Introduction: Enable Stem IZON Night Vision Hack

I have two IZON cameras, I bought a IR spotlight but found out it doesn't help, due to there being an IR filter in the cameras lens. So i thought i would take my luck removing it. I hope this helps you.

Removing the filter will allow you to enhance the IZON with a third party IR spotlight, but it will bugger all the colours up, if you see the photo in the final step. Please leave a comment too! It's my first instructable

Step 1: Open the Camera

I used a couple of jewellers screwdrivers, but that's up to you.

Have a look at your IZON and you will notice the cylinder is made of two parts. Unplug it all and take it off the base.

Now you can prize them apart. I think start at the top as there is the heat vent to get in there, and the tab is smaller if you look in the photo.
Take care not to apply too much pressure, if it doesn't open move to another part, be patient. and don't dig the screwdriver in too deep and scratch the PCB. 

I didn't take a photo of the removing part, and hard to hold a DSLR at the same time ha, so just see the photos of how the clips go together. 

Step 2: Remove WiFi Board

As in step ones photo showing the PCB, you can see two black tabs on each side of the WiFi PCB, You can just push them aside while using one finger to pull the board up, starting from the bottom, where you can see the pin connection (see photo in this step).

Once its removed, put it down somewhere safe.

Step 3: Remove the Mainboard in Its Frame

The main board is held in a black frame, you want to remove the whole black frame by removing the two screws at the bottom, then pushing the white plastic tabs away.

Step 4: Remove Main Board From Black Frame

Just like removing the WiFi board, you just push the black tabs aside to remove the main board. I'm sorry there are no more detailed photos. The microphone has a rubber cover that you can just pull away.
The USB port can be unclipped by the one main tab on it, NOT the two little ones.
The camera sensor is mounted with double sided tape on a white plastic stand as you can see that is clipped into the main board.

Step 5: Open Camera Module - Remove Filter

When you have the camera module by itself, be very carfull not to pull on the ribbon cable, or get too much dirt in the camera lens. wearing latex gloves would help, along with working on a tidy bench.

The front of the lens unscrews, you can just put your nails in the bumps and unscrew anticlockwise. 

Put the mainboard with the camera sensor facing down so no dust falls in there.

With a sharp blade (hobby knife or razor), you can slice around the edge of the filter, it is only just held there by a ring of plastic. Then it will come away easy. Try to keep the lens clean! 

When you screw the lens back in, i found you have to tighten it right up, maybe you should make a mark on the lens, and on the module you are screwing it back into so you know how far to screw it back in. 

If you don't screw it back in enough, your izon will be an excellent macro camera, but no good for landscape!

Step 6: Put It All Back Together and Try It Out!

If you have come this far, i'm sure you don't need steps how to reassemble. Good work!
Make sure you don't forget anything, and take care when pushing the PCB's back into place, apply pressure evenly

I bought a "White 48 LED illuminator light CCTV IR Infrared Night Vision Security * Camera *" as shown in the photo off ebay for $8 from HK, It works really well, as you can see in the photos, the one with my head the spotlight is pointed at the roof, and reflecting everywhere, where as the other is aimed at the cupboard doors. Excuse the messy floor, i was cleaning out my cupboards! Note the room IS PITCH BLACK, No light at all!

In the app screenshot you can see the colours are all screwed up, i guess that's what you get for taking the filter out.