B+W 65-072517 72mm #093 (87C) Infrared Filter

The B+W 72mm #093 (87C) Infrared Filter is a precision instrument for photographers who want to explore one of the most visually distinctive aesthetics in the medium — billowing white foliage, ink-dark skies, and an ethereal tonal quality that digital post-processing can approximate but never quite match. This is a deep-cut infrared filter: it blocks virtually all visible light below 800nm and passes near-infrared at high transmission, producing the classic, high-contrast infrared rendering that landscape, fine-art, and architectural photographers have pursued for generations. For any shooter drawn to the surreal, luminous quality of true infrared imagery, this filter opens that chapter without requiring a dedicated infrared camera body.

Built to B+W's German optical standards, the filter uses quality glass in a brass ring that threads precisely and holds its integrity through years of field use. The absence of coating on this model is a specification worth noting — it's not a flaw in standard shooting conditions, but in backlit situations a lens hood becomes more important than usual. Workflow demands technique: compose and focus before mounting the filter, work from a tripod, and use Live View for digital shooters since the optical viewfinder goes dark with the filter in place. On unmodified digital sensors, long exposures are the reality; on modified or converted bodies, the experience becomes far more responsive and rewarding. Film photographers pairing it with infrared-sensitive stock will find the combination as capable as the craft demands. It asks something of you — and it gives back images that justify every deliberate step.