took a cheap Nikon L series camera and took the IR filter out, installed a visible filter and it worked! But for close ups the focus issue was a problem, but at a distance with enough aperture would allow the DoF to keep stuff in focus.
Go to ebay and search on infrared cameras. There are plenty for sale there, and a couple of companies will modify a camera for you.
But be forewarned. If you convert the camera to infrared, it will not work well for visible light (unless you swap IR filters with Visible Light filters). That means you will forever have to use either a IR filter to use the camera for visible light, or a Visible Light filter to use the camera for IR light.
Removing the IR filter allows your camera to capture IR, and installing a Visible Light filter results in your camera only capturing IR.
The photos below are from a Nikon Coolpix L that I modified by removing the IR filter and installing a Visible Light filter. The four different photos are from the different combinations of filters and color/B&W modes.
Yes, you have to take the camera apart and pull the filter off the sensor (it is directly on the sensor). For the Visible Light filter, I used a leader from some color negative film (the black leader prior to the first photo), and taped that to the front of the lens. I used an old Coolpix L6 camera as it permanently and changes the camera (and could potentially damage it).
Cameras such as a Canon SX130 is easier than the Coolpix as you can get to the circuit board where the sensor is easier… And it has manual focus capability. But the Coolpix was lying around, and I didn't want to potentially damage my Canon SX130.
I don't think I would want to permanently modify a D3300. I have seen older Nikon DSLRs such as a D70 with it's IR filter removed and a Visible Light filter installed on eBay for around $200 or so. That to me would be the best approach as you would have full control over exposure and manual focus.
There are a bunch of YouTube videos on how to remove the IR filter and how to make a Visible Light filter (you can also buy a visible light filter but they are expensive).Can the Nikon d3300 pick up infra red - 1