What is a trichrome?
A trichrome is a process in which three filtered black-and-white images are combined to create a full color image. While this is typically achieved with Red, Green, and Blue filters, color filters can be replaced with wavelengths beyond human vision.
Red can be replaced with Infrared, Green with Visible, and Blue with Ultraviolet. This is similar to the method used by space telescopes for full color images.
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Gallery
Resources for Trichrome Photography
Cameras
I highly recommend the Nikon D70 as a beginner camera for its conversion simplicity, price, and lens selection. The cons are a lack of live view and small image quality. Any older DSLR or mirrorless camera can be full-spectrum converted depending on your willingness to spend money and bravery. Kolari Vision, LifePixel, and iFixit are good places to start researching DIY conversions once you've chosen your camera.
Lenses
The main problems to avoid are IR spots and poor UV rendering. UV coatings are a fact of life, and expect UV photos to take long exposure times. I recommend checking Ultraviolet Photography Forms, althought, higher end lenses are not necessarily needed. For IR, there are many list of tested lenses. Most kit lenses work fine for UV and IR.
Filters
- IR-pass filter (e.g., 720nm or 850nm)
- UV-pass filter (e.g., Baader U, ZWB1, or similar)
- Visible bandpass filter (e.g., BG39, S8612, or similar)
Other Essentials
I highly recomdend a sturdy tripod and a reliable head.
Where to Buy
Full-spectrum conversions: Kolari Vision, LifePixel, or DIY.
Filters: eBay, AliExpress, or Astrophotography retailers.
Lenses: eBay, Goodwill, local camera shops.