How to Make a Webcam Into an Infrared Camera
An infrared camera is more susceptible to the red spectrum of light, which makes it easier to photograph in low lighting. With a few modifications, you can turn an ordinary webcam into an infrared camera. Here's how to do it.
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Instructions
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Gently pop open the casing on your webcam. The casing on the webcam is delicate and easily broken.
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Carefully unscrew the lens assembly from your cameras PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Take care not to cross-thread the screw casing or strip the PCB.
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Look at the back of the lens. There should be a small piece of glass that has the appearance of reflecting red light. Remove this piece of glass.
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Use the piece of glass as a template to cut out two pieces of black photographic negative to size with an Exacto knife. Use tweezers to fit the two pieces of negative into the lens section where the glass was.
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To clean fingerprints from the negative material, use denatured alcohol, available at any good camera store. You might want to wear cotton gloves, also available in camera stores and used in darkrooms for handling negatives.
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Do not cross-thread the lens assembly as you reassemble the lens. Often webcams are made of plastic and are prone to cross-threading.
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Use only natural or incandescent light when using your new infrared camera. Other sources of light will cause the camera to function improperly.
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Tips & Warnings
Infrared does not mean night vision. True night vision requires a more powerful camera than a normal webcam.
If your camera is not processing because there isn't enough light, try removing one of the negative IR lenses.
Opening the webcam and removing the lens will void the warranty on your camera, so use a spare camera or one you don't care about.
Unplug the webcam before you start fiddling with it. Electricity at any level can be dangerous.
