ADDENDUM: OOPS – well all may not be lost, re-tested today with Hoya R72 filter instead of Lee 730nm IR technical filter (which starts transmission at 730nm) and IR is possible with similar settings as for the Canon 1DMIII so I surmise that the Canon 5DMII has a stronger IR blocking filter than the Canon 1DMIII which prevents use of the Lee filter but still allows use of the Hoya R72 filter which starts transmission at 700nm, is 50% by 720nm and 85% transmission by 750nm.<\/p>\n
Those who read my blogs and my web pages on IR<\/a> will know that I love infrared photography – both film and digital (my digital IR photos here<\/a>).<\/p>\n For digital I use the Olympus E510 (as you can even compose in bright sunlight with f\/2 lens and live view BOOST), and the Canon 1DMIII.<\/p>\n Yesterday, my friend who has a Canon 5DMII asked me to help him do IR with it, but I found it was impossible using the Lee 730nm IR filter (marginally higher cut-off than a Hoya R72).<\/p>\n Using a Lee 730nm technical filter with Canon EF 24-105mm IS L lens, these are the results in bright sunlight in late afternoon to get adequate histogram on red channel:<\/p>\n Canon 1DMIII:<\/strong> ISO 400, f\/5.6, 25sec – my usual exposure (similar to what I use with Hoya R72 on this camera).<\/p>\n Canon 5DMII:<\/strong> ISO 3200, f\/4, 30sec – BUT the image was just a normal colour image with little if any Woods IR effect.<\/p>\n Thus I surmise that the IR blocking filter in the Canon 5DMII is so strong that almost NO IR light gets through it, and that using the Lee 730nm filter acts as a 26 stop neutral density filter.<\/strong><\/p>\n This makes infrared photography impossible with this camera and the Lee filter<\/strong> without removing the IR blocking filter but fortunately the Hoya R72 filter does work.<\/p>\n Presumably the Canon 50D and 500D will have the same IR blocking filter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, there are very few reliable reports on the internet via Google search to give examples of IR use.<\/p>\n