Camcorder Spectral Response

I used a 60W bulb with a thin filament as a source (about 2500 K ?) and a transmission grating (Ed.Sci 52991) at the camera lens to make these images. I also had a compact fluorescent bulb shining through a slot which was lined up with the filament. The fluorescent light phosphors have fairly narrow emission lines, which allowed me to calibrate the wavelength scale viewing the fluorescent light with another spectroscope (Wabash Instrument Co. model SP-125). Note: observing the solar Fraunhofer lines, I found it reads wavelengths 4 nm too long, so the line appearing at 616 nm on the wavelength scale is really at 611 nm.

It is interesting to see that the TRV900 renders wavelengths shorter than about 403 nm (near-ultraviolet) as green, rather than blue. The TR7000 single chip Digital8 camera has an extended near-IR response to about 1000 nm (1 micron) when in "nightshot" mode (IR filter removed from optical path).

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