Fujifilm Full Spectrum (Or, Dreaming In Infrared Colors)

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This is a fake infrared picture that I captured in Yosemite National Park several years ago.

I would love a full-spectrum Fujifilm camera for infrared photography. I’ve had an interest in infrared photography for some time, but I have yet to actually try it. Yes, I shot a roll of infrared film many, many years ago, but I didn’t understand what I was doing and the results were disappointing. I’ve also used software to make faux infrared, but I don’t particularly like the results from that, either. No, what I need is a Fujifilm camera that has been modified for full-spectrum, and then a bunch of filters to achieve various affects. You can find these cameras sometimes on eBay, like this X-E3 for $900, this X-T1 for $850, or this X-T100 for $590. [Edit: This X100F is the one I want, but at $1,300 it is outside of my budget.] I would especially love to buy the X-E3, but honestly I’d be happy with the X-T100. You also need filters, which can be cheap (like this one) and can be expensive (like this one), depending on the brand, filter thread size, and the exact effect you are after. Additionally, you need to know what lenses are good for infrared, but thankfully there’s a good database, so it’s not too difficult to know which lenses will work well and which ones won’t.

It would be great if Fujifilm made a full-spectrum version of one of their cameras (the X100F, perhaps). I doubt that will ever happen, unless there’s a sudden interest in infrared photography. Sigma cameras have a removable IR filter over the sensor, which when removed turns the camera into full-spectrum. The filter just pops in and out. An option like that would be pretty cool on Fujifilm cameras, but it’s unlikely. The best bet is to buy a camera that’s had the conversion done to it. Someday, when I have some extra money burning a hole in my pocket, I will do that. Until then, I will dream in the unusual colors of infrared.