# Thinking EOS R or RP for Kolari IR Conversion: Thoughts?



## cayenne (Jun 1, 2022)

Hi All,
Ok...the spend money bug is hitting me, along with wanting to try something new.
I've been looking at this site:
Kolari Full Spectrum IR/UV Camera Conversions

I discovered this site again from this YouTube video that really make this look fun:





So, I got to thinking. I still have my older 5D3, but I kinda want to hang onto that till maybe the R1 is announced and at that point decide which new Canon R camera to replace it with.....

But since I have a bunch of EF lenses I could adapt, I was thinking maybe one of the older first "RF" cameras might be something to use.
And I could also have something I could start using RF glass on when I find deals here or there, etc....

I've been looking maybe to get a R or RP for this permanent conversion. But I don't know much about these two cameras nor what a good price on them currently is...I've just started looking on eBay.

First, what is the major differences between a R and a RP...is it just slightly larger sensor size on the R? Is that the main differentiator?

Has anyone out there done a Kolari IR conversion to a Canon camera? Can you give some experiences? Recommendations? Post a few sample pics?

Thank you in advance,

cayenne


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## koenkooi (Jun 2, 2022)

cayenne said:


> [..]
> First, what is the major differences between a R and a RP...is it just slightly larger sensor size on the R? Is that the main differentiator?
> [..]


Both the R and RP have the same size sensor: full-frame. The RP body is a lot smaller than the R and lacks a few features like fully mechanical shutter and electronic shutter, the RP is EFCS only.
I picked the RP over the R since the extra features weren't worth the (back then) $900 difference to me. I greatly enjoyed using it till I replaced it with an R5. I do miss the compact size of the RP, I hope it gets a refresh in the next few years.


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## Act444 (Jun 2, 2022)

Just wanted to note that the RP does technically have an electronic shutter mode, but for some reason it’s locked to fully automatic mode. So no user control over aperture or shutter speed. Certainly disappointing given its smaller size and superior (IMO) ergonomics over the R…


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## koenkooi (Jun 2, 2022)

Act444 said:


> Just wanted to note that the RP does technically have an electronic shutter mode, but for some reason it’s locked to fully automatic mode. So no user control over aperture or shutter speed. Certainly disappointing given its smaller size and superior (IMO) ergonomics over the R…


And it also has a really slow readout speed, so lots of rolling shutter in that mode as well


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## PCM-madison (Jun 2, 2022)

I had a good experience converting my EOS M to IR with LifePixel. I have an RP (not converted), and I think it would be a great converted camera. I think a more important issue is that some lenses have bad artifacts with IR "hotspots." The 22mm M lens seems artifact free and is the one I use the most. Example:


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## Act444 (Jun 2, 2022)

koenkooi said:


> And it also has a really slow readout speed, so lots of rolling shutter in that mode as well


Yes, and unfortunately banding can also be an issue in certain lighting conditions.


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## cayenne (Jun 2, 2022)

Act444 said:


> Yes, and unfortunately banding can also be an issue in certain lighting conditions.


Ok..so thinking I might should at least go for an "R" camera to experiment on this with.

If I had a LOT of confidence in them...it would seem a good idea to get the full spectrum job done on a main camera, like a R5....and you could put the filter on it to shoot "normal" most of the time, and then when you want, place the various IR/UV filters over the sensor to shoot those image.....

But that's a lot more money to risk than I'd want to, and I'm not sure the conversion and using the "normal" filter didn't introduce some degradation off the camera, etc.

C


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## steinr98 (Jun 7, 2022)

cayenne said:


> Hi All,
> Ok...the spend money bug is hitting me, along with wanting to try something new.
> I've been looking at this site:
> Kolari Full Spectrum IR/UV Camera Conversions
> ...


I have had two conversions and they work super ! The great part is you can see what you are photographing!! Not like using a dark filter. My latest camera is a Canon Ti 5 and it works perfectly!!Good company!


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## cayenne (Jun 7, 2022)

steinr98 said:


> I have had two conversions and they work super ! The great part is you can see what you are photographing!! Not like using a dark filter. My latest camera is a Canon Ti 5 and it works perfectly!!Good company!


Thank you for the reply and feedback!!!

Alright. At this time, it is looking like I'll try to grab a canon R camera and send it for the full spectrum conversion.

What all filters did you get for yours and which conversion did you get...a specific part of the spectrum or full spectrum?

If the full spectrum, how do your images look on full as compared to before the conversion?

If it looks the same, then I'm wondering if it might be worth saving a bit more and having a more top of the line camera converted, like a R5 and with a full spectrum conversion, use it regular as needed, BUT always having the option to go IR or UV, etc.....making it an even more useful tool.

cayenne


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## Joules (Jun 7, 2022)

cayenne said:


> Thank you for the reply and feedback!!!
> 
> Alright. At this time, it is looking like I'll try to grab a canon R camera and send it for the full spectrum conversion.
> 
> ...


I would personally hesitate to do such a conversion on an IBIS equipped body. Unless the filters are replaced with ones that have identical mass and distribution, it doesn't seem unlikely that some side effects may occur or wear might be increased. Not to mention even more trust and care must be applied to the conversion service.

That said, going for an R instead of the RP seems like a good choice since the R has the 5DIV sensor and therefore less to no fixed pattern noise / banding. That can only be a good thing for dealing with these different wave lengths.


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## mpb001 (Jun 7, 2022)

I use a 5DIV and am considering a move to mirrorless. The R5 is a bit expensive so I hope an R replacement will have IBIS. IBIS will get me to buy.


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## rhughe2 (Jun 8, 2022)

I had my old canon s100 converted to 590nm by Lifepixel. Loved it. Bought a new R6 full spectrum from them and an internal hot mirror from Kolari so I can take color. Been working out great. I just had my GoPro 3+ converted to full spectrum since my wife keep stealing my s100. Go full spectrum so you have options.


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## cayenne (Jun 8, 2022)

Joules said:


> I would personally hesitate to do such a conversion on an IBIS equipped body. Unless the filters are replaced with ones that have identical mass and distribution, it doesn't seem unlikely that some side effects may occur or wear might be increased. Not to mention even more trust and care must be applied to the conversion service.
> 
> That said, going for an R instead of the RP seems like a good choice since the R has the 5DIV sensor and therefore less to no fixed pattern noise / banding. That can only be a good thing for dealing with these different wave lengths.


OOh...good thought....
That hadn't occurred to me...

C


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