A modified commercial digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera using a silicon sensor with the infrared filter removed was used to image substrate temperature in situ in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. It was found that the silicon image sensor has sufficient responsivity in the near infrared portion of the spectrum from 720 to 1100 nm to detect thermal radiation of objects above approximately 400 degrees C. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.