Sony A7S camera with switchable IR-cut filter? Enhanced sensor for IR and UV detection?

[avalon]

Hello. I was fascinated by Sony A7S photo camera low light abilities beating even Gen3 night vision devices. There are only few camera‘s capable of reaching 409,600 ISO or higher. One of them is X27 camera still in development reaching sensitivity so high that night literally looks like day.

A lot of credit goes to new type backlit CMOS sensors in which photodetectors are now positioned in front thus increasing surface area to capture more light, in fact they don‘t need anymore even microlens which might block or reflect some light. They also have greater sensitivity to invisible ultraviolet and infrared spectrum. I was curious if Sony could build A7S camera with switchable IR cut filter specifically for those people interested in infrared and ultraviolet photography, as well in night photography or filming because removing this filter increases even more sensitivity of camera? Making IR visibility possible requires dissasembling camera and removing IR cut filter. That can lead to void warranty, contamination of optics and even damage. Things would be much simpler if Sony developed IR filter switch like in their older camcomders with nighshot feature.

[petrochemist]

I know the threads a bit old (at least its just 15 months) but I can add a little that might be relevant.

Sony is one of the few camera makers who have introduced switchable IR sensitivity. Their 'Nightshot' feature does exactly this and was available on quite a range of models some years ago. My first truly IR sensitive camera was one of them the Cybershot DSC V1, a compact camera with a tiny 1.5" rear screen. Although this camera was introduced back in 2003 Sony were already starting to cripple the IR capabilities. (It applies an awful green color cast to the images, and the nightshot mode will not activate if the filter adapter is screed in...

Apparently there had been news reports that IR can be used to see through clothes - I've never had it achieve this, but it does often see through the dyes on them as well as through sunglasses, biro ink etc. After the fuss it created in the late 1990's Sony increasingly crippled the feature & then dropped it all together.

It's very unlikely Sony will introduce this feature again.