Fluorescence Photography – Camera Filters to Use with the NIGHTSEA Light Sources

 

There are two main ingredients for fluorescence photography – an appropriate light source to excite the fluorescence and a complementary barrier filter to block the reflected excitation light and transmit the fluorescence. When you are using our Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter system for a microscope the lights and filters are part of the package. But sometimes you want to photograph specimens that are not under the microscope, perhaps illuminated by one of our fluorescence excitation flashlights. We know of people holding our barrier filter glasses in front of the camera lens, but the glasses are not flat surfaces and this is not very convenient.

Fear not! There are off-the-shelf camera filters that will give good results with the NIGHTSEA excitation sources.

(Click image for larger view)

Camera filters for fluorescence photography

We offer five different excitation sources, and six different barrier filters (there are both longpass and bandpass options for the Royal Blue source). The near-equivalent camera filters are all in the Tiffen series that is derived from the original Kodak Wratten filters. The Wratten series was originally gelatin squares, later replaced by a plastic film. They were always known for their consistent optical properties. Tiffen has licensed that technology and builds it into camera filters that are typically available in the common camera thread sizes (49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm).

You can acquire these filters from many camera outlets. For convenience we have provided links to two dependable online camera suppliers in the US – B&H and Adorama. The links take you directly to the search results pages for the filters.

NIGHTSEA Designation Wavelength range Tiffen Filter Search Links
UV – Ultraviolet * 360 – 380nm UV Haze 2A B&H  |  Adorama
VI – Violet 400 – 415nm #8 Yellow B&H  |  Adorama
RB – Royal Blue – longpass option 440 – 460nm #12 Yellow B&H  |  Adorama
RB-GO – Royal Blue – bandpass option ** 440 – 460nm see ** below
CY – Cyan 490 – 515nm #21 Orange B&H  |  Adorama
GR – Green 510 – 540nm #29 Dark Red B&H  |  Adorama

 

* – Note that a ‘UV filter’ that is commonly used for camera lens protection is NOT adequate for blocking the intense output from a dedicated ultraviolet light source for fluorescence photography. Without a good UV blocker like the Tiffen Haze 2A in place your photos may take on an overall magenta/purple cast.

** – We have not found an available filter that has equivalent performance to the barrier filter material NIGHTSEA uses in the microscope and flashlight systems.

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