Camera modifications

[Hexogen]

Is it possible to replace a camera's normal sensor with an infrared one?If yes,what other modifications does it need to make it infrared?The lenses which are normally made of glass which doesn't let IR pass through?Is it necessary to modify the microprocessor to or change it?Can you explain why if this can't be done?

Edited September 5, 2014 by Hexogen

[Endy0816]

Depending on the camera it may just be using an IR filter.

 

Instructables is a good resource for modification projects: http://www.instructables.com/howto/ir+camera/

[Hexogen]

Depending on the camera it may just be using an IR filter.

 

Instructables is a good resource for modification projects: http://www.instructables.com/howto/ir+camera/

Yea,I saw that.This question has a reason.If I take that filter out the camera will see infrared but not as I want it to.Trees and things like this are too white.I want it to almost ignore them.Just to know they are there but that white color to be seen only if there's a warm object like a car,human...and so on.

[swansont]

Yea,I saw that.This question has a reason.If I take that filter out the camera will see infrared but not as I want it to.Trees and things like this are too white.I want it to almost ignore them.Just to know they are there but that white color to be seen only if there's a warm object like a car,human...and so on.

 

 

A silicon sensor in a camera only works out to ~1.1 microns. A thermal IR sensor needs to be sensitive out at least in the several micron range; body temperature has a peak at around 10 microns.

 

The cheapest thermal imager I know of is the FLIR One attachment for the iPhone 5 series.

[Hexogen]

 

 

A silicon sensor in a camera only works out to ~1.1 microns. A thermal IR sensor needs to be sensitive out at least in the several micron range; body temperature has a peak at around 10 microns.

 

The cheapest thermal imager I know of is the FLIR One attachment for the iPhone 5 series.

I', thinking about this: trees and people on a normal camera without that filter appear white.Obviously,the human body has more heat but it's white,you can say it's whiter than white.So...is there anything that can block just a part of IR to make the trees and other objects darker?

Or...can you answer my first questions in the post?

[swansont]

I', thinking about this: trees and people on a normal camera without that filter appear white.Obviously,the human body has more heat but it's white,you can say it's whiter than white.So...is there anything that can block just a part of IR to make the trees and other objects darker?

Or...can you answer my first questions in the post?

 

A regular camera isn't detecting anything because it's hot, unless it's several hundred degrees and on the verge of becoming incandescent.

 

You would have to replace it with something sensitive to longer wavelengths. Ge, InGaAs or PbS get you out a little longer (~1.7, 2.6 and 3.2 microns) and are significantly more expensive. They typically have to be cooled to limit thermal noise.

 

Bolometer arrays are another option. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbolometer

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_detector

[MigL]

That may be true for the newer CMOS sensors swansont, and although its been years since I had one, the Nikon D50 DSLR with a CCD sensor could easily be modified for infrared use. I'm sure instructions are just a google away.

[Enthalpy]

And would the modified Nikon D50 DSLR detect thermal infrared? That's quite a special job! The detectors for 5µm or 10µm use to be extremely expensive, of low resolution, and chilled. Not the same as a silicon sensor with a different filter, which stops around 1.1µm.

[swansont]

That may be true for the newer CMOS sensors swansont, and although its been years since I had one, the Nikon D50 DSLR with a CCD sensor could easily be modified for infrared use. I'm sure instructions are just a google away.

 

The distinction is for NIR vs LWIR, (1 or 2 microns vs 10 microns). A silicon CCD cuts of at 1.1 microns, and will not show thermal imagery unless you are hot enough to be on the verge on going incandescent. I've done this conversion myself.