Infrared filter wavelengths explained
470, 590, 665, 720, 850nm and full spectrum — what each cutoff does to your images, and how to choose.
Updated
An infrared filter is defined by its cutoff wavelength: the point above which it starts passing light and below which it blocks it. A “720nm” filter passes infrared from about 720nm upward and blocks most visible light below it. The lower the number, the more visible color sneaks through — and the more “false color” you can create.
Use the interactive filter comparison tool to see these transitions live. The summary:
| Filter | A.k.a. | The look | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 470nm | Hyper color | Lots of visible + IR mixed; near-natural skin | Surreal portraits, experimental color |
| 590nm | Super color | Golden-orange foliage, blue-ish skies | Vivid false-color landscapes |
| 665nm | Enhanced color | Strong color but more IR contrast | Color IR with punch |
| 720nm | Standard (Hoya R72) | Balanced; the all-rounder | First filter; classic IR + channel swap |
| 850nm | Deep B&W | Pure monochrome, darkest skies | High-contrast black-and-white |
| Clear | Full spectrum | Passes UV + visible + IR | Swap external filters; most flexible |
How to choose your first filter
- Want the most flexibility? A full-spectrum conversion plus a set of screw-on filters lets you shoot any look from one body.
- Want one filter that does it all? Start at 720nm — it’s the reference standard, supports both monochrome and channel-swapped false color, and has the most tutorials written for it.
- Chasing vivid false color? Go 590nm or 665nm. You’ll get the golden-foliage, blue-sky look most people picture when they think “infrared art.”
- Love black-and-white? 850nm gives the cleanest, most dramatic monochrome with the least post-processing.
A warning about cheap filters
Budget filters sold under the same “850nm” label can behave wildly differently — some pass like a 720nm, some have uneven optical density (visible light/dark rings), and some cost you several extra stops of exposure. When a filter’s real-world behavior matters, test it against a known reference like the Hoya R72 before trusting the label. We track these differences in our filter notes and the lens database.