Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) filter review: top-notch IR filters for those with a slot-in filter system

Cokin, a company founded by French photographer Jean Coquin in 1978, is famous for inventing the square filter system for cameras. With such a long-standing pedigree in the filter space and kicking off the square format altogether, I was delighted to get hold of a Cokin NX filter holder and Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) filter to put to the test.

The beauty of a square filter system is that it enables you to quickly and easily stack and swap a variety of different filters, such as the Cokin Nuances Graduated ND filters that I also tested recently. I took the Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) out to thoroughly test it on some landscapes and compared them to images taken with and without the filters in place.

The Cokin Nuances IR720 can be used on standard cameras for a long-exposure infrared effect, where the light-blocking properties of the IR720 increase the exposure time to several minutes, because the sensor has an IR cut filter already installed, which reduces the sensitivity to IR wavelengths. However, the resulting red image has to be converted to black and white.

To thoroughly test the Cokin Nuances IR720, I got hold of a Canon EOS R that had been converted to full-spectrum infrared photography by the experts at Advanced Camera Services. This involves removing the standard IR cut filter, and is not for the faint-hearted, so a big shout out to ACS for supplying the infrared camera for my tests, enabling me to properly put the IR720 through its paces.

Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B): Specifications

Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B): Price

The Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 89B is available in a number of different sizes, and while square and circular options are available, these are all to be used with a Cokin filter holder – there are no circular screw-in options to mount directly onto the front filter thread of your lens.

The Square L size that I got hold of is for the Cokin Z-Pro filter holder, though I put it in one of Cokin's metal frames so it would fit inside the slightly larger Cokin NX holder. The metal frame also adds strength and rigidity and allows the filter to be mounted or removed from the filter holder rapidly by clipping it in and out, which I liked a lot.

The Square L option I got hold of costs around $220 / £199, though you may find it cheaper if you shop around. If you’re using the Z-Pro system, you might find yourself better off with the Circular L (Z-Pro) option, which costs $42 / £25.

There are also smaller Medium iterations for the Cokin P filter holder: a square Medium (P size) measuring 84x100x1.6mm costing $150 / £144, and a circular 84mm option for P-size filter holders, which was much more affordable at £49 in the UK.

If you need to bring in the big guns, there are two huge 720 infrared filters available in Cokin’s Nuances range, and both are designed for its ‘XL’ 130mm filter holders for medium format shooters or ultra-wide lenses. I could only find these for sale in the UK, with the square 130x130x2mm option for £229 and the circular XL variant costing £175.

Cokin has confirmed that the infrared glass and treatment in all of the 720 Nuances square and circular filters are of the same quality, so image quality and performance should be pretty consistent across the board.

I should also add that there’s a whole bunch of creative kits available from Cokin that bundle a filter holder with an IR 720 Nuances and various other filters, so this could work out better value if you don’t already have a filter holder. Just be sure to pick up the right one for your camera’s sensor size and your lenses.

Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B): Design & Handling

The Cokin Nuances IR720 is an infrared filter designed to cut out visible light while allowing light in the infrared spectrum to pass. However, because a standard camera has an IR cut filter precisely to prevent excessive infrared light from reaching the sensor, this will require an extremely long exposure to allow the sensor to gather enough infrared light.

On a full-spectrum converted camera body, such as the Canon EOS R loaned to me by Advanced Camera Services, this IR cut filter has been removed, enabling much shorter exposure times. The Cokin Nuances IR720 allows approximately 50% of light through at 720nm and 98% of light at 950nm wavelengths.

The filter is made from some seriously high-end materials, including high-phosphate laser neodymium mineral glass, and is treated to double-sided AR and AF coatings to reduce reflections and also add scratch, oil, and water resistance.

The special multicoating has also been formulated to let 50% of wavelengths pass at 720nm, 95% at 800nm, and a maximum of up to 99% near 950nm.

While I got hold of the Square L size, which measures 100x100x2mm and fits the Cokin EVO filter holder, I actually ended up using it with Cokin’s NX filter holder, but I first had to mount the filter in a metal filter frame to make it compatible.

There are also three circular options for the IR720, though these aren’t circular screw-in types; they’re circular to sit at the back of a compatible Cokin filter holder. The names for these are a little confusing, but here we go...

The smallest is the Circular M size which fits Cokin P filter holders and measures 84x84x1.6mm; next is the Circular L size, which fits Cokin Z-Pro filter holders and measures 100x100x1.6mm; lastly, there’s the Circular XL size, which fits Cokin X-Pro filter holders and measures 130x130x2mm. Phew! So, as you can see, there are quite a few options to choose from – just make sure you pick up the one that fits your Cokin filter holder.

Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B): Performance

The filter boasts a double-sided multi AR Coating + AF Coating for waterproof, anti-oil, and anti-scratch properties. As with other Cokin Nuances filters I have reviewed, the Nuances Infrared 720 coatings give an impeccable performance. Water beads off its hydrophobic coating – this makes it super easy to clean and shake water off.

It's also extremely hardy, and even dragging a sharp nail across it inflicted no noticeable damage. It shrugged off a drop from 1.5m while encased in its metal frame, which likely added extra protection when taking a tumble.

When it came to image quality, the Cokin Nuances 720 (89B) Infrared IR impressed. While very fine details were a little soft compared to pictures taken without the filter in place, this isn't unique; all the IR720 filters I have tested gave a similar result, and this could potentially simply be down to the varying contrast you see with and without the filter in place.

When you're not zooming in to 200% to inspect fine details, sharpness is perfectly fine, and the Nuances 720 (89B) does a great job of producing that classic black-and-white infrared effect, with dark skies and green foliage turning white. It's not quite as strong an effect as a filter like an 850nm, which cuts out all but a very thin band of infrared light, but it does a pretty good job and its results will be less extreme, with more gradation in the sky, rather than it being totally black, and a little more detail in tree leaves rather than being completely blown-out white.

It's also worth noting that the filter is only good for black-and-white infrared photography. Its wavelength cut of 720nm is too high to be used for color infrared; such pictures usually require a lower cut of around 590nm to allow more visible light in. However, you can take striking B&W infrared photos with this filter either on a standard non-converted camera, which will extend your shutter speed, or you can use it on a converted IR camera for faster shutter speeds for handheld photography.

As an example, with a standard camera, my shutter speed went from 1/1000 sec to 30 secs, so it effectively also acts as a 15-stop ND filter, and could be a great choice if you like the long-exposure look, paired with the stylized high-contrast look of infrared.

On an IR-converted camera, like my Canon EOS R from ACS, the filter still blocks out some wavelengths of light, but it's much easier to handle. Here, my standard shutter speed of 1/640 sec slowed to just 1/160 sec; in other words, two stops of light are lost, and this can easily be compensated for by opening the aperture or bumping the ISO up a little. You can, of course, choose to shoot on a tripod too, if you prefer.

The Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) is only available for use with slot-in filter holders. While I would have liked to have seen a screw-in option, shooting with a dedicated filter holder definitely has its perks and means it can be stacked with other filters with ease, without the risk of vignetting.

Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B): Verdict

The Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) put in a stellar performance, and this is something I'm getting used to with Cokin's top-flight Nuances filter range; its Clear Sky and Graduated ND filters also gave a top result.

You'll need a dedicated filter holder to use either the square or circular variants of this filter. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Though it does make the filters a bit more expensive, and the system overall is larger and bulkier than the more compact screw-in options from the likes of Urth, Hoya and Ice.

If, however, you don't mind using a filter holder, then the Cokin Nuances Infrared 720 (89B) is one of the best you can pick up. It has strong image quality, and its 720nm cut strikes a good balance of contrast without making the skies too dark or foliage too bright. The Cokin Nuances range also boasts some of the best filter coatings in the game, with outstanding water, oil, and scratch resistance.

Do you need a converted camera to use this filter? Absolutely not! Some may even prefer the long exposure effect you get from using this filter with a standard non-IR camera. But if you prefer more workable, faster exposures for handheld shooting, then a full-spectrum conversion should be considered.

Alternatives

For those looking for quality on a reasonable budget, the Urth IR Filter Plus+ is a great choice and has brilliant features like oil and water-resistant coatings, though it's only available in circular screw-in options.

You'll struggle to find an infrared filter as affordable as the ICE 760HB / IR760. With a starting price of $24 / £29, this is a brilliant, fun IR filter to play around with that's cheap as chips and allows you to experiment with infrared photography without breaking the bank.