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Common mis-spellings for ghosts and angels: angl, gost, gohst, anegl, angal, pic, pikture. Other languages: gast, geister, geist, engel, revenant, ange, fantasma, angelo, grabado, aparicion.
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Making a Ghosts Camera: Converting
and Using an IR Digital Camera for Ghost
Hunting
All of us are aware of color photography which primarily
photographs the visible light spectrum, but are ghosts normally
found within the visible light? Many ghost photographers
would agree that ghosts seem to prefer darkness for cover.
There is nothing magical about this. If you want to hide, then
you seek cover, and darkness provides the best place to hide.
Today, many are attempting to photograph ghosts in darkness
by using the regular flash unit. The problem with this is that
the bright flash of light is distracting to the ghost investigator,
and most likely to ghosts who do not wish to be detected.
The obvious solution would be to use infrared lighting to covertly illuminate the darkness, while not illuminating it
with visible light. To do this, one needs to use a camera capable of infrared photography - a real ghosts camera!
See: Ghost Hunting Camera
The old-time method for infrared photography would be to use IR film that is both difficult and expensive to work
with. A lower cost solution would be to use a digital camera that is able to see the infrared spectrum of light and
record it digitally. Digital cameras have great white light and infrared visibility (from about 350 -1000 nm), but
unfortunately use an IR-cut filter (aka "hot mirror") that blocks out most of the infrared spectrum. By virtually
eliminating infrared light, digital cameras take better color photographs. The IR-cut filter allows only the visible
light spectrum to be recorded by the camera's eye (approximately a range of 350-700 nm), spanning from only the
upper end of the ultraviolet spectrum (10 - 400 nm), through the visible (380-750 nm), and up to the infrared
spectrum (750 - 1000 nm). See: Full Spectrum Cameras
Why not consider using a digital camera that is converted to see a broader spectrum for ghost hunting? By doing
so, we can allow the camera to see more (potentially from the upper end of the ultraviolet range, completely
through both the visible and infrared spectrum), providing a better opportunity to possibly capture a ghost in our
photographs. Though such a modified digital camera should make a great tool for ghost hunting in low-light
conditions, it may not be good for daylight situations. It will depend on whether or not you choose to eliminate
the visible spectrum. If the visible spectrum is filtered out, you'll have a camera that can take stunning daytime
photographs. Buy an inexpensive IR-converted Camera for Ghost Hunting
But for our ghosts camera, we recommend using an infrared illuminator for nighttime conditions. This will still
allow ghosts the cover of darkness, but illuminate the area for the camera to be able to see what remains hidden
to the human eye. They can be purchased at any camera store or here: IR Lights.
The electromagnetic spectrum is made up of different
wavelengths of radiation, from sound to light. Theories abound as
to where on the spectrum that ghosts may best be able to be
detected. For example, are ghosts and spirits at a lower, or higher
vibration (wavelength) than our equipment can capture? If so, then
can we modify our equipment to focus on specific wavelengths to
capture paranormal evidence? By experimenting with enhanced
cameras in reportedly haunted locations, we just may be able to
find out.away and modified (see suggested company links at the
bottom of the page).
Let's first show you an example of an infrared photograph as compared to
a color, and black white image. The images at left show the difference
between all three. Notice how the sky is dark in the infrared photograph,
while the leaves are shades of white. The black and white photo is an
opposite effect, with a lighter sky and darkened leaves.
Modifying Cameras To See Infrared
It is not known as of this writing if all digital cameras can be modified,
but it is well-known that the Canon G1 and G2 are able to be converted
along with other digital cameras.
To create a camera that can see a broader spectrum of light, you will
need to remove the IR cut filter, replacing it with clear optical glass. For
the faint of heart, you should know that you can purchase cameras
already converted, or simply have your digital camera sent away and
modified (see links at the bottom of the page).
Tearing digital cameras apart and removing the IR filter can be difficult,
and one must be sure to re-assemble the camera exactly as it came apart.
The basic idea is to carefully remove any covers, wire bundles, or circuit
boards that obscure the CCD sensor (the eye of the camera), which when
removed will reveal a rubber grommet and the IR cut filter. Typically, after
the grommet is removed, the camera can then be tipped upside down to
allow the filter to drop out. Now the tricky part. It is sometimes possible
to purchase an optically clear piece of glass that will fit back into the
space once occupied by the filter you just removed, however it may be
necessary to create one yourself. You could purchase optical glass the
same thickness as the filter you removed. The optical glass can be cut to
size with a glass cutter (score and snap), or it has been reported that
glass microscope slides (as well as thinner glass slip covers for
microscope slides) can be used stacked together to reach the desired
thickness. They can be cut the same way as optical glass. Be sure to
smooth the edges, and clean the glass (if using slides, glue them together
with a little adhesive. You'll want to use a permanent, biological
mounting adhesive designed for making permanent microscope slides to
do this such as EUKITT from EMS, or Entellan Neu from Merck) before
installing them in your digital camera. If you want to skip the glass part, it
has been reported that you can trim with scissors a few pieces of
developed, unexposed camera film to the exact same size as the IR filter.
Re-assemble your camera using enough pieces of the film to duplicate
the thickness of the IR filter you removed. This is supposed to effectively
block out just the visible light spectrum, turning your camera into an
infrared-only unit. If your camera is reassembled correctly, it should
function properly. However, the ghosts camera will not be useful for
normal color photography, so be sure and have a separate camera to use
for regular picture taking. See Full Spectrum Lighting
Above: You can try cutting pieces of
developed, unexposed film to filter visible
light for your ghosts camera.
Right: The inside of a Canon Powershot
A610 5.0 megapixel camera. After peeling
back the foil cover, the CCD unit is exposed.
By removing a couple screws, it can
carefully be pulled back exposing the
infrared cut filter.
Carefully remove the rubber grommet
around the filter, and the filter should be
able to drop out of the box when the camera
is turned upside down. After replacing the
filter with either glass or pieces of film, you
may need to use some tack, small amount of
adhesive to hold the film or glass in place if
the grommet cannot be re-used.
Disclaimer: This article is a suggestion, but in
no way implies the ideas will work. Angels &
Ghosts makes no guarantee, and does not
imply that this will indeed work. Angels &
Ghosts is not responsible for damages to
anyone's digital cameras. Camera owners
who try this do so at their own risk.
Companies that convert
cameras for infrared
photography:
http://lifepixel.com/index.html
http://www.maxmax.com/