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Click one of the questions below to expand an answer:
Yes and no. Infrared converted cameras are only sensitive to near infrared light in the 700nm-1200nm range. To detect thermal infrared of something like a person or a house, you need special equipment that records in the 5000nm-14000nm range. HOWEVER, just like iron will glow when hot enough, hot objects in the range of 250°C to 500°C sometimes emit a near infrared glow that can be observed with these cameras. More details can be found here.
The AR coating is an infrared centered anti-reflective coating that can add to our filters. On lens filters, it can reduce glare and ghosting, and in a conversion it reduces IR hotspots. You can read more about it here:  What is the AR coating?

After an IR conversion, you will be able to shoot handheld with about the same exposure as a normal camera. On a sunny day, you can easily get 1/250 to 1/800 exposures or higher at f10 with the lowest ISO with a converted camera. A 590nm and 665nm filter can actually shoot faster than a regular shot. Adding a deeper infrared filter on the lens (like a 720nm/R72 filter over a 590 conversion will provide the equivelent exposure as a 720nm conversion. The dark filter may cause composing and focusing issues if not using live view, but the sensitivity will still be enough for handheld.

No, once converted to infrared the replacement filter will block visible light. Adding a hotmirror filter will not restore visible light sensitivity. However, converting to full spectrum will make the camera sensitive to visible and infrared light, allowing for both types of photography when using the appropriate external filter.

Yes, after an infrared conversion, both still and video shooting will record in infrared.

You can find all of our supported cameras here.
There are pros and cons to the various camera systems. You can read our breakdown of each here. For help deciding on a specific camera feel free to contact us, we are happy to help you find the right product.”

If your camera isn’t one of our 650+ supported models, we will still convert it if it’s possible, 99% of cameras can be converted, just contact us!

Absolutely! For conversions there is an extra shipping charge, contact us and we can quote you a total. Some locations may be subject to a remote area surcharge via FedEx Express. The system will not automatically calculate this surcharge. Please check the following link if your city/zip code is considered a remote area: Zipcodes_OPA_ODA.pdf If you place an order and your city/zip code is on this list, we’ll reach out to you via email to collect the surcharge. ***We legally can not declare lower values for customs and duties. We ship all of our international orders from the United States.  Please note that international customers are responsible for all duties that may be charged by their respective local customs office.***

Our checkout system is through Paypal. You can checkout with a Paypal account, or checkout as a guest and pay with any credit card. We also take check or money order.

Our standard turnaround time for camera conversions is 2 weeks on average for most models. This is only an estimate and not a guarantee. Our standard turnaround time may occasionally exceed 2 weeks during our busy season (April-August) or take less than 2 weeks in our off-season (September-March).

We also offer 5-day and 1-2 day rush processing options on our camera conversions for an additional fee. Our rush services allow us to coordinate the logistics of your conversion ahead of time to meet your deadlines to the best of our ability. Our rush processing time does not include shipping times.

We do our best to accommodate each and every one of our customers year-round.

If ordering one of our pre-converted cameras, keep in mind that they are made to order and are not eligible for rush processing. Please allow at least 2 weeks before your camera ships out to you. Plan for trips and assignments accordingly!

Any time frames that we provide, including shipping time, turnaround time, and rush processing times, are only estimates and are subject to availability. We make no guarantees on service time or shipping times.

Some cameras have the hot mirror fused to the sensor, preventing it from being removed. Other models use only a coating instead of a separate filter that cannot be removed. Notable examples are the Fujifilm S1 and S2.

It depends on the repair. If paired with a conversion, we will perform basic repairs at cost. Email us about your specific needs

We use replacement filters with specific thicknesses designed to match the refractive index of the original filter as closely as possible, then we fine tune the autofocus to a 50mm f1.8 lens for Nikon, Canon, and Fujifilm conversions, and a 18-70mm lens for Sony and Minolta conversions. Mirrorless cameras are calibrated to autofocus accurately for all lenses.

Yes! We will calibrate the autofocus to a custom lens, free of charge.

We perform all of our conversions in a dust free ISO Class 5 clean air bench to eliminate as much airborne dust as possible. To make sure the filter we install does not have dust, we also employ a rigorous cleaning and inspection process, where the glass and sensor are inspected under a high magnification microscope before being installed, and again testing for dust once the filter is sealed with normal test shots, allowing us to come as close as possible to a dust free conversion.

Unlike some, we use high quality custom manufactured glass filters for all of our conversions. Plastic or acrylic/plexiglass filters do not have the same optical quality as glass, are scratched easier, and may be damaged by cleaning. Additionally, we are the ONLY conversion shop that uses thickness optimized glass for best performance.

You can use both the full spectrum and infrared conversions to see/take pictures in the dark, as long as you have an infrared light source. The full spectrum option will have greater overall low light sensitivity than a stock camera because it has about twice as much light that it is now sensitive to.

Please refer to our getting started guide for setting up your camera. You can also find shooting and processing tutorials under our tutorials section here.

You will need to set and use a custom white balance. See your camera manual for how to do this with your model.

With point and shoot cameras and cameras with live view, you can view a direct preview in infrared on the LCD. With a DSLR, the lens remains free of opaque filters, allowing you to compose through the viewfinder like normal.

No, the firmware is unaffected during a conversion. You can safely reset or update the firmware like with a stock camera.

Absolutely not. We don’t epoxy/superglue the parts back on, we don’t leave out screws, we don’t damage the internals and make it impossible to work with any more, we don’t sand off parts, we don’t use plastic filters. We perform the world’s best professional conversion, with everything reassembled properly. The camera can still be opened if there is ever a need for it. In fact, our service has been verified by manufacturer authorized repair facility that accepts our converted cameras if they ever need service down the road.

Yes! We stand by all of our filters with a Lifetime Guarantee against defects of any kind. If something is wrong with your Kolari filter, let us know so we can make it right.

No, our Lifetime Guarantee does not cover physical damage from use over time.

We are happy to special order any camera, convert it, and ship it right to you. See details under Products or email us for a quote. You can also have cameras shipped directly to us for conversion if you are ordering them online, just add C/O your name to the address so that we can identify it. Please keep in mind that cameras shipped to us directly from the retailer may be subject to additional shipping charges due to added weight of the box and accessories.

Kolari’s EU store
is now open! 

Filters and accessories now shipping from Slovenia with VAT included and quick DHL shipping.
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