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| There’s nothing much to see here – a full-spectrum IR-converted S1R looks exactly like a stock sample (although I couldn’t resist the temptation to color in the ‘IX’ of LUMIX). My converted S1R is pictured with the excellent Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN ‘C’ attached, complete with an IR Chrome filter from IR and UV photography specialists Kolari Vision. |
Recently, I sent my former coworker Carey Rose a selection of images captured on my full-spectrum IR-converted Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1R. Instead of the effusive praise that I was expecting, he replied with a question: ‘Why exactly do you have a full-spectrum IR-converted Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1R?’ He did eventually follow up with the expected effusive praise because he’s a nice guy, but it was a fair question and one that I’ll try to answer in this article.
Fair warning, though – this article reflects my personal, ongoing process of experimentation with infrared imaging. I’m still learning, so you won’t find a lot of tips, tricks and techniques in what follows, nor will you see any classic ‘black sky, white trees’ infrared photos or examples of the sort of false-color IR images that can be achieved via channel swapping. No disrespect to fans of either approach, but I don’t have the patience for a lot of post-processing, and I’m not shooting album covers in the ’90s.
In case you were wondering, yes, that was an IR burn.
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| The Painted Hills in Oregon, shot with my converted S1R with an IR Chrome filter. IR Chrome replicates the effect of Kodak’s famed Aerochrome film, which was originally developed for military use to detect camouflaged positions in dense jungles and woodland.
At first glance, this might pass for a conventional photograph, but close inspection shows that what should be green foliage in the foreground and background is red, providing a visual echo of the crimson streaks that characterize the hills of this area. Panasonic S1R (IR Chrome filter), Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN | ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F8 |
Enough snark, but speaking of ancient history, my experience with infrared photography dates back to 2006, when I was handed an IR-converted Canon EOS 20D by my first magazine editor and told to write an article about it. I didn’t know much about infrared imaging at the time, but I knew enough to recognize that my chances of generating attractive IR images in southern England in the middle of November were poor.
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One of the shots I took back in 2006 on an IR-converted Canon EOS 20D.
This image illustrates one of the challenges of infrared photography: IR flare, which would be invisible in a picture taken on a conventional camera. |
When I made my misgivings clear, my editor made a few things clear too, as was his right. Thus chastened, I wrote the article, pathetically garnished with a handful of muddy photographs that I doubt inspired anyone who saw them – least of all me.
Fast-forward 15 years or so to late summer 2022. I’d left DPReview, I was bored, and I was looking for a photography project to occupy my spare time. I had a vague memory that it was possible to get cameras converted to infrared, so I decided to look into it. And, of course, like countless incorrigible nerds before me, I ended up rabbit-holing. Coming back up out of the hole, I’ll try to be brief about what it is and how it works.
In essence, infrared conversion is a relatively straightforward process. Camera sensors are overlaid with an IR cut filter, specifically to eliminate such light; this filter is removed and replaced with clear glass. Simple as that. Compared to monochrome conversion it’s a doddle, but then so is keyhole surgery. If you’re at all tempted to try it yourself, you might change your mind after reading this article.
IR conversion: Considerations and costs
Several companies around the world offer IR conversion services, but I went with Kolari Vision of New Jersey based on the quality (and quantity) of the educational content on their website and the range of products they offer, which includes a wide range of high-quality filters. After some research, I decided on a full-spectrum conversion, which enables you to do IR, UV and (with some caveats) conventional visible light photography from a single camera via a range of filters.
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| Three of the common filter options for IR photography, covering 590–850 nanometers, plus a ‘hot mirror’ filter (lower right). The hot mirror filter effectively converts a full-spectrum IR camera back to visible light imaging, but results can vary depending on lens choice.
High-quality IR filters are costly, so be sure to take this into account when budgeting your full-spectrum IR conversion project. |
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Full-spectrum IR conversions courtesy of Kolari Vision start at $99 for compact cameras, increasing to $700+ for medium and large-format interchangeable lens models. The service includes AF calibration.
Note, however, that on some models (like my S1R), conversion may require the permanent disabling of automatic dust reduction. |
It turns out that, like other Panasonic mirrorless cameras, the S1R is a very good candidate for IR conversion because it can accurately set a custom white balance with every wavelength of IR filter that Kolari makes. This cuts down post-processing time and makes it possible to preview the desired IR effect in the camera’s viewfinder while shooting.
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The Volunteer Park Conservatory not far from where I live in Seattle. Of the wide-angle lenses I’ve tried for IR photography, the Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is the best performer and might be next on my shopping list. Panasonic S1R (IR Chrome filter), Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F5.6 |
I’ve shot with every single D/SLR and mirrorless system out there, and I always had a soft spot for the Panasonic S1 series, particularly when it comes to their ergonomics. While they have some deficiencies in terms of autofocus (and in the case of the S1R, Raw dynamic range and high ISO image quality), with their comfy grips and plethora of physical controls, I still find them among the most satisfying full-frame mirrorless cameras to pick up and use, even in 2023. This is especially true at night, where the ability to change settings by feel becomes particularly important.
So when I saw a low shutter-count S1R listed for sale at my local camera store for a very good price, I jumped on it – and then sent it off for surgery.
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| This is a classic IR hotspot, courtesy of the excellent (for normal photography) Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art, which I returned to the store about 30 minutes after taking this picture. Hotspots are pretty much impossible to fix in post, but because they typically get more intense as you stop down, if you’re working with a lens that’s prone to this issue, you might get away with shooting wide-open.
Panasonic S1R (850nm filter) + Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DN A | ISO 100 | 1/50 sec | F8 |
With the camera sorted out, I switched my attention to lenses. This is where things can get complicated. Obviously, most consumer stills photography lenses were not designed with IR imaging in mind, and many models are prone to ‘hotspots,’ usually caused by elements or coatings inside the lens that reflect IR light. An IR hotspot shows up as a bright diffuse glow in the center of images, with the intensity and size being dependent on the particular lens, the aperture in use, and the angle to the sun at which the picture was taken.
IR-hotspot-free lenses can be hard to pin down, but Kolari maintains a useful crowd-sourced database of ones that are more or less suited for IR work, organized by mount. It lists both known ‘good performers’ and ‘bad performers,’ and I was pleased to see that several of my old Nikon F-mount optics (easily adaptable to L-Mount) made the former list. For good measure, I also picked up a used Sigma DN 14-24mm F2.8 and a vintage Canon FD 300mm F4L for astrophotography.
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| A native full-spectrum shot, which shows off the well-known ‘dead greenery’ effect. I like the look in some situations, but it doesn’t suit every occasion.
Panasonic S1R (no filter), Nikkor AF-S 28-70mm F2.8 | ISO 100 | 1/500 sec | F5.6 |
A couple of weeks after submitting my camera to Kolari, it was back, transformed. No longer would my creativity be constrained by the petty limits of so-called ‘visible light’ – I had transcended that! A wonderful new world of creativity awaited. At the earliest opportunity, I headed out with an astrophotographer friend, ready to have my mind blown.
Never have I been humbled more quickly.
First experiments and disappointments
I returned from my first excursion mind decidedly unblown. I expected a learning curve, but what I didn’t expect was just how differently my wide angle lenses would perform on the converted S1R. The Sigma DN 24mm F1.4, which I loved so much when shooting a DPReview sample gallery, fell apart on the IR-converted S1R: sharpness anywhere outside of the central area of the frame was distinctly unimpressive.
Similarly, my newly acquired Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 had suddenly gone from being spectacular to so-so. Again, central sharpness wide open was fine, but the edges and corners were a smeary mess. This isn’t a defect of this particular lens, simply that most lenses aren’t typically designed to bring IR light into focus. Meanwhile, my hopes of shooting the Andromeda galaxy on the Canon 300mm F4L were dashed not by the lens per se, but by the difficulty of focusing a slow telephoto accurately in zero light conditions.
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For IR (and UV) photography on a budget, you can’t do much better than a typical film-era ‘nifty fifty.’ I would recommend investing in good adapters, though. German brand Novoflex (pictured here) is arguably the gold standard. |
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Setting a custom white balance on the S1R is as simple as pressing and holding down the WB button, hitting the up arrow on the rear controller, positioning the center of your frame on a neutral gray area, then releasing the WB button again. |
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I’ve found that Nikon’s venerable AF-S 28-70mm F2.8 makes a useful lens for IR imaging between 35-70mm. Examples with failed AF-S motors can be found at bargain prices. |
After much trial and error, I settled on the Sigma DG DN 35mm F2 ‘C’ as my standard lens for IR imaging, with a variety of adapted older Nikon F-mount lenses for extra flexibility. (See a good find pictured above.) With astrophotography season over for the year, I decided to explore the creative potential of IR imaging during daylight hours.
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Ruby Beach, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Panasonic S1R (IR Chrome filter), Sigma DN 35mm F2 C | ISO 100 | 1/160 sec | F8 |
With a solid set of lenses in place, I concentrated on finding creative opportunities to shoot my S1R in both native full-spectrum and ‘IR Chrome.’
Photographs taken on a full-spectrum camera without additional filtration results in the infrared light being captured by the sensor and incorrectly interpreted as red, green and blue during the demosaicing process, causing color shifts. Different subjects give different degrees of color shift, depending on how well they reflect infrared light.
The effect can give images a subtle, muted look, which can be more or less obvious depending on the subject matter. I like it for cityscapes and architectural studies, especially towards twilight, where the colors of the evening sky are subtly shifted, and artificial light sources take on a greenish-purple hue. In bright daylight, the overall effect is somewhat reminiscent of early color film: evocative without being too Instagram-filter-y.
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| The native full-spectrum ‘look’ is subtle and hard to describe. It tends to give images an aged, slightly faded quality, delivering cool bluish highlights and making green foliage appear dull.
Panasonic S1R (no filter), Nikkor AF-S 28-70mm F2.8 | ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F5.6 |
Adding an IR Chrome filter does something subtly different: it allows infrared light through but appears to block some colors of visible light, giving specific and intentional color shifts (it mimics a film that was designed to create a visual distinction between green foliage, which strongly reflects IR light, and camouflaged green paint and fabrics, which don’t). The majority of the images in this article were shot using an IR Chrome filter, and I love the effect for landscapes, especially in spring when fresh green foliage is at its most vibrant.
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A stormy day near the small town of Antelope, Oregon, not far from the Painted Hills. Panasonic S1R (IR Chrome filter), Sigma DN 35mm F2 C | ISO 100 | 1/80 sec | F8 |
Final thoughts
Ultimately, while it’s been a bumpy (and expensive) ride at times, I’ve been really enjoying my experiments with IR imaging. The difficult and frustrating part was the tricky business of lens selection, as well as the inherent limitations of the S1R’s sometimes noisy sensor. Once I’d figured out a good collection of IR appropriate glass and managed my expectations a bit, I was off to the races.
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The view from Ecola State Park, in Oregon, looking towards Cannon Beach. Panasonic S1R (IR Chrome filter), Nikkor AF-S 28-70mm F2.8 | ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F8 |
And honestly, it’s been a lot of fun. I’m already planning an IR Chrome photo project next year, and with peak Milky Way intensity coming soon, I’m looking forward to taking another crack at full-spectrum astrophotography once the skies clear (and before the wildfire smoke rolls in). I’m also curious to give UV photography a try at some point, maybe as a winter portrait project.
If I could do it again, I might have opted to convert a Panasonic S1 or S5 for the sake of their better performing sensors, but I do appreciate the resolution of the S1R at low ISOs, and I’m enjoying shooting it in daylight.
Want to give it a try? Some things to consider
- Research the right camera for you – mirrorless ILCs are better candidates for IR conversion than DSLRs, as they use the same sensor for imaging, metering and focus, but some models are more suitable than others. Accept that you may end up shooting two camera systems in parallel (like me with my visible-light Nikon), with all the attendant hassle.
- Treat IR conversion as a non-reversible process. It’s true that full-spectrum IR cameras can be used for conventional visible-light imaging by attaching a hot mirror filter, but there are caveats, especially with wide-angle lenses.
- Expect some trial and error when it comes to lenses. Older, simpler lenses tend to be better for both IR and UV imaging, but there are a lot of variables. I’ve had particular difficulty finding decent wide-angle options, but YMMV.
- Custom white balance is your friend. Setting a custom WB with the Panasonic S1R is exceptionally easy, but some cameras really make you work for it. This can get annoying if you have to set WB multiple times in a shooting session, which you probably will.
- Plan for the project to cost more than you expect. In addition to the cost of the IR conversion, good quality IR filters can run more than $300 each, and finding the right lenses and adapters can involve some expensive experimentation.
I decided to go down the full-spectrum conversion road to get myself out of a creative rut. In the end it worked, but only after a lot of trial and error and a larger financial investment than I had originally expected. While I don’t have any regrets, I do now have a frightening number of newly-acquired lenses and L-mount adapters.
Still, it’s better than being bored, isn’t it? Maybe that’s what I should have said to Carey.
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This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.
