The heart of my full-spectrum setup

My Canon EOS R6 Mark II was converted to full spectrum by Kolari Vision. One of the things that makes the camera especially useful for my infrared photography is the Kolari EF-EOS R Drop-in Filter Mount Adapter.

The adapter sits between the RF-mount camera body and a Canon EF lens. In my normal setup, I use it with my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

The adapter does more than allow me to use an EF lens on the R6 Mark II. It also has a slot for a drop-in filter, placing the filter between the camera body and lens.

Why I like the drop-in system

One of the biggest advantages for me is that I can change the infrared filter without putting a different screw-on filter on the front of the lens.

That becomes particularly useful with a full-spectrum camera. Instead of limiting the camera to one infrared wavelength, I can change the drop-in filter depending on the type of infrared photograph I want to make.

It also means the filter is not dependent on the front filter-thread diameter of the lens. That can make a drop-in system especially convenient when using more than one compatible EF lens.

My infrared filter collection

I use several Kolari filters with my infrared setup. They give me different starting points for both traditional infrared and false-color photography.

Candy Chrome

Candy Chrome is one of the creative options in my collection. I use it when I want a different color starting point than I get from the traditional wavelength-based infrared filters.

550 nm

The 550 nm filter gives me considerable visible color information to work with and is particularly interesting for false-color processing.

590 nm

The 590 nm filter is another option when I want infrared effects while retaining useful color information for post-processing.

665 nm

At 665 nm, the balance shifts further toward the infrared look while still leaving possibilities for false-color editing.

720 nm

720 nm provides the classic infrared territory I also explore with my dedicated 720 nm Canon EOS 80D. Using a 720 nm drop-in filter on the full-spectrum R6 Mark II gives me another way to work at this wavelength.

850 nm

The 850 nm filter is the option I use when moving much more strongly toward an infrared-dominated image, particularly when color is less important than tonal contrast.

More than infrared filters

My filter collection also includes UV/IR-cut, hot-mirror, and clear options. These expand what I can do with a full-spectrum camera beyond simply choosing an infrared wavelength.

That flexibility is one of the main reasons I like working with a full-spectrum camera. The conversion does not lock the R6 Mark II into one infrared look; the filter I put into the optical path helps determine what the camera records.

Changing filters instead of changing cameras

My dedicated 720 nm Canon EOS 80D is a simple grab-and-shoot infrared camera when I specifically want that wavelength. The full-spectrum R6 Mark II is different. With the drop-in adapter and different filters, I can use one camera body to experiment with several infrared looks.

Neither approach completely replaces the other. I like having the dedicated 80D available for 720 nm photography while using the R6 Mark II when I want the flexibility of changing filters.

Autofocus, stabilization, and camera communication

Kolari designed the EF-EOS R adapter to maintain the electronic connection between compatible Canon EF lenses and EOS R cameras. That includes autofocus, image stabilization, and EXIF information.

That matters in actual use because the adapter is not simply a mechanical spacer. I can use an EF lens on the R6 Mark II while keeping the normal electronic functions I depend on.

Where the system goes next

The most useful way to show what these filters can do is with photographs rather than specifications alone. Future FIDO Gear Guide articles will compare images made with different filters, along with camera settings and editing information.

I also plan to show how white balance, red/blue channel swapping, LUTs, and other processing techniques affect the final result.

The goal is not simply to say that one filter is better than another. Different filters produce different starting points, and the right choice depends on the photograph and the finished look I want.

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