DIY IR Camera Hack

So, you bought a new camera!

Or, your mom just gave you her crappy old point-and-shoot!

Or, you've been waiting to try an IR conversion for a long time and want to know how to do it!

Then this step-by-step tutorial is for you...

WATCH and learn the basic process to convert my Canon digital ELPH into a high-power IR shootin' machine.

PRE-REQUISITES

• This is super easy: find/remove IR filter, replace with visible light filter
• 42% chance you'll break camera irreparably, make sure you don't care about it
• Mild mechanical aptitude required.  If you've ever built a computer or fixed a small appliance, you're fine.  If you haven't, send your camera to me (I'll provide un-guaranteed work for a fee).
• NEVER FORCE ANYTHING!  See bullet point #2.

TOOLS

• Tiny Phillips screw-driver (if you don't know what Phillips means, send your camera to me)
• Tweezers
• Canned-air (blow dust out of camera at every step)

STEP 1:  

Clean your space.  Those screws are easy to lose.  I use a magnet to hold the screws

STEP 2:  

Remove housing screws.  If the housing won't come off, double check screws (especially under labels/decals etc.)

STEP 3:  

Carefully remove housing.  There are probably tabs holding things in place, use tweezers to release.

STEP 4:  

Remove LCD screen.

• screw
• power connector (tweezers to gently pull out of socket)
• tabs (gently pry w/ tweezers)
• fold LCD out of the way (it's still connected by the "data" wire to the camera electronics)

STEP 5:  

Remove sensor screws.  keep these separate from housing screws, they're probably different

STEP 6:  

Access IR/UV cutoff filter.  Remove with tweezers

STEP 7:  

Re-assemble camera - make sure you don't have left-over parts

STEP 8:  

Epoxy mount retaining ring

• If you have a slow epoxy, extend the lens then remove the battery so it stays extended.  If it retracts before the epoxy sets, it'll ruin your alignment efforts.
• I ordered my parts from Thorlabs.com.  If your lens is less than 1" across the longest dimension, the easiest part is #SM1M05. For a shorter barrel, you can order #SM1T1 and 2x of #SM1RR.
• The cheapest lens is from EdmundOptics.com, part #NT43-948.  This is a good plastic longpass filter which cuts out visible light and transmits light with wavelength longer than ~720nm.  They have glass filters too, but those are more expensive.  
• Also good to note, a ND (neutral density) filter USUALLY is designed to cut light intensity only in the visible spectrum, so you can use that as a poor man's IR-pass filter.

STEP 9:  

Attach filter to lens barrel

STEP 10:  

REJOICE!  and take a few photos.

Let me know how it works out for you!