IR-cam

[Guy King]

Well, I sacrificed a webcam in the end - prised out the tiny IR filter from the back of the lens (not over the sensor as I'd expected) and stuck two bits of Congo Blue and one bit of Primary Red over the lens - and away we go.

The monitor is displaying an image - but you can't see it. Between my fingers is a bit of film - you can just about make out the shape of it faintly. In visible light that's so dark blue as to be almost opaque.

In this one the telly's on but again you can't see anything. The foliage is reflecting the light from the uplighters rather nicely. The various remote controls light up beautifully and make quite good torches for poking about under the desk.

Wheee!

[Steve Firth]

Dang, that's actually interesting and tempting enough to make me think of starting another project. Damn, damn, damn...

[Guy King]

The message from Steve Firth contains these words:

I've got a fair bit of the filter material if you'd like a snippet? Lee Filters kindly sent me a rather large sample.

I think I'll end up sacrificing an old camera as well.

[Simon]

I agree, taking webcams apart is fun. The left-hand image labelled

2004-08-29 1734 at was taken with a Philips Toucam with the IR-cut filter replaced with an IR-pass filter, to see whether IR passes through sea-mist better than visible light.

I've also tried sticking various 35mm lenses on the front, see

And now Maplin have just started selling M12-threaded lenses that will fit most webcams.

Has anyone tried near-UV imaging using a webcam?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Why piss about with webcams which give an inferior quality image,when you can pick up this type of camera for less than a webcam...bearing in mind you need a TV/Capture card in your machine.

[Simon]

I find that both webcams and capture cards tend to stop working if left running for more than a few days, and they require software drivers, which can cause stability issues on PCs that already have to much rubbish installed. If funds allow, I prefer to use IP cameras, which don't require any software on the PC and which are usually more reliable than webcams.

[Guy King]

The message from "The3rd Earl Of Derby" contains these words:

Because I had a webcam in the junk box not twenty feet from where I'm sitting and it was eleven o'clock at night.

[Mary Fisher]

I thought the instructions said it would be over the lens.

I can see everything - blue but so what?

[Mary Fisher]

Well done too.

Mary

[Adrian C]

First step to interesting blue movies...

Ahem.....

:-)

[Me]

Having used several of these

the past I can recommend them for anyone needing to look at anything in

*very* low light.

Damn good for watching the wildlife around my shed after dark.

[Guy King]

The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

'Cos it's only seeing infrared. If I turned out the lights and used a bank of IR LEDs you'd see much the same with nothing visible to the naked eye.

As for why? 'Cos I could.

[Guy King]

The message from Steve Firth contains these words:

I've just spent a few minutes fitting a visible filter to a big zillion candlepower lamp. Faint red glow visible, but with the IRcam you can see right across the carpark. Smashing.

[Mary Fisher]

Right cross the carpark?

Exciting!

Mary

[Nick]

How wonderful. I have to do this now :)

[Guy King]

The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

It just happened to be the nearest window to where the camera's plugged in. I suppose if I'd wandered about a bit I could have chosen a nicer view.

[Mary Fisher]

In truth most houses don't have exciting views, do they? Even when they're very beautiful not much happens!

Mary

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

"Mary Fisher" typed

You've not watched the urban foxes round here...

[Mary Fisher]

We've managed to prevent fox getting into our garden by building an expensive fence. We don't even see them in the street or other gardens now that they know they can't get in and kill our chickens.

That wasn't exciting.

Mary

[Owain]

Depends on what goes on in the car park at night ...

I get a marital break-up/down outside my window so often I don't even bother watching now. That's what living opposite a pub does ... :-(

Owain