Lenses for Infrared Photography

Finding great lenses for infrared photography can be a challenge.

Some lenses produce a “hotspot” in the centre of the frame. This usually shows up as a pale circle in the centre of the image. The intensity will vary between lenses and the edges can be very soft and gradual or quite hard and well defined. Hotspots tend to be more intense as the aperture decreases – so many will be fine at wider apertures but display a hotspot as the aperture closes toward f22. I also find that the effect of hotspots will change depending on the wavelength of the filtration. The longer the wavelength, the more hotspots will be a problem – so a lens may be fine at 590nm or 660nm but show hotspots at 720nm and beyond.

Lenses that hotspot can still be used and the effect of the hotspot reduced in post processing, but the best solutioin is to try and find lenses that dont cause the problem.

Some lenses are very soft in the corners in infrared light. Some lenses suffer from colour fringing or casts towards the edges.

There is very little logic at work here. The traditional view is that simpler lenses with fewer coatings work better in infrared.

In my experience, this general rule does not hold true and the only way to find a good lens for infrared work is trial and error…which can be expensive!!

So, instead, we scour the internet for lists of good and bad infrared performers.

I’m going to try something different – examples of real images shot in real conditions.

For me a ‘good’ lens is one that performs well at f8 or thereabouts in infrared false colour at 665nm and 720nm as well as in black and white. This latter point is important as some of the lists out there seem biased towards black and white infrared. I’m not too worried about corner sharpness – a little softness adds to the admosphere – but I do rule out lenses which smear the extremes.

In the past I’ve used Sony cameras – a 665nm A7Rii and a 720nm A6000 both converted to infrared by Kolari Vision.

My current camera is a Fuji GFX 50 mark ii – a medium format camera which works exceptionally well in infrared, albeit with a much smaller range of lenses to choose from.

I hope these notes are helpful – but please don’t base your buying decisions solely on the information here – where ever possible, try before you buy either by renting or borrowing.

Fuji GF Lenses on GFX 50s ii

Click an image to zoom

Fujifilm GF45-100mm f4 R LM OIS WR

Big and heavy but fabulous image quality in both infrared and natural light. Haven’t seen even a hint of a hotspot at any focal length up to f11 yet.
Can be an effort to carry around for any length of time – but the results make the effort worthwhile.
A great performer and if you are OK with the size and weight, highly recommended.

lenses for infrared photography example - no hotspot

Fujifilm GF45-100mm f4 R LM OIS WR 45mm 1/210 f8 ISO100

Fujifilm GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR

The equivalent of a ‘kit’ lens for Fujifilm’s GFX medium format cameras
This one is my current infrared workhorse and is attached to my infrared camera most of the time.
Relatively light for medium format and a reliable performer for infrared photography at 590nm and 665nm. Faint hotspots with 720nm.

The Ridgeway photographed in infrared light

Fujifilm GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR 45mm 1/200 f8 ISO100

Fujifilm GF100-200mm f5.6 R LM OIS WR

Great focal length for tighter compositions – equivalent to 80mm-160mm in 35mm ful frame terms
‘Only’ f5.6 but the large medium format sensor enables great spearation and dof control
Exceptionally sharp across the whole frame – in infrared as well as natural light
No hotspots – even at very small apertures.

Fujifilm GF100-200mm f5.6 WR 100mm 1/80 f11 ISO100

Native lenses on Sony mirrorless cameras.

Click an image to zoom

Sony 16-35 f4 ZA OSS

One of the few wide angle lenses I tried on Sony cameras which didnt suffer from major hotspots.
Faint hotspot at f11 and beyond but fine at f8
Wider end of the zoom range more likely to show a hotspot and a tendency to flare in infrared light at 16mm
Nice and sharp and no smearing in the corners which is another common problem with very wide lenses in infrared light.

Sony FE 16-35mm f4 ZA OSS 1/400 f8 ISO100

Sony 24-70 f4 ZA OSS

Not a great performer in regular light but excellent in infrared
Good zoom range and works well as general purpose ‘walk around’ lens for infrared.
No major problems with hotspots

Sony FE 24-70 f4 ZA OSS 1/125 f8 ISO100

Sony FE 28-60mm f4-5.6

This one was a revelation
Launched as the new kit lens for the Sony a7c – this is a tiny, plastic lightweight zoom.
I remember trying this for the first time on an infrared converted camera with very low expectatiions only to find excellent performance at all focal lengths and apertures.
A carry everywhere option but not the nicest lens to use in the field and has an odd filter thread size of 40.5mm which may be an issue for full sectrum users

Sony FE 28-60 f4-5.6 28mm 1/250 f8 ISO100

Sony E 10-18 f4 OSS

For APSC cameras
Full frame equivalent 15mm-27mm
I’ve seen this one in some of the hotspot lists as a poor performer – but I found it to be a very good one and was my most used lens with my Sony 6000 converted camera.

E 10-18mm f4 OSS 18mm 1/125 f8 ISO100

Sony E 16-70mm f4 ZA OSS

For APSC cameras
Full frame equivalent 24-105
Terrific general purpose standard zoom for apsc cameras with a wide zoom range and excellent infrared performance across the range

Sony E 16-70mm f4 ZA OSS 70mm 1/250 f8 ISO100

Adapted lenses on Sony mirrorless cameras.

Click an image to zoom.

Canon EF 24-105L f4 with Canon EF Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Mark V)

An excellent combination and a true workhorse in infrared (and also for colour work).
No major hotspot issues up to f16
Acceptably sharp into the corners
Best performance at longer focal lenths and stopped down to f8
A DSLR lens so quite large, especially on smaller apsc cameras

lenses for infrared photography example - blue sky no hotspot

EF24-105/4L IS USM at 105mm 1/200 f8 ISO100

Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STC with Canon EF Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Mark V)

A tiny “pancake” style lens which is tiny and very light, even with an adaptor
Excellent focal length as a standard lens – expecially on full frame cameras
Very affordable on the used market
Superb in infrared with no hint of a hotspot at any aperture
Acceptable corners from f8
Highly recommended for colour infrared

EF40mm STM f2.8 1/640 f8 ISO100

Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus with Canon EF Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Mark V)

A speciality lens from Canon launched in the 80s and now discontinued but can is still be found used
Intended as a portrait lens with a additional control to add soft glowing halos to the highlights
Excellent infrared performance – no hotspots
additional option with three settings to add soft blur. At a setting of 0 the lens is fairly sharp, but gets progressively soft as the setting is increased to 1 or 2
Very light but quite flimsy and made from plastic

EF40mm STM f2.8 1/640 f8 ISO100