A dedicated 720 nm camera

My Canon EOS 80D was converted by Kolari Vision specifically for 720 nm infrared photography. Unlike my full-spectrum Canon EOS R6 Mark II, the 80D has a dedicated infrared conversion, so I can shoot at 720 nm without changing external infrared filters.

I normally pair the camera with a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. The wide zoom range makes it a flexible combination for landscapes, outdoor photography, and experimenting with infrared compositions in the field.

Why keep a dedicated infrared camera?

A dedicated 720 nm camera and a full-spectrum camera serve different purposes. The 80D gives me a straightforward 720 nm setup that is ready to shoot, while the full-spectrum R6 Mark II lets me work with different infrared filters and create a much wider range of looks.

Having both also gives me an opportunity to compare the practical differences between dedicated infrared and full-spectrum photography using cameras I actually shoot with.

The 720 nm look

At 720 nm, foliage can become very bright while skies and other parts of a scene can take on dramatically different tones. The final appearance depends on white balance, exposure, the scene itself, and how the RAW file is processed.

I prefer to treat the camera file as the beginning rather than the finished photograph. White balance, contrast, channel mixing, and other editing choices can substantially change the final infrared image.

My editing workflow

I work with Canon RAW files and use photography software on both Windows and Linux. My infrared workflow includes tools such as GIMP, darktable, and RawTherapee.

Future articles will show actual photographs from the 80D, camera settings, editing steps, and comparisons with images made using my full-spectrum Canon EOS R6 Mark II.

What comes next

This is an introduction to the camera and the way it fits into my infrared photography. A future comparison will put the dedicated 720 nm Canon EOS 80D alongside the full-spectrum Canon EOS R6 Mark II so readers can see the differences in the field and in post-processing.

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