Desmond Photographic has roots dating back to the early 2000s, and its ICE brand, which the company manufactures in-house, began life in 2011. ICE filters are designed to be budget-friendly, with virtually no bells or whistles. With little spent on marketing, the company lets the product speak for itself.
At the time of review, the ICE filter range consists of circular screw-in filters for neutral density, polarization, light pollution, UV, and black mist, but in this test, I am putting the ICE HB760 infrared filter through its paces.
The ICE HB760 is designed to cut out visible light below 760nm and only allow infrared light above this wavelength to pass through it. The filter can be used on standard cameras for an infrared long-exposure effect, where the filter's infrared light-blocking properties will lengthen exposures considerably, often to several minutes. This is because an unmodified camera sensor has an IR cut filter attached to it, precisely to limit IR light that would otherwise spoil the image. The result is a red-hued image that needs to be converted to black and white.
To thoroughly test the ICE HB760, I got my hands on a Canon EOS R, which had been converted to full-spectrum infrared photography by the experts at Advanced Camera Services, removing the IR cut filter in the process, so a big shout-out to ACS for supplying the infrared camera for my tests.
Ice HB760 infrared filter: Specifications
Filter type |
Screw-in and magnetic |
Filter threads |
43-112mm |
Material |
Aluminum, optical glass |
Depth |
5mm (3mm mounted) |
Weight |
24g (82mm) |
Ice HB760 infrared filter: Price
What’s most surprising about the ICE HB760 is the low price point – the 82mm variant I had for my Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens costs just $40 / £30. Indeed, the whole infrared filter range is among the most budget-friendly I have tested, with prices starting at $25 / £29 for the smallest 43mm filter thread, and a still-very-attractive $90 / £83 for the largest 112mm.
There’s an extensive range of filter thread options between 43-112mm, so you’re likely to be covered whatever lens you shoot with. There are also magnetic variants, which cost a little more and come in a more limited range of thread sizes.
As the filter doesn’t break the bank, it’s a great place to start with infrared photography. It blocks out virtually all visible light, and unlike many other IR filters I have tested, it’s totally opaque when held up to light. This will mean it requires a much longer exposure when shooting with a non-converted camera, and will be more difficult to use as a result, though some may prefer the extremely long exposures needed with this filter.
As is the nature of such a budget-friendly product, it omits some of the nice-to-have features found in its competitors, notably the lack of any hydrophobic coating to repel oil and water. This means water sticks to the filter, making it harder to clean.
But you can’t have everything in a filter priced so affordably, and I’m sure this will be a compromise that many are willing to make. Where the filter excels is allowing you to experiment with IR photography without spending too much money, and you can always upgrade to a more premium filter later down the line if you end up catching the IR bug!
Ice HB760 infrared filter: Design & Handling
I got hold of the 82mm filter to fit my Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. The frame is made from aluminum and measures 5mm deep, though it only protrudes by 3mm when mounted. This isn’t an ultra-slim frame, but it is thinner than some of the other IR filters I have tried that protrude by 4mm. This makes it less likely to produce vignetting when shooting at ultra-wide focal lengths or when stacking filters together.
The outside edge of the filter frame is smooth, so it’s a little slippier than those with knurled edges. The very front edge of the filter frame is knurled with a very fine pattern that doesn’t offer a great deal of grip, should the filter get stuck on the lens.
In addition, ICE makes HB850 and HB950 IR filters, which I was unable to test, but these filters will have a more extreme IR cut to block out even more light. There's also a Magco option, which is compatible with Kase, Haida, and Marumi magnetic filter systems.
The ICE HB760 comes with a very basic plastic hard case, with no padding, just plastic notches to keep the filter in place. It’s a barebones no-frills affair, but it gets the job done, and I actually really liked how slim and portable the plastic case was.
Ice HB760 infrared filter: Performance
ICE uses hardened glass on its HB760 filter for 'enhanced' drop resistance. It also has a multi-coating for anti-reflective properties, although my tests revealed that it wasn’t the best at repelling water. Other filters I have assessed, from the likes of Cokin and Urth, employ hydrophobic coatings that make water easily bead off and are super easy to clean.
To take my test shots with the HB760, I used a Canon EOS R camera that had been converted to full-spectrum photography by Advanced Camera Services. To shoot color infrared, you need to use a filter with a cut of around 590nm, so the higher cut of the HB760 makes it only suitable for monochrome infrared photos.
But this won't be an issue if you like black-and-white photography, as the pictures the HB760 produces are surprisingly good, given the filter's low price. See my test shots below for a comparison between the full-spectrum camera converted to mono and images with the filter in place converted to mono, to see the high-contrast IR look the filter produces, with deep black skies and white foliage.
The ICE HB760 can be used on normal cameras as well as those converted to full-spectrum by having their IR cut filter removed. If you don't convert your camera, you will need to shoot extremely long exposures with this filter in place; it acts a bit like an ND filter. However, with my converted Canon EOS R, my shutter speeds only dipped slightly, from 1/1250 sec to 1/500 sec. The clear benefit of using a converted camera is that you can shoot at 'standard' shutter speeds, fast enough to shoot handheld, and you're not restricted to long exposures.
The effect on image quality is tricky to judge with infrared filters, because attaching them can drastically change the overall contrast of the image. However, zooming in, it did look to me like very fine details had been softened overall, despite the change in contrast.
I also needed to be careful to avoid hotspots and flare when shooting towards the sun on my IR-converted camera; however, this isn't a unique problem to the ICE filter, as other IR filters I've tested faced the same issue.
Ice HB760 infrared filter: Verdict
The ICE HB760 is designed to be a budget-friendly filter for infrared photography, so, unexpectedly, it doesn't have the best image quality or feature set, and the lack of oil or water-resistant coatings makes it difficult to keep clean. However, it is a good entry point for those looking to experiment with infrared photography on a very tight budget. Its 760nm cut is only suitable for black-and-white photography, rather than full spectrum.
With a converted IR camera, you'll be able to shoot handheld at standard shutter speeds. Using a non-converted camera, you'll be restricted to very long exposures, but this might be just the outcome you're looking for.
|
Features ★★★☆☆ |
Unsurprisingly as a very budget-friendly option, the HB760 is quite scant on features and lacks water-repellent coatings. |
|
Design ★★★☆☆ |
The filter frame has no knurling around the edges, so it's slippy to grip. The hard case is small and portable but has no padding for protection. The option of magnetic variants is nice to have. |
|
Performance ★★★☆☆ |
With a 760nm cut, this filter is suitable for black-and-white IR photography, and it does a good job at producing that punchy IR effect. However, details look soft when zoomed in and it's let down by a lack of oil, water and dust-resistant coatings. |
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Value ★★★★★ |
It's one of the most affordable IR filters I have seen, although the attractive price point is explained by its lack of coatings and slight image softness. |
