Does anyone know of a digital camera that can be used to take infra-red images? I would like to make a temperature map of some of our products. Even if I had to put a IR-bandpass filter in front of the lens that would be OK. Has anybody tried this? Are the typical CCD's sensitive to the IR spectrum? Any other suggestions? Thanks! Forrest

-- Forrest Hoffman (fhoffman@solarex.com), October 28, 1998

Answers

I thinks SONY has one. Check out their site.

Akos

-- akos szilvasi (akos@mediaone.net), November 05, 1998.

All modern camcorders and digital cameras have a internal device called a "IR CUT FILTER" this is to limit overexposure during overcast days. If you will note they are all color. Black and white cameras generally do not require this filter and so are used for police work. Special IR cameras are rather expensive. I believe that Information Unlimited in Amherst NJ has such items at a reasonable price. sincerely mhaid@roman.net

-- HW Morehead (mhaid@roman.net), November 25, 1998.

Earlier comments about IR sensitivity were correct to a point, but not in the realm you're looking to sense. The IR that CCDs is sensitive to is short-wave IR, wavelengths on the order of a micron or two. To map temperature, you're talking thermal IR, which has MUCH longer wavelengths, more like 10 microns or so. CCDs don't respond to these wavelengths at all. The real-time devices that handle thermal imaging are pyroelectric sensors of various sorts. These tend to be **very** expensive, and have rather limited resolution. (Lots of fun to play with though!) Hope this helps!

-- Dave Etchells (detchells@imaging-resource.com), November 30, 1998.