Turn Your Webcam into an IR Spycam
Posted 01/01/2006 at 12:07pm
| by Niko Coucouvanis
Step 2: Find the Filter
IR-ifying a Webcam relies on replacing the camera's original IR-blocking filter with an IR-enabling (that is, regular-light-blocking) filter, which you'll fashion out of two small pieces of film negative. But first you need to find your camera's filter. Unscrew the lens from the circuit board, and find the IR filter-it's usually wedged into the lens barrel. Carefully pry the filter out with an X-Acto knife or other slim blade, and hang onto it-just in case you want to undo this hack someday down the road.

Swapping the IR filter for a regular-light filter makes any Webcam an IRcam.