• LifePixel

Overview

LifePixel has a rating of 3.65 stars from 17 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. LifePixel ranks 21st among Photography Equipment sites.

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What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

  • The price tag to convert your camera to an IR camera is fairly steep...

Critical highlights

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How would you rate LifePixel?
Top Positive Review

“You're certainly creating a first rate showing on the grounds that i've not observed an expert help”

Rashford M.
1/7/21

You're certainly creating a first rate showing on the grounds that i've not observed an expert help earlier than nowadays that has a quick response, so you have won my coronary heart. Because of you, i will utilize your management yet again.

Top Critical Review

“A Jagged Piece of Glass”

Robb S.
7/22/20

About 5 years ago I had my Nikon D5000 converted to full-spectrum infrared through LifePixel. It cost twice as much as I originally paid for the camera body itself ($300) and never, ever did the camera work correctly nor properly once I received it. The focus was always off no matter what I tried. Manual? Nope. Auto? Nope. Liveview? Nope. I don't think I ever got one clear shot in the so-called infrared conversion. Also, the camera was completely unable to take measurements to set the white balance, which was the recommended way to set up the comera correctly, according to LifePixel. Every time I attempted to take a measurement the camera told me it failed the process. I spent $300, and two years of complete frustration to receive back an infrared camera that could not be focused no matter the setting or lens used, totally unable to correctly calibrate the white balance, and thus, never took one decent nor even half-way amateur acceptable infrared photo. In order to get maybe 4 or 5 presentable shots from my investment I basically redrew the entire photo in Photoshop using the actual photo as nothing but a tracing / color by numbers base image. And so my camera sat collecting dust in a drawer. Until today. I now have another, much newer, but yet no longer used Nikon, due to upgrading again. I thought, hey, I wonder if I took the infrared sensor out of the D5000 if it might be compatible or usable in some way with my now old D3200. The instructions for getting to the sensor were NOT the nightmare of "high-voltage and risking of death" horror that LIfepixel makes it out to be. I've never disassembled a camera in my life and it took me like 15 minutes. Easy. And how does one risk high-voltage electrocution from a device that runs on a battery that you just take out before you work on it? D'uh. Anyhow, imagine my joy when I got to the holy grail and found that I'd paid $300 for LifePixel to take and uneven, jaggedy piece of red glass, and superglue or epoxy it or whatever over top of my original camera sensor. I paid $300 bucks for superglue and glass. And as a nice kick in the rear it was a nightmare to remove it due to the adhesive. It was literally caulked into my camera. Luckily I knew I'd not be using the D5000 again so I had to use a razor blade, box cutter, phaser and a team of mules to pull the jaggedy red piece of glass from my camera. Near as I can tell that is all I got, all they did, and I spent a lot of money, a LOT of time and frustration, and ultimately abandoned a new photographic technique I was really excited to learn and hopefully master only to have that time wasted and excitement abandoned and crushed by this. LifePixel? They were more like my DeathPixel. But, if I ever get excited about and want to start learning the art of stained glass I have my first piece anyhow...

Reviews (17)

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camera (12)
Thumbnail of user kimberlym22
6 reviews
124 helpful votes
January 20th, 2014

Interesting site for camera lenses to use and what specifications. Will really keep coming back to the site. 1 star less coz I think this can be improved.

Thumbnail of user christinam16
12 reviews
308 helpful votes
October 2nd, 2013

Good source of Images. Love them.

Thumbnail of user jamesn40
1 review
3 helpful votes
December 6th, 2014

I recently purchased a used Nikon D80 for the sole purpose of having it converted to infrared. I sent the camera to lifepixel.com for conversion. The photos the D80 took were great. While changhing from color to black and white the shutter broke, not Life Pixel's fault. I called their office and they said that all I had to do was return the camera and they would check it out. About a week late a fine fellow named Daniel Malkin called me and said they could not repair it. They did, however, tell me they would buy another D80, convert it, and return it for no charge. Great service! So far I have had two other D80s converted and given them as gifts to friends.

Thumbnail of user jamesm224
4 reviews
16 helpful votes
December 31st, 2014

Love this for Photography. A great site for photography fans.

Thumbnail of user toddl
80 reviews
360 helpful votes
June 23rd, 2010

I just found this site thanks to Barney. Pretty cool use for an old digital camera. I see these infrared photography photos at those art and wine festivals and they always sell for so much money because they look artistic and are difficult to take photos of them. I would enjoy trying my hand at this type of photography but it does appear it is rather pricey to get your camera converted by them. They sell filters for cheap and even give you instructions on doing it yourself. Might just spend a day tearing apart my old camera.

Thumbnail of user johns1564
1 review
1 helpful vote
December 25th, 2016

I've a D700 but didn't want to muck it up, so bought a 2nd-hand D90 and sent it to LifePixel for UV+vis+IR conversion. I'm using it mostly for UV, but checked IR performance, and it does everything I hoped for. See http://johnsankey.ca/insectvision.html for what I'm using it for.

Thumbnail of user tracyh1
57 reviews
361 helpful votes
June 24th, 2010

Their website has some beautiful photos on the home page and I would love to be able to take shots like that. Can't all of this be done in photoshop? Or is this just an easy way to make images look like this? Do I have to change my digital camera forever to get it to work like this?

Thumbnail of user barneyl
41 reviews
517 helpful votes
June 22nd, 2010

The price tag to convert your camera to an IR camera is fairly steep... $400 for my old canon DSLR. The images however are amazing once they convert it. They calibrate it to a standard 50mm 1.8 lens and if you shoot wider you might want to send in your lens for calibration along with it. I usually shoot stopped down to f11 so it is not a big deal but I have heard of others who shoot at f2.8 and such needing calibration. You could also order the filter and have a local shop do it for you, but these guys do a great job and this is all they do so I would use them over a local shop. I would not recommend the DYI guide unless you are really really good. Nice they provide that though

Thumbnail of user user73
6 reviews
23 helpful votes
October 20th, 2008

Convert your old DSLR to an Infrared camera - I sent in my old Canon 10D and they did a great job of turning it into an IR camera. It only took them a few weeks from the time I sent the camera off to when it was returned to me. If you don't know what an IR photo looks like take a peek at one off their site
<img src="http://www.lifepixel.com/images/samples/3C.jpg" alt="alt" width="300" height="200" />

Definitely better than selling or giving away an old DSLR, just turn it into an IR camera.

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The world leader in infrared conversions, modifications & DIY IR conversion tutorials. Scratched sensor replacement, UV & Full spectrum conversions.

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Thumbnail of user noaha15
Noah A.

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