M6 + 32/28mm lenses + ULTRAVIOLET photography (PICS)

EOS M6 + EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM lens
uvBeast V3 MINI (365nm) with a Woods Filter on the front to eliminate visible light.

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I've been using the EOS M6 for quite a bit of Ultraviolet Light Photography over the last few weeks.  I've used UV lasers and the old INOVA X5 UV flashlight in the past but I needed to test more powerful alternatives for a trip to the Opal Fields in 2021. 
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In terms of lenses and cameras, both the EOS R6 and the EOS M6 cameras have performed very well for this sort of thing.  But I imagine any digital camera could produce similar results.  You can make and modify external camera flashes to output bright UV light but note that those flashes are capable of a lethal jolt from the capacitor if you make a serious mistake.  Hence I took the safer and cheaper route and used UV flashlights instead. I find UV photography to be very simple and straight forward, unlike Infra Red photography which can be more complex - although that's comparing apples to oranges.  Pretty much anything you can see with your eyes can be captured with a camera.
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I've just posted a closely related thread in the EOS R forum with a very different set of images from the R6 if anyone's interested.  You can find that thread HERE: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64539540 
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My personal opinion is that the M6 was perhaps the most convenient camera for this sort of photography (including other M models of course) although the 32mm lens was quite practical.  The shots from the EF-M 28mm lens of a tiny 3cm long Australian Black Rock Scorpion were distinctly better than those from the R6 with the EF 100mmL lens - since I could get in much tighter with the EF-M Macro lens... putting the lens and camera into the tiny scorpion tank, something I couldn't do with the EF lens on the R6 due to MFD.  I'm sure you could use just about any lens for this type of photography.  For gemstones and minerals, the 365nm frequency was best.  For scorpion hunting I found the 385-390nm frequency brought up the fluorescence a little more.  But the violet light splashed about by that unfiltered frequency was washing out a lot of the shots in visible light. I was surprised to see that our Australian possums fluoresce under UV light and quite a lot of our insects also fluoresce.
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Whilst I don't work for any company producing any of the items I use, I'm very impressed with the results from the lights I tested from uvBeast and I'd happily recommend them.  The same goes for the M6 and EF-M lenses, of course.  My old INOVA X5 UV flashlight that I bought in Canada still works after all these years but it's quite weak compared to the higher output of more recent UV flashlights.  As with all UV, avoid looking into the light and avoid prolonged skin exposure.   If ever you've wanted to see how effective your sunscreen is, try putting a smudge of it on your hand and then point one of these UV lights at the same spot.  The "clear" sunscreen appears black or dark brown on your skin. 
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M6 + 32mm - the uvBeast V3 UV 385-390nm flashlight - plenty of violet visible light here.

M6 + 32mm - under the light in my room - a variety of promising test subjects

M6 + 32mm - 385-395nm Ultraviolet Frequency - Lots of violet colored visible light spilling.

M6 + 32mm - 365nm "Filtered" Ultraviolet Light - producing a very different result.

M6 + 32mm - hand carved Russian Baltic Amber pendant under normal Light

M6 + 32mm - The same Russian Baltic Amber pendant under 385-400nm Ultraviolet Light

M6 + 32mm - Same Russian Baltic Amber under 365nm Filtered Ultraviolet Light.

M6 + 28mm - Uranium Glass fluorescing under 365nm (uvBeast MINI)

M6 + 32mm - The magical eggs of a Lacewing "butterfly" under 365nm Ultraviolet light.

M6 + 32mm - Strange eggs on a leaf under 385-390nm light

M6 + 32mm - A massive Wolf Spider with a 365nm UV flashlight
M6 + 28mm - Natural Uncut Rubies under 365nm Ultraviolet Light (uvBeast V3 Filtered)

M6 + 32mm - Natural Ruby under 365nm Ultraviolet Light (uvBeast V3 MINI / Filtered).

M6 + 28mm - A very tiny (3cm long) Black Rock Scorpion I found using 365nm UV light.

M6 + 28mm - a small Uranium Glass sphere - with the Uranium Salts visible (no UV)

M6 + 32mm - a small Uranium Glass Sphere  under 365nm UV light.
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Regards,
Marco Nero.

Asla wrote:

Hi!

Very interesting, even mesmerizing. Especially how eggs, spider and gems look in different lighting (and filtering). UV has not interested me so that I'd try myself, but I have to say, that it is true joy to look those photos, even taken of "everyday objects"... Thank you!

A s l a

I use the UV lights for a variety of uses that don't require photography, but it's nice to be able to combine the two.   UV Light is very useful for checking for repairs with antiques and even fossils since most glues and varnish will fluoresce.  UV light is fantastic for detecting oil, coolant and brake fluid leaks.  They are also useful for determining whether certain gemstones have been treated or for evidence of synthetic manufacture.  Red/pink/violet Sapphires tend to fluoresce due to the Chromium they contain... but blue/green Sapphires will not due to the iron inside them.... which not only gives them the blue/green hue but blocks UV light.  (Red Sapphires are of course Rubies as any sapphire that appears pink or red is considered a Ruby...but Sapphire and Ruby are both from the Corumdum family).  More recently I'm interested to see what can be done with UV Photography and Insects.  The early tests seem quite promising.
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Some of the images below have been posted in a prior thread that I made a few years ago.
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EOS M6 - Corundum (Sapphires/Rubies) under normal light

EOS M6 - Corundum (Sapphires/Rubies) under Ultraviolet light (400nm)

EOS M6 - A Burmese Ruby under Ultraviolet Light (390nm)

EOS M6 - Burmese Ruby under Ultraviolet Laser light (405nm)

EOS M6 - Burmese Ruby under normal white light.
A 405nm Ultraviolet Laser which uses a BluRay diode

PowerShot G1X - Uranium Glass Spheres

EOS M - UV light triggering the phosphor on the dials of a watch being photographed.

EOS M - A bone I found in Tutankhamen's burial chamber in Egypt shows fluorescence where embalming resins presumably affected the outer bone surface.  Note the cut marks.  The local museum will be viewing this specimen later this year.

EOS M6 - Scorpion photographed last night under UV

EOS M6 - Same scorpion under incandescent lights.

EOS M6 - Baltic Amber Pendant + security-treated Russian Postage Stamps under UV (365nm)
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Regards,
Marco Nero.