Note that removing the IR filter the camera will still pick up visable light so you could add a filter to remove that so you just get IR or if the firmware is hackable then you can could see what opensource flavours are out. Though failing that most photo edit software will cater for that with after filtering. But you will be doing most IR in the dark to eliminate the sun factor, unless you want to see how much the sun warms area's.
I'm sure somebody has done this type of hack and can comment better with converting digital camera's to IR and what models are best for the price, possibly ebay 2nd hand DLSR's but who knows?
Yeah, I modified an old CVS disposable digital camera to do this once. Those filters only block near IR (as mentioned in the article), basically light just outside our vision spectrum. You can use infrared LED's and a camera thus modified to make a cheap night vision camera (This is, I believe, how the night mode on old sony cameras would work).
Measuring heat, however, requires far IR, which won't be picked up by removing the filter.
Exactly. Near and far IR are different beasts. Not only are the sensors different, but you need to make the lenses out of different material (or use mirrors).
Seen many a article on how to convert a common digital camera though have not tried any myself so for example this one http://www.petapixel.com/2010/10/20/how-to-convert-a-cheap-d...
Note that removing the IR filter the camera will still pick up visable light so you could add a filter to remove that so you just get IR or if the firmware is hackable then you can could see what opensource flavours are out. Though failing that most photo edit software will cater for that with after filtering. But you will be doing most IR in the dark to eliminate the sun factor, unless you want to see how much the sun warms area's.
I'm sure somebody has done this type of hack and can comment better with converting digital camera's to IR and what models are best for the price, possibly ebay 2nd hand DLSR's but who knows?