The only thing holding me back from doing this to my old rebel 300d is some weirdness regarding autofocus: part of the reason why the stock filter cuts the IR spectrum so completley is for the AF to work. From what i gather, companies who do such conversions will usually calibrate it to work the autofocus with a specific lens (other lenses work, just might not focus right)

If i did do this, i would likely also add an aftermarket focusing screen and just use manual, which is half the fun of SLR’s anyway

In addition to andrew’s post, there seems something wrong about dismantling an expensive camera while grounding yourself via *a foot on a radiator*. At least the other site recommends a good grounding strap and anti-static bags.

Interesting point about the autofocus, but a) yes, manual focus is half the fun of having an slr and b) I gather the major reason for doing this is astronomy photography, where you have to focus using the telescope and a camera’s conventional autofocus gets a confused anyway.

Although I am not that familiar with why some one would want to remove the IR filter from photographic equipment I seem to remember the old SONY HANDICAMs with very sensitive to IR ccds getting some interesting low light captures of “temperature gradiant” on human beings and animals? What is the real efficacy for astronomy other than picking up more tiny spots of light? Certainly the commercial, inexpensive, ccds are not cooled or stable enough for high end?

No. 3: “a) yes, manual focus is half the fun of having an slr “

It’s nice sometimes, but of the additional controls that you get from having a DSLR over a point-and-shoot, focus is I think least interesting. Full exposure control, RAW shooting, white balance, and interchangeable lenses are all much more useful than manual focus IMO.

Depends what you’re doing I guess.

No. 6: “I am not that familiar with why some one would want to remove the IR filter from photographic equipment…”

Doing IR photography can produce some really neat effects. Add an IR filter and the results can look like a B&W photo with really odd correspondences between what objects produce black and what objects produce white. Sometimes there are colors in it too, depending on how the IR’s registered and how good the filter is at blocking visible light; those can look even more surreal. See, for example, http://dpfwiw.com/images/r72_gardens.jpg

How about you learn how to use the camera? What a waste of time. Not to mention possibly destroying a perfectly good camera.