Cameras for Technical Photography

Cameras for Technical Photography

Nikon D800 - PDF

We have cameras ready for Technical Photography (TP)  (UV-VIS-IR) plus free color calibration and Spectral Range Test with TP filters set Robertina.

How is the camera modified for UV-IR photography

Let’s see the actual filters taken out of a modified camera!

These 2 filters are removed from the camera. The blue one is the actual Hot mirror filter, that blocks UV and IR.
The clear filter is the Dust Reduction Filter. This filter is shaken with ultrasonic
waves to get rid of dust particles. This filter has an IR-reflective coating and must be removed. It also stops the UV!

Color Calibration

Due to differences in technologies and variables in manufacturing processes every camera captures colors a bit differently. Even two identical cameras from the same company are a bit different. Even if the Raw processing software you are using could have included a profile for the model camera which you use, you can get even better results when you create a profile specifically for the RAW output of your specific camera.
We do color calibrate each full spectrum camera that we deliver. Color accuracy is pivotal in art documentation, especially when it comes to paintings.  We use the X-rite ColorChecker Passport and its bundled software. ColorChecker Passport Classic Target is the industry standard color reference target for creating DNG profiles and for evaluating specific colors. Read more about color calibration for DSLR cameras.
Each camera comes with a disk containing the color calibration profile for the specific camera and the results of the test for UV, VIS and IR photography.

color calibration full cameras
CHSOS Studio. Each full spectrum camera is color calibrated with our specific VIS filter.
We use the X-rite ColorChecker Passport and its bundled software to prepare a color profile for each of our full spectrum modified cameras.

Spectral Range Test

Before we ship each camera we test it with the Robertina filters set for Technical Photography. The camera shoots a VIS image of Pigments Checker and we can evaluate how the color profile is performing. Then we shoot a UVR photo where titanium white and zinc white are supposed to appear black while lead white is bright. Eventually, the test photo for IR shows how smalt has become totally transparent.

We test each modified camera to evaluate how it performs in each spectral range, UV, VIS, and IR.
We test each modified camera to evaluate how it performs in each spectral range, UV, VIS, and IR.

Nikon D800

The 36 MP Nikon camera, the largest number of pixels so far available from Nikon.

Do you really need a modified UV-VIS-IR 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.