Modify Webcam to see infrared!

goodie · Post by **goodie** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:38 pm

This sounds like it could be a fun mod to do:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/geoff.johnson2/IR/

Post by **Triton** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:51 pm

yeah, i think somthing like this was posted on the forum before, i would prefer to modify a nightshot handicam

lol

xxxeagle · Post by **xxxeagle** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:05 pm

I was at my freinds house today and his little brother had a eyetoy I was so tempted to mod that into a infrared eyetoy cause it sucks he doesent have enough lighting. Any ways I think I may ask my dad if I can mod our cheap webcam into infrared I have to have the light on as high as it goes and then have the blinds open to take a semi decent picture.
edit thats a good idea Im gonna start a thread about the IR eyetoy.

Post by **Triton** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:12 pm

you can do fun stuff with a handicam with nightshot and an IR pass filter, if you mod the cam slightly

JackFrost22 · Post by **JackFrost22** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:43 am

nut then you have to go to the baeach in natural light

Reaperman@home · Post by **Reaperman@home** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:19 am

the webcam should be able to give you x-ray vision too...just attached to a computer. actually any digital camera picks up a good portion of IR.

then you can start your own website selling the vids. ...perfectly legal since they were outside in public...

hey, that's a pretty good idea...I'm only about 6 min. from Malibu right now...

Foxx373 · Post by **Foxx373** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:04 pm

I have done an IR Mod to a CCD color security camera. Its decent, and works ok. I didnt look at the link posted, but I will assume its just a "remove the IR filter" tutorial. If you have a spare camera (webcam or video) that you can potentially destroy, go for it.

I took an X-10 camera i "found" and modified it for IR vision and normal vision (at once). The color is completely FUBAR, but i can at least use it in normal light. I then built a zoom-lens system, and zoomable IR LED lens array. With a camcorder monocle as my screen, I have a 40X optical day/night zoom scope.

G-force · Post by **G-force** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:10 pm

Reaperman@home wrote:the webcam should be able to give you x-ray vision too...just attached to a computer. actually any digital camera picks up a good portion of IR.

then you can start your own website selling the vids. ...perfectly legal since they were outside in public...

hey, that's a pretty good idea...I'm only about 6 min. from Malibu right now...

Whoah. Wait... X-ray!?

NOW I'm interested in this! How does it work as an X-ray cam? I know you can see veins and stuff, but what else? possibly window drapes and the like?
(no I am not a peeping tom, I have a good idea for a prank on my "friend"

)

madc0w · Post by **madc0w** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:18 pm

the problem is there are too little xrays being produced for you to see anything

usbcd36 · Post by **usbcd36** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:31 pm

JackFrost22 wrote:nut then you have to go to the baeach in natural light

â€¦or you can make an IR flashlight, just buy the most powerful 3mm IR LED you can find and cut the leads to about 3mm long, stick it in a mini Maglite and you have an instant IR flashlight. If it doesn't seem to be working, pull the LED out and flip it around, the original bulb doesn't care about polarity, but an LED will.

Reaperman@home · Post by **Reaperman@home** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:55 pm

G-force wrote:Whoah. Wait... X-ray!? NOW I'm interested in this! How does it work as an X-ray cam? I know you can see veins and stuff, but what else? possibly window drapes and the like?
(no I am not a peeping tom, I have a good idea for a prank on my "friend" )

you know those websites with the sony nightshot movies... I know you've been there...

typically they're done with older sony camcorders with nightshot (or newer ones with the proper filters). The only good results I've seen came from tight clothing and large temperature differences--conditions you find with people exiting swimming pools.

of course you're not actually 'seeing through the clothing', you're just seeing the heat generated by certain objects on the other side which get the most warm blood pumped to them. There must be a better use for IR...but mankind hasn't found it.

I don't think the 'trick' you want to play on your friend would work unless he wears speedos on a daily basis. even if he does, I'd seriously evaluate how much you'd want this experiment to succeed.

don't mind me, I'm just the resident sicko, I guess...

edit: the last few posts have got me thinking about switching my video light to an infrared video light on my cheapo divx camcorder. so I can see things in the dark without necessarily being seen. waste of color though...

G-force · Post by **G-force** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:06 pm

Ewww...no. I was thinking more of a "I can see you though your closed window-scare the crap out of him-type thing." But I guess that wouldn't work.

usbcd36 · Post by **usbcd36** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:35 am

I do like your idea about switching the light to an IR light. Now all I need is an IR filter

!

Reaperman@home · Post by **Reaperman@home** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:00 am

IR filters are under $10 at photo stores...as long as you don't need a good one, and don't care about size. I imagine they'd give my cheapo-cam a heafty case of framerate drop, so they're probably best avoided, for me.

but in the darkness, lit by an IR flashlight, you really wouldn't need an IR filter, as there's not much other light around. (any extra light comming in would just add useful things...like some color). I do RHPS, and I'd like to be able to film the audience without a massive external light to blind everybody--IR might be a good answer, if the CCD is sensitive enough to it.

usbcd36 · Post by **usbcd36** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:06 am

I would still want an IR filter because IR photography is cool, but I'm not sure about one for a Canon PowerShot G6, I don't think it can have oneâ€¦