Canon EOS Infra-Red (IR) Compatible Lenses
All Canon EOS lenses pass infrared light and so technically can be used for IR photography with a filter such as a Hoya R72.
However with digital SLRs it has been found that a number of lenses prodice a fairly significant "hot spot" in the center of the frame. The origin of this "hotspot" isn't 100% clear, but it appears to be associated in some way with reflections off the sensor interacting with reflections off the lens elements. Whatever the cause, it can make an image significantly less usable.
It's quite difficult to see any pattern in which lenses do and do not "hotspot". It's not directly related to whether the lens is a zoom or a prime, whether it's an "L" series lens or not or whether of not it's an EF-S (digital) or EF lens.
The following list doesn't cover every lens and under some conditions it's possible that even lenses on the "good" list may show a slight hotspot, or lenses on the "bad" list might give an acceptable image. However if you're looking for a lens for use in IR work, picking a lens from the list on the left is probably a good idea.
Suitable for IR (no or minimal hot
spot): Sigma 400mm f/5.6 |
Not suitable for IR (hot spot): Sigma 30/1.4 Tamron 17-35mm |