First Look: Lumix DMC-GX7

Lumix DMC-GX7 Micro Four-Thirds Camera

Now, this is a camera I can warm up to…

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10; 1", mirrorless, with a finder. Wow.

What first caught my eye was the sleek design of this SLR-like camera. And then, I looked a little deeper…

Sony Alpha a7R vs. the Sony 7R

Sony 7R; The world’s first Full-frame MILC

 Introducing the world’s first full-frame, mis-labeled MILC…

First Impressions: Nikon F3

Nikon F3 HP. Professional 135 SLR with High-Eyepoint Viewfinder.

The irony of having all these collectible cameras, many of which are working SLRs, is that not one of them has been a Nikon. Until now.

New Arrivals: Canon Powershot SD780 IS

Canon Powershot SD780 IS, Rear

Received this just as I was on my way out, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to try it out…

At first glance, I really like the fit and finish and the clean layout of the controls. The case is made of metal with a slightly-textured, non-slip etched surface. The controls are flush-mounted so it’s easy to hold the camera without a size-increasing grip while not accidentally hitting any of the buttons.

Just in Time

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS:
A Never-be-without-a-camera-again Camera

So here I am, looking in a shop window in Manhattan on the way to a gig as I come across the Powershot SD780. It was not far from an SD1200. And I notice both have optical viewfinders.

A curious thing about shop windows in Manhattan. They’re not changed that frequently, and you often find discontinued or new/old stock in them. But since I pass by this window every week, I know that it had recently been changed. Whatever is in this window could not be that old.

At my first opportunity, I research the SD780 IS and although it’s still on Canon’s website, it’s clearly standing near the exit. A newer model, almost identical but sans viewfinder, also comes up in a search. Same thing with the SD1200. I can order either one new from Amazon, so I put this in the back of my mind.

Then one day, my wife calls me from the road; “Get your camera ready, there’s a sunset you’ve got to see; be ready to jump in the car when I get there”. Needless to say it was a great photography-bonding moment for my wife and I, but when we got there, it was gone. “I’ve got to get a cheap camera and keep it in my glove compartment”, she says. Hmmm.

Then, a couple of days later on my way back from the city, I see something interesting and say to myself, “Gee, I wish I had a camera with me”. And in the back of my mind, the gears are turning.

So before it goes away forever, today I decided to order this miniature wonder. With a 33-100mm zoom range, f/3.2-5.8 aperture, 15 sec.-1/1500 sec. shutter speed and ISO range of 80-1600, I should be prepared for just about anything. It’s actually the width and height of a credit card, and just shy of 3/4" thick. And with its rounded corners and edges, it’s the perfect shirt pocket camera. I’ve been waiting for the right compact digital to come along, and this is it.

The sense of urgency came with the realization that last year, Canon was still making compact cameras with zoom viewfinders, and that none of the new models have them, a trend I find disturbing. Nikon, never made a camera this size with a viewfinder, so in considering the Coolpix, I wasn’t even aware that this was an option. I prefer to use an optical viewfinder whenever I can. Holding a camera at arm’s length to compose a picture that everyone else can see is simply not my idea of photography.

So, here I am, ever the Nikon loyalist, with a new Canon camera.

Small-Format Pinhole Revisited

This morning I finally ordered the drill bits I need to make some pinholes. Even though I’m very happy with my Lensbaby pinhole optic, I can get wider with a body-cap pinhole, which is also much more compact.

My original plan was to add a 46-52mm step-up ring to the cap so I can add a filter. I’ve read that dust can potentially enter the pinhole and find it’s way onto the sensor, something that can’t happen with the Lensbaby, as its pinhole is printed on clear film. However, I’ve decided against that for the time being, as the area of the pinhole will likely be several magnitudes smaller than any gaps in the average lens.

I also planned on mounting the pinhole plate directly to the underside of the body cap, which means that the pinhole will be 48.5mm from the film plane, requiring a .26mm pinhole. This would be a good focal length for a “normal” angle of view. However, without interfering with the mirror, I can easily recess the pinhole into the body so that the distance is 37.5mm, making for a wider angle of view. That would require a .22mm pinhole. On an APS-C sensor camera such as the Nikon D90 DX format, it would be an approximate focal length of 56.25mm, considerably wider than the Lensbaby at 75mm (50mm x 1.5).

Large Format
I also plan on building some new 4x5 pinhole cameras, one 75mm “wide” (24mm equivalent focal length in the 135 format) and one 150mm “normal” (45mm equivalent in 135 format). These will require .32mm and .45mm holes respectively.

Medium Format
As good as large format pinhole photography is, medium format using 120 film is much more convenient, and less expensive to process. For this, I plan on buying the Holga 120WPC:

Holga 120WPC 6x12cm Pinhole Camera

Its 6x9 and 6x12 formats should provide plenty of area to develop a nice, “sharp”, detailed pinhole image. I’ve seen some really nice examples from this camera, so I feel it’s worth a try.

To make the pinholes, I’ll sandwich several sheets of thin brass painted on one side with superflat black paint between some thin sheets of plastic, and drill them together to make some pinhole blanks. This will prevent the pressure of the drill from distorting the hole in the very thin brass, and prevent the paint from filling the hole. I could also try drilling them first and painting them afterwards, and using the drill to open the hole back up. Then I can trim the plates to suit, and mount them with gaffer’s tape as needed.

For the 4x5 cameras, I’m toying with the idea of making matching body cap pinholes of the same focal length using a tube as an extension. These will not be for picture taking, but for judging exposure. Film has a characteristic known as reciprocity failure, meaning that its sensitivity to light is not linear; the longer the exposure, the less light it absorbs. This means I can use my Nikon N80 to take test shots with the same film stock as 4x5. I can then document the results so that I can take a meter reading and know, with a fair amount of accuracy, what the proper exposure is including the reciprocity factor. At this point, film is too precious to waste, especially 4x5.

New Lens, New Moon

Taken with NIKKOR 70-300mm Zoom, enlarged and sharpened.

I was excited to see how a moon shot would turn out with the Samyang/Phoenix 500mm cat lens, and tonight was clear enough to give it a try.

Moon, courtesy Samyang/Phoenix 500mm f/8 Reflex Lens, native resolution.

Same as above, enlarged and sharpened.

The second photo is the original, un-enhanced version, shot handheld at 1/1000 sec. the third photo is the same image enlarged to the size of the last moon shot I took with the NIKKOR 70-300mm refractive zoom, and sharpened just a bit. The first image is the NIKKOR 70-300mm refractive image.

The experience of taking the photo was most enjoyable. The image appeared quite large in the viewfinder, and once it was focused, there was lots of detail. I took a few shots and chimped; this was the third. The fourth was no better. It was fairly easy to focus, but because we’re going for the absolute maximum resolution here, it had to be DEAD on.

So, I put the camera on a tripod (more to free my hands than anything else) and used Live View to zoom in tight for focusing. It helped a little, but not as much as you’d think. Then, I set the camera to self-timer mode, steadied it, and pressed the shutter release. I did this many times in an attempt to improve over the original (third) image. I never did. Then, clouds started drifting in front of the moon, and I called it a night.

So, this is what I have learned:

Live View has an automatic gain that sets the display brightness, and with such a bright object against a jet black background, all detail was lost. So not much help there.

The tripod does virtually nothing if it’s not both very rigid and placed on the ground, not a deck.

At this magnification, everything works against you, including mirror slap, which is unavoidable in a camera of this class in which you can’t lock the mirror up. So while the image might have been as sharp as the refractive lens’, the additional magnification cancels it out.

But, overall I’m not unhappy with the results, because I know that there are still some technical issues to work out. And, if you look at both images straight out of the camera at their native size, the catadioptric image looks better, because it’s larger and therefore displays more detail. It’s only Photoshop trickery that makes the refractive image look better.

Armed with this knowledge, I’m betting that the 800mm f/8 catadioptric will yield an even better image. From what I’ve read, the other two Samyang catadioptric lenses, the 500mm f/6.3 and the 800mm f/8, are optically superior to the 500mm f/8, though not nearly as compact and well built. I think the 800mm would be well-suited for astronomy, and the 500mm f/8 good for terrestrial work. So, the 800mm is tentatively on my wish list.

What Would I Have Done Differently?
I would have used some sort of optical magnifier to help me focus instead of Live View. Once again, digital is not always the solution.

• I would have added some mass to the camera/tripod assembly to dampen out vibrations.
• I would have used the infrared remote to trigger the camera instead of the self timer.
• I would have placed the tripod on the ground.

Shooting 35mm with the Holga 120

There’s a 35mm film adapter kit available for the Holga 120 which enables you to take standard 3:2 35mm frames. It includes a 36mm x 24mm mask, and a back with the frame counter window covered up. The mask has two plastic brackets on the left side to center the film cartridge, and guides to ensure that the film remains centered on the mask opening. You use the original 120 take-up spool with no additional modifications.


In theory, it should work quite well, although I’m sure the vignetting effect will be missing, and the images will be more tightly cropped as if using a 60mm lens on a standard 35mm camera (slightly longer than a “normal” lens.) Hopefully, I can use the Holga .5x wide angle converter to restore the wide angle effect.

Frame advance will be pretty straightforward; After each picture, I advance 22 clicks. If I wanted to maximize the amount of exposures, I’d reduce the number of clicks by one every other frame to compensate for the increasing diameter of the take-up spool. This of course requires tracking the number of frames taken.

However, in my opinion it’s not the best way to use 35mm film in the 120 Holga. The best way is to modify the standard 6cm x 6cm mask to create a 35mm panoramic adapter. This way, you can take advantage of the full width of the 6cm 120 frame size, plus the full width of the 35mm film, including the sprocket hole area. This is known as “Sprocket Hole” photography, and is quite popular amongst the Lomography community.

So, along with my 35mm adapter kit, I ordered an extra 6cm x 6cm mask. I plan to modify it by adding brackets to center the 35mm cartridge, and possibly add film guides that just barely catch the edge of the film to stop it from curling. But I’m still on the fence about that. Like the standard 36mm x24mm adapter, I would advance the film by clicks, but use 36 to cover the full 6cm width. Or, I could advance less clicks and superimpose the next image on top of the previous one. When processing the film, I’ll ask them not to cut it, so I can decide for myself what constitutes a frame. My Epson V500 scanner should have no problem scanning such a wide frame.

The Annual Autumn Tradition

Today my family and I will be embarking on our annual autumn tradition; a pumkin-picking pilgrimage to Alstedes in Dover. It seems the perfect opportunity load my Holga 120FN with 35mm film and test out the new .5x Wide Angle Adapter.


I’ve estimated that it takes 24 clicks to advance the film to the next frame with a comfortable space between frames. Of course, this space will widen as the diameter of the take-up spool increases, but I don’t feel like complicating things by tracking the number of exposures and compensating. I just want to shoot.

I plan to take this to a consumer lab for processing, so I want to make it as easy for them as possible. Still, I’ll specify no color correction and to leave the film uncut due to the uneven frame spacing. I’ll unload the film at home in a changing bag, the only real hitch in using 35mm film in the Holga 120, due to the lack of a film rewind knob. The changing bag will find a new home with my Holga kit.

First Impressions: Samyang 500mm f/8 Mirror Lens

Samyang/Phoenix 500mm f/8 Reflex (Catadioptric “Mirror”) Telephoto Lens

Those who may think this is a poor quality product are sadly mistaken. The truth is, this lens is manufactured to high-quality standards with a fit and finish comparable to any high quality lens.

There are many misconceptions about mirror lenses that prevent people from buying them. If you understand what their purpose is, and how to get the most out of them, they can achieve things that no other lens can, at a ridiculously low cost.

Ignorance is Bliss

In 1976, when I purchased my first SLR, the Canon AE-1, I pined after the Canon Reflex 500mm f/8. I was intrigued by the donut-shaped bokeh that it produced, seeing it as a unique advantage that no other telephoto lens had. Since then, I’ve always had an affinity for the aesthetic of reflex lenses.

Ironically, while some complain about the quality of the reflex len’s bokeh, others seek to produce creatively shaped bokeh using custom aperture disks. Lensbaby even offers a creative aperture kit for their Optic Swap series of lenses.

I passed up several opportunities to purchase the reflex lens for my Canon AE-1, which of course would have been unusable with my present Nikon Bodies.

Newer, Cheaper, Better

Fast-forward to 2010. By comparison to the reflex lenses of old, the Samyang/Phoenix version is smaller, lighter, has a shorter minimum focus distance, and is quite inexpensive. Here are some specs for comparison:

Canon Reflex 500mm f/8

Lens construction: 3 groups, 6 elements (including mirrors)

Coating: Multicoated-S.S.C (super spectra coating)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 13.12 ft. (4M)

Filter Type: Rear section filter holder, drop-in type (with 34mm exclusive filter. Regular 1X)


Length: 5.84 in. (146mm)

Diameter: 3.54 in. (90mm)

Weight: 25.04 oz. (710g)

Reflex-NIKKOR C 500mm f/8

Lens construction: 6 groups, 6 elements (including mirrors)

Coating: Multicoated-Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 5 ft. (1.5M)

Filter Type: Threaded, 39mm (rear), 82mm (front)

Length: 4.57 in. (116mm)

Diameter: 3.5 in. (89mm)

Weight: 29.6 oz. (840g)

Samyang/Phoenix 500mm f/8 MC Mirror

Lens construction: 6 groups, 7 elements (including mirrors)

Minimum Aperture: f/8

Angle of View: 5°

Minimum Focus Distance: 5.6 ft. (1.7M)

Filter Type: Threaded, 31.5mm (rear), 72mm (front)

Length: 3.4 in. (86.5mm)

Diameter: 3.0 in. (76mm)

Weight: 12.7 oz. (360g)

Samyang’s series of mirror lenses are inexpensive by design, not by manufacture. By folding the optical path three times, less material and less glass are employed, and the simplification produces far less chromatic aberration.

These lenses takes on a whole new life with digital photography. Their subdued contrast and saturation can easily be enhanced in post-processing, and if captured in Camera Raw, images that are underexposed to reduce motion blur can be opened up. On higher end cameras with higher ISO capability, they become even more usable. And, they’re so compact and light, you can walk around with them all day to explore far out-of-reach subjects.

Read the review »

Full Moon Tonight

Handheld shot of the moon, AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED.

Taken just moments ago. It seems to be a good test of any telephoto lens to attempt this. This was taken with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED at 1/400s, f/8, ISO 200, handheld. At the long end, it’s 450mm on the D90. Thank goodness for VR, not that shooting at 1/400 sec. is that challenging. The moon is so bright that you can shoot this fast with a low ISO and relatively small aperture to capture all the detail.

Here’s a tight crop...

Full Moon taken with Nikon D90 with Nikon 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom
1/400s, f/8, ISO 200, 450mm

I didn’t think it fair to post this as the actual image. It’s been cropped, resampled to the original pixel dimensions, and sharpened. It doesn’t make a bad photo.

This is a true test of the sensor’s resolving capability. There would be more detail if this were captured on film, but the focal length would have been 300mm, instead of 450mm, so it might be a wash. If I captured this with an FX camera, say the D700, the reduced focal length might also have killed the sensor resolution, which is the same as the D90 in DX format.

Here’s a photo of an almost full moon taken back in December 2009 with My Nikon Coolpix P5100 and Opteka 3.3x teleconverter, and enlarged and sharpened by the same amount:

Almost Full Moon Taken with Nikon Coolpix P5100 with Opteka 3.3x Teleconverter
1/100s, f/5.3, ISO 64, 406mm

Obviously the D90 image is superior, but I’m pretty impressed by the P5100, especially considering its tiny sensor (by comparison to the D90) and reduced focal length.

Since both of these images were not taken under the same circumstances, if it’s clear tonight I think I’ll attempt to take another photo with the P5100 at ISO 200.

Holga, The Lomography “System” Camera

Here’s my growing Holga outfit so far...

Clockwise from center: Holga 120FN, 6x4.5cm mask, 6x6cm mask, 35mm mask,
35mm back, filter adapter, cable release adapter, 46-52mm step-up ring

Being the camera geek that I am, I couldn’t resist putting together a system for the Holga, just as I did for the Nikon Coolpix P5100. With this setup, I can shoot two different formats of 120 film, and two different formats of 35mm film.

Not pictured here is the additional 6x6cm mask that I plan on modifying to create a 35mm panoramic sprocket hole adapter. I figure, if I’m going to load this thing with 35mm film, it should be to achieve a unique effect. Otherwise, I could just use my newly acquired Lavec LT-002.

The 46-52mm step-up ring is a handy way to add filters to the Holga. Although there are no filter threads per se on the Holga, the rim around the periphery of the lens is just the right size to allow a 46mm filter to be threaded on. You simply line up the filter as evenly as possible, apply a little pressure, and rotate about one-eighth of a turn. The filter will be firmly attached. Don’t try to thread it on all the way however, as this will likely break the rim off the lens. Over time, the rim will wear and you’ll be able to thread it on a little deeper, so the connection will just get better and better.

Taking this one step further, the 46-52mm step-up ring will allow me to use all my existing 52mm and 67mm filters, not to mention my Cokin filters.

One solid reason for the ability to use filters with the Holga is to employ neutral density filters. This way, you can load the camera with fast film for low-light situations, and use the neutral density filter to control exposure under brighter conditions.

The Holga filter adapter is a handy way to not only use the available Holga filters, but to make your own, which is one of the things that originally drew me to the Cokin filter system. Find some clear film from product packaging, trim it to a rectangle 1-15/16" x 2-1/4", and voilà! Instant filter base. Scratch it, sand it, mask out the center, color it with marker, anything you want.

I’m also considering the Holga .5x wide-angle converter lens. Although 60mm is nice and wide for 120 film, and should work well with the 35mm panoramic format, it’s a bit long for the straight 35mm adapter. I don’t know though; it’s going to set me back a whole $14.95.

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You can learn more about modifying your Holga at Holgamods.

My New Olympus

Picked this up at a lawn sale today for $10.00...

Olympus OM-T 35mm SLR

At first I thought it might be broken, but it turns out it just needed a battery to cycle the shutter so the film advance would unlock.

My wife is an Olympus gal. She swears by them. She owns not only this camera, but the venerable OM-7t as well.

Like my original Canon AE-1, it’s a great camera to have in my collection. Unlike the Canon, it’s an aperture priority camera, and does not have a manual mode, hence the “manual adapter”. Just one of the little quirks of Olympus that makes them a unique camera brand. I definitely plan on shooting with this, but before I do, I may need to replace the seals and mirror damper. Then, I can determine whether or not it needs a full-blown CLA.

Not only did I get the body and the excellent 50mm f/1.8 F. Zuiko lens, but it also came with the manual adapter, and a Soligor 95-310mm f/5.6 zoom lens. Nothing to write home about, but fun to play with nonetheless. All in all, a nice find.

Holga? What’s a Holga?

OK, I’ll admit it; deep down, I’m a camera snob. So, when I overheard a conversation by a colleague who mentioned that they couldn’t wait to take some pictures with their new “Holga”, some enlightenment was in order. And now, I can’t wait to take some pictures with my new Holga, which arrived today.

Holga 120 FN Plastic “Toy” Camera

Regardless of one’s professional status as a photographer, I don’t think the relevance of this “camera” can easily be dismissed. It’s fun. It’s quirky. It brings you down off your pedestal and gets you thinking again. Or, maybe not thinking, but just shooting. And wondering. Anticipating how the image will look. Not unlike pinhole photography, but with much shorter exposure times.



There are actually many flavors of this camera from which to choose. Some with built-in flash, some with a hot shoe (either or, unfortunately). There’s even a pinhole model, and a 35mm model. I chose this model because of it’s seemingly robust flash. There’s another flash model with three built-in color filters that I came close to choosing, but I wasn’t sure how effective it would be. The built-in flash appealed to me over the hot shoe, as traveling light seemed to be what this camera is all about.



I’m not at all put off by the quality of construction, which actually seems pretty good for what it is. I only wish I had known about this camera before I bought my daughter’s first film camera, which was a not just a toy camera, but a “kiddy camera”.



So, with this inexpensive camera, I’ve officially entered the world of true Lomography. And while I understand the concept, I fear the only way I will truly “get it” is once I start shooting with it.

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You can learn more about the Holga and its cult following by visiting the Holga Microsite.

The Histrionics of Ergonomics

I photographed an evening event this past weekend using a rather odd setup. Since the Janco flash diffuser has greatly improved the quality of the D90’s on-board flash, I wanted to experiment with a dual flash setup. The original plan was to use it in conjunction with an external Nikon Speedlight in “Commander Mode”, Nikon’s answer to wireless flash. So, I decided to use it as part of a temporary flash setup until I get my Nikon SB-900 Speedlight (or SB-600; I’m still on the fence)

With my ol’ Canon Speedlight 199A attached to my Strobframe, I used the D90’s on-board flash to trigger it through a Vivitar SL-2 slave, simulating the SB-900 used in Commander mode.

Marisa Clark’s Sweet 16 Party

It worked pretty well, except that I had to shoot everything manual, since that’s the only way everything would sync up. No big deal.

So where do the ergonomics come into play? Well, faced with the dilemma that the most ergonomic way to take a portrait would be to rotate the camera 90° counter-clockwise, but that my stroboframe doesn’t work that way, I reversed it and attached it to the camera with the handle on the right side. Bad move.

Nikon/Canon Dual Flash Setup:
Direct plus Bounce, Portrait/Landscape, Lumiquest Softbox

Yes, now when I swing the flash to the portrait position, it’s above the lens with the camera rotated 90° ccw, but the whole setup is awkward to hold, and access to all the important controls is blocked by the Stroboframe’s grip. Controls that are essential to shooting manually.

If I installed the bracket normally and didn’t use the portrait flip, would the flash to the left of the lens made that much of a difference? Was it worth the sacrifice in ergonomics? Perhaps not.

There are other flash brackets available that do work with a 90° ccw rotation. This Stroboframe is simply not one of them. And forcing it to do so was a poor compromise.

The thinking behind all this is that most battery grips provide a shutter release for use when shooting in portrait orientation when the camera is rotated counter-clockwise. The Nikon grip also provides Command and Sub-Command dials. So, I’d like to adopt the ccw twist as a standard for portrait composition, and enjoy all the ergonomic advantages it provides.

Even if I don’t use the grip, it’s far easier to shoot portrait with a counter-clockwise rotation than by bending my wrist in an awkward position at the bottom of the camera as I try to release the shutter. And forget about using any of the other controls.

A simple solution for the time being would be to add an extension to the top arm of my Stroboframe, and not flip it when rotating the camera. This puts the flash above and to the right for landscape, and above and to the left for portrait. Not the best scenario, but better than having the flash fire from below lens-level.

This issue has been addressed in many of the new flash frames available today, so it looks like an upgrade is in order.

Nikon N80 and Voigtländer 40mm f/2 SL-II

Nikon N80 35mm SLR with Voigtländer 40mm f/2 SL-II

Sweet setup. Brings me back to the days of film and manual focus. The 40mm Ultron is actually closer to a normal focal length than the typical 50mm “normal” length.  On the D90, it’s a nice portrait lens that can serve as a normal lens in a pinch.

Easter in Infrared

Yesterday was a beautiful day for Easter. Prior to the Easter feast, I dusted off my P5100 ready for some family snapshots. Now that the fascination of the D90 has calmed down a bit, I find myself reaching for either camera, based on the type of use.


The P5100 is great for family snapshots, especially when family members may judge you harshly on your extravagance of owning two cameras.

Now that I’ve reacquainted myself with the optical viewfinder, I find myself turning off the EVF on the P5100 more and more. It’s hard to do, because then I want to see the image right away, so I turn it back on. DSLRs solve this problem by keeping the LCD off while shooting, and briefly displaying the image right after its capture. This would have been a great feature for the P5100. I am also accustomed to seeing all the shooting info in a DSLR’s viewfinder, which is missing from the P5100 unless you use the EVF. And I can’t disable the EVF in full auto mode. But I can turn down the brightness of the display so it’s not glaring in my eye as I look through the OVF.

Also prior to dining, I took the opportunity to revisit Infrared on the P5100. with my 52mm R72 filter installed, I captured some similar images to those I took yesterday with the D90. Using the Program mode, I can also dial in a consistent exposure with exposure compensation, same as the D90. However, the P5100 has difficulty focusing. I could not get a positive focus confirmation on the P5100, but I could almost always get it on the D90. The P5100 only goes up to ISO 2000 (for a full resolution image) whereas the D90 can go as high as 6400, and the quality is considerably better.

Interestingly, the same white balance settings yielded similar results in both cameras. Tungsten produces a purple image, fluorescent a deep magenta image, and auto a salmony-red image. The tungsten image, closest to the 2500°K image of the D90, showed the slightest hint of color, but not distinct enough to recognize the grass as green. If I were to suggest a setting to someone with limited options, I’d say go with the fluorescent. At 3800°K, it’s the closest to custom white balancing to green foliage, which is about 4440°K, without the extra step.

One thing I can do on the P5100 that I can’t on the D90, is white balance through the R72 filter. This yields a relatively neutral image with some nasty purplish flaring. I’ve seen this before, but I thought it was a hot spot. I can definitely see now that it’s a flare which varies depending on the angle of the light source. It’s actually pretty cool, and oddly, these images have less noise than monochrome captures. I must explore this further to see how it fits in to my workflow.

But I’m pretty sure the D90 will be used for nearly all of my Infrared work from this point forward. But, now that I have a DSLR, the way I use the P5100, and what I use it for will undoubtedly change.

First Impressions: Infrared by D90

Today was a beautiful, sunny day, just perfect to capture some infrared rays. So, outfitted with a Hoya R72 filter, I grabbed my D90 and decided to try my luck with some hand-held infrared photography.

I have had some experience with infrared every since reading a book and discovering that my P5100 could capture infrared. Having passed the “infrared remote” test, I decided to invest in a 52mm R72 filter. The results I got were interesting, however limited by the P5100’s eight second maximum exposure. I would set the camera to manual, select the widest aperture, and set the exposure to 8 seconds. Depending on how much light I had, I could vary the ISO to improve the quality, but it was always pretty high. Then I would set my camera on a tripod, shoot, and hope for the best. I was able to capture in color or black and white, and the color images were a deep monochrome magenta.

With the D90 and some further reseach, I discovered I’ve been making more work for myself than is necessary. With a maximum metered exposure of 30 seconds, up to 30 minutes of bulb exposure, an ISO up to 6400, and much more control over white balance, many more things are possible.

Using the same R72 filter, only in a 67mm size to fit my 16-85 f/3.5-5.6, I am able to capture hand-held images at about a 1/15-1/25 second exposure at 3200 ISO. The D90 has no problems with either focusing or metering. Depending on how I set the white balance, once I dial in the appropriate exposure compensation, I get consistent exposures.

It’s the white balance that’s the key, and I have more control over it with the D90, than with the P5100, so I have more variables to explore and overcome.

It seems that setting the white balance manually to 2500°K produces less saturated magenta images with good shape and detail, and distinct color information. While most of the image appears monochromatic, green grass and shrubbery appears a pale, desaturated green. Apparently setting the white balance this low forces some of the visible spectrum to come through. I’m not sure if this is true IR or not, but it is no less interesting. The grass definitely has that “Infrared” look, only in color. Nothing in Photoshop seems to improve this effect, although adjusting the tint in Camera Raw seems to control the saturation of this green, making it look less Infrared-like.

However, setting the white balance to the other extreme, 10,000°K, produces saturated red-orange images, not unlike redscale. And, longer exposures produce even more interesting color effects with colors ranging from highlight to shadow of white, yellow, orange, red-range and black, respectively. These images translate well to black and white images when you adjust the red, yellow and sometimes magenta sliders in Photoshop’s “Black and White” adjustment layer, or the red, orange, yellow and sometimes magenta in Camera Raw’s “Convert to Grayscale”. I think this might be a more faithful example of Infrared, as all the camera’s settings are coaxing it away from anything not in the red spectrum.

Another approach is to do as the books suggest, and perform a custom white balance off green grass or shrubbery. This yields an effect somewhere in between the two, with grass having a slight magenta hue, while the sky goes more of a red orange. This translates well to black and white also. I can simulate these settings without sampling by setting the white balance to 4350°K and adjusting the tint to the magenta side.

But, this is all in color, and there really is no color in infrared, hence the -red part. The main object of shooting in color is to get some color information, so I can tweak the conversion to black and white, or do some false-color post processing. The other option is to shoot in black and white, and let the camera do the conversion, and this works quite well also. With this option, I can choose from a yellow, orange, red or green filter, yet another set of variables. I can say for sure that the red filter cuts down on exposure times, with the green filter producing darker images. But, which yields the best contrast requires more experimentation.

And this is all with one lens. Other lenses will undoubtedly produce different results. Perhaps no lens (pinhole) or even plastic lens (Lensbaby) will produce more variations. I have much work ahead of me. For now, my goal is to be able to predictably produce these two distinct styles of color infrared images, by establishing the appropriate camera settings, and come up with an optimal setting for monochrome infrared images.

Size Doesn’t Matter

Canon FD 35-105mm f/3.5 vs. Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6

I decided to do a side-by-side comparison of my two equivalent standard zooms, the Canon and the NIKKOR.
The Canon on the left is larger and has a 3x zoom range. The NIKKOR on the right is considerably smaller and lighter, and has a 5.x zoom range.