Infared camera filter to pick up infared LED?

That'd bear testing, but the infrared lights might indeed work.

Note that most camera sensors are already sensitive to infrared, to one degree or another (that's why the IR transmitter on a device such as a television remote control is visibly illuminated when photographed with a camera, although it doesn't appear to be visible to the naked eye).

Now, the sensor in your T3i is probably not as IR sensitive as those which are designed to be, but no doubt they are at least to some degree.

You won't need a filter, though. While filters are readily available that block IR from a sensor ("hot mirror" filters)... I've never heard of one that would make a sensor more sensitive to IR...and frankly I can't see how that would be technically or optically possible.

Certainly worth a try with the IR light. I doubt it will be a good as true "nightvision," but it would be interesting to see just how much the IR does read.

T2

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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

As an addendum, totally got lost in the fact you'll be shooting video at night. You shouldn't need a IR filter like I mentioned although you may not get the exposure you want in video mode because the camera will lock the minimum shutter speed to your framerate if I'm not mistaken. Unless you have very powerful IR lights (kind of defeats the purpose) then DSLRs may not be the right tool for the job.

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