An Infrared Conversion 665nm – and a suitable Nikon.

After having the Canon EOS 10D converted last year using the 720nm filter, I had seen at the time the alternative conversion using the 665nm filter. This one gives the strange colour infrared effects that, as the black and white images produced by the 720nm conversion are just as ethereal and wonderful.

Having managed to get hold of the Canon on e-bay for next to nothing getting another one might be difficult. After a few months of looking nothing really was being offered, most sold as seen with none descript faults or just plain broken. It’s amazing how many cameras’ are crushed or dropped in the sea.

I would have kept looking but had seen that the early Nikon digitals were being converted using the 665nm filter; indeed the initial conversion I had seen was for a Nikon. I had read some where on my web travels that the Nikon sensor was based on a Sony manufactured unit which had been present in some of the early compacts that had started the digital infrared interest.

Back to e-Bay and weekly trawls soon indicated that early Nikons of the D series were also hard to come by, and getting one was looking difficult. Luckily for me I managed to find a D1X body, with charger and two spare batteries, that was on sale for a decent price; and it helps that no one else bids, the only down side was that I’d need to find a lens for the camera. Now these are pretty decent digital shooters, from what I’ve read on a few of the well know review sites, so I was looking forward to getting it and taking it out for a pre conversion check.

Well it got here last week, I managed to borrow a 28-80mm off one of my Nikon friends and have a quick play about.

Well, it’s a great camera; it’s solid and looks the part, not being familiar with the whole Nikon chic it was a bit of a learning curve to get the thing fired up and doing what I wanted.

After a weekend of shooting I managed to pretty much figure it out, I should receive a nice 18-55mm AF-S f3.5-5.6G ED DX in the post in the week too.

D1X Review