Do you really need a modified UV-VIS-IR camera?

Maybe with a long enough exposure, I can get some IR and UV photos without modifying my camera? We made the test. We shot our pigments checker with a Nikon D800 without any modification, such as one camera that you can buy in any shop. Then we shot with our Nikon D800 modified for UV-VIS photography. We kept the same conditions (aperture, shutter speed, UV and IR radiation intensity, distance camera – subject).

We tested a standard Nikon D800 and our Nikon D800 modified for UV-VIS-IR.

We started the test with our Nikon D800 modified. We used an exposure of 1/2 second for both the IR and UV images. Then we tested the standard camera and we got just dark images. We increased the exposure up to **5 seconds** and the result was the same, just dark images.

Let’s compare what happens when we use our UV and IR filters on a camera modified for UV-VIS-IR and the same model without modification.

Learn more about our Technical Photography Kit.

Learn Technical Photography for Art Examination

Technical Photography is one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—tools for the scientific examination of art and archaeology. If you are a conservator, scientist, or art collector and you are not yet familiar with this method, it is truly a missed opportunity. Using simple, affordable equipment and a clear methodology, Technical Photography allows you to reveal underdrawings, retouchings, material differences, and conservation issues in a completely non-invasive way. Far from being complex or inaccessible, it is an easy entry point into scientific analysis. In many cases, Technical Photography represents the first essential step toward a deeper understanding of artworks and archaeological objects.