Softening IR Light? at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > The Tools of DV and HD Production > Photon Management

Photon Management
Shine an ever-loving light on you.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 13th, 2011, 09:22 AM   #1
Trustee
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Houma, La.
Posts: 1,400
Images: 5
Softening IR Light?

So I've got a baby on the way & being the video geek I am, I haven't been satisfied with the quality of my baby monitor's video in pitch black & figured I need to add a secondary IR light source to improve it.

Problem is, all the cheap IR light sources I find are fairly narrowly focused. Usually I'd solve something like this by adding a diffuser of some type but knowing nothing about IR can you soften an IR source? If so, what type of material would work?

I figure other than for my odd little application this type of info could be useful to many people using IR sources for more professional purposes.
__________________

-Ethan Cooper
Ethan Cooper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 22nd, 2011, 10:54 PM   #2
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The Colony TX
Posts: 327
Light's light. Put a piece of glass or plastic in front of the LED's and spray it with hairspray until you get the right amount of diffusion. If the LED's are around the lens, put a round piece of tape on the glass where the lens peeks through, spray the glass, then peel the tape away so the lens has a clear spot to look through. The nice thing about hairspray is you can clean it off and try again if you put on too much, plus your wife probably has a can or two already.

Martin
__________________
Canon XF300, Canon 5DMkII, Canon XL2, Rolls MX422 mixer, Zoom H4N, AT899 lavs, AT2020's, Azden SGM 1X shotgun, Manfrotto 501 head on 351 tripod
Martin Catt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 23rd, 2011, 11:06 AM   #3
Trustee
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Houma, La.
Posts: 1,400
Images: 5
I had just figured the wavelength of IR light might interact differently with traditional diffusion material. If it doesn't then great, good to know.
__________________

-Ethan Cooper
Ethan Cooper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 23rd, 2011, 05:18 PM   #4
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The Colony TX
Posts: 327
It --might--. Some plastics that are opaque to visible light will pass IR, as anyone who ever developed IR-sensitive film in a plastic developing tank can attest (stainless steel ONLY). The converse is also true, as a silicon slab is opaque to visible light, but passes IR like, well, glass.

Play around -- hair spray, waxed paper, vaseline. See what works.

Martin
__________________
Canon XF300, Canon 5DMkII, Canon XL2, Rolls MX422 mixer, Zoom H4N, AT899 lavs, AT2020's, Azden SGM 1X shotgun, Manfrotto 501 head on 351 tripod
Martin Catt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 24th, 2011, 06:24 AM   #5
Trustee
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1,570
I don't know how widely available they are but down here you can find IR LED kits pretty cheaply that seem very simple to assemble. As you're mounting the LEDs yourself it would be easy enough to leave the leads a little longer and angle the LEDs to give a wider beam.
Bob Grant is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > The Tools of DV and HD Production > Photon Management

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:36 AM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network