Source for Quartz Glass Sheets

[Robert Ley]

I am looking for a piece of quartz glass about 1.5 mm thick to replace the filter in front of the sensor on my Nikon D100 that I will be converting to a full spectrum camera for infrared photography.

I don't know what size exactly but I think that I will have to cut the glass down to size, so any experience you may have in cutting this glass would be very helpful.

 

[bernard_L]

Maybe fused silica will be easier to find. SiO2 as well, but amorphous.
Cutting: find someone who has a dicing saw. University lab in semiconductor research. Or maybe you can cut is just like glass by scribing with a diamond or a carbide disc...

 

[bdial]

Surplus Shed might have suitable glass.

 

[reddesert]

There are a few sellers on ebay who sell infrared filters for digital SLR sensors for conversions, and offer "transparent" as one of the options. I don't see the D100 listed as an option, but try searching "infrared filter D70" for example.

Why do you expect to need a quartz filter? Ordinary crown glass (like BK7) and also probably plain float glass (like frame / window glass) should transmit fine in the near infrared, especially over the limited range where the CCD is sensitive. An advantage of something like fused silica is that it transmits better in the UV than crown glass or float glass, but that really shows up shortward of 350 nm or so, which you didn't mention and even if you needed it, raises all sorts of other questions like the transmission of the camera lens.

 

[koraks]

Ordinary crown glass (like BK7) and also probably plain float glass (like frame / window glass) should transmit fine in the near infrared

I'm worried about horrible glare issues due to a lack of appropriate coatings, however. Mind you, that would be as much a problem with uncoated quartz glass.

I will be converting

If this is a DIY project, I'd really think twice about this. The odds of permanently damaging the sensor are probably around 95% unless you know very well what you're doing, and in that case you wouldn't be asking how to cut a piece of glass for this application.

 

[reddesert]

I've considered doing such a DSLR conversion myself and even have the IR filter, but haven't gotten around to doing it. There are some rudiments of instructions on various websites.

Older DSLRs with APS-C sensors are very inexpensive in working condition, so it's more of a potential time sink than money risk.

I find it not always easy to get predictable and clean glass cuts on plain glass. I think your cautions about wanting coated glass and about glass cutting are well placed.

 

[Steve Goldstein]

Can you use a piece cut from a microscope slide for this conversion?