665 nm Infrared Filter

Discover why the 665-nanometer infrared filter might be the only infrared filter you need. This versatile high-pass filter captures red visible light and near-infrared light, giving you incredible flexibility in post-processing. Whether you want to create stunning monochrome images with white foliage and deep blacks, or vibrant color infrared photos with blue skies, the 665 nm filter has you covered. Learn how this filter compares to 550, 590, 720, and 780 filters. All images shot with a Fujifilm X70 converted to full spectrum and a Kolari Gen 3 665 nm filter.

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Transcript for 665 nm Infrared Filter. Duration: 5:49.

• 0:03 665 nanometers is a versatile infrared filter. Is this the only infrared filter you need? A 665 filter can be used to capture monochrome or color infrared images.
• 0:19 The images can be color swapped for a blue sky or processed without a swap.
• 0:25 You can retain the color saturation or process for higher or lower saturation.
• 0:33 You have many options when processing an image shot with a 665nm filter.
• 0:42 This is a high pass filter, meaning that wavelengths above 665 nanometers are transmitted, while those below are blocked.
• 0:53 665 is in the middle of the red's invisible light, so this filter only transmits red visible light and near infrared light. Orange, yellow, green, blue indigo violet and ultraviolet are blocked. A 670 filter will produce similar results.
• 1:14 You can shoot with a camera converted directly to 665 nanometers. You can also use a 665 filter with a full spectrum converted camera or a camera converted to a lower numbered high pass filter, such as 470 or 590.
• 1:36 If you use this filter on a camera converted to 720 or higher, it will have no effect. If you use this filter on an unconverted camera, you will only capture red visible light and no infrared light. For unconverted cameras, stick to 720 or higher filters.
• 1:56 All of the images in this video were shot on a Fujifilm X70 converted to full spectrum, using a Kalari Gen3 665 nanometer filter. I recommend using high quality filters from known filter brands to avoid frustration. Cheap knockoff filters can result in images that are difficult to process.
• 2:22 High pass filters that do not capture blue light can range from 550 to 780 nanometers. A 550 filter will capture the most visible light, resulting in the most color saturation. The popular 590 filter captures orange, red and near infrared light, giving you highly saturated images.
• 2:46 The 665 falls in the middle, providing moderate color saturation. You can process 665 images to emulate the look of any of these filters.
• 2:58 720 only captures some red visible light for very light saturation or even white foliage.
• 3:08 A 780 filter captures only the slightest visible light and is ideal for white foliage or monochrome images. I'll end shooting with a 780 filter and I'll cover this in an upcoming video.
• 3:24 Images shot with a 665 filter can be easily processed as monochrome, resulting in white foliage, bright clouds and deep blacks. For brighter foliage, you can increase the highlights while processing. Shooting with a 720 or higher filter will naturally produce brighter whites, provided you don't mind carrying multiple filters.
• 3:51 You can use color grading to add a hint of color and mood to your monochrome images.
• 3:59 665 can also produce color infrared images. These images can have blue skies and vibrant foliage. I find the moderate saturation level produced by this filter gives me the most realistic colors. Of course, you can adjust the saturation during processing.
• 4:18 A higher saturation will give the appearance of a 550 or 590 filter.
• 4:26 A lower saturation will emulate the look of a 720 or 780 filter.
• 4:33 While I frequently swap the colors in my color infrared images, giving me a bluish sky and warm hued foliage, I don't always. Sometimes the golden sky or baby blue foliage works.
• 4:49 I've found the 665 nanometer filter to be highly versatile.
• 4:55 It has become the most used filter on my travel infrared camera.
• 5:02 Not only does it produce great color infrared images, but it's easy to adjust the saturation.
• 5:10 It also produces great monochrome images.
• 5:16 If I were limited to using a single infrared filter, this would probably be it.
• 5:23 Have you used a 665 nanometer filter? Let us know in the comments.
• 5:29 If you'd like to learn more about infrared photography, check out my new courses, Mastering Infrared Photography in Lightroom or for Lightroom Classic. A link is in the description.
• 5:42 If you find these videos helpful on your infrared photography journey, like, subscribe or comment. Hope you enjoyed, thanks.