Hot mirror filter
Special filters are placed over camera sensors to block infrared light from reaching the sensor. This is done because humans don’t see IR light and having it in our pictures will impart a very strange look. See the full spectrum filter images in the filter choices page for an example of how a photo would look without a hot mirror filter blocking IR light.
Hot mirror filters reflect most of the near-infrared light (700-1200nm), stopping it from reaching the camera sensor. This makes any infrared photography near impossible without high ISO or longer exposures.
However, many enterprising photographers have worked out how to remove the hot mirror filter and perform the IR conversion themselves. Although we do have DIY IR conversion tutorials posted on our site we don’t recommend you do this yourself; it’s best to leave any IR modifications or conversions to the professionals.
