question on FZ20 on ir photography

[kababoom]

can fz20 perform ir photography?

[eow]

Wrote for the fz1 by alex oren of canada
his pointer on ir photography and some mentioned of the fz3,10 and 20...the fz5 is supposed to be of lesser sensitvity than the older series
but thks to Dominator'showcase..it seem it still possible to take good photo with them

5.8 Infrared photography 5.8.1 What is infrared photography? The sensor used in digital cameras is also sensitive to “near infrared” light just beyond the limit of visibility. Blocking most (or all) visible light allows the camera to record only the near infrared light. The resulting images are quite different from those taken “normally” since objects often reflect infrared and visible light differently. The effect is very noticeable in pictures that contrast green leaves and clouds, which are good IR reflectors, with water and the sky, which are not. However, photographers are usually interested in capturing visible light so most cameras have infrared blocking filters of varying strengths. Also see this Wikipedia article.

5.8.2 How suitable is the FZ1 for infrared photography? Under optimal lighting conditions, using low zoom, wide aperture and high ISO sensitivity, the FZ1 can be used with “shallow” IR filter to take handheld, properly exposed infrared pictures. A darker filter, dimmer lighting and/or lower ISO setting will probably require a tripod. Note that the original FZ1 can only take infrared pictures (with a suitable filter) in [Night Portrait] mode. The FZ2 and FZ1v2 can use the shutter priority mode.

5.8.3 How does the FZ1 compare? Newer cameras (including the DMC-FZ10 and newer Lumix FZ models) have stronger IR-blocking filters and are less suitable for infrared photography. Some older cameras have weaker IR-blocking filters. Notable cases are the Nikon Coolpix 950 and the Olympus C-2020 and C-2100UZ, which are over ten times (about 3.5 stops) more sensitive to IR than the FZ1. The best unmodified digital cameras for infrared photography are probably the Sony CyberShot models with the “NightShot” feature (DSC-F707, DSC-F717, DSC-F828, DSC-V1) that moves the IR-blocking filter out of the way. Similar or better results can be achieved by removing the IR-blocking filter altogether from an already IR-sensitive camera.

5.8.4 What IR filter works best with the FZ1? Quoting Andrzej Wrotniak: I believe the most useful, general-purpose IR filter for digital photography is Hoya R72 (#89B). It blocks visible light well enough (if not entirely) to provide a well-pronounced IR effect, while still allowing for non-exotic exposure times. The small amount of visible (far red) light which this filter lets through does not affect pictures enough to spoil the IR effect, while coloring your images red (or purple), therefore they need to be converted to monochrome in postprocessing. Technically speaking, the Hoya R72 has a 50% light cut-off at 720nm and 100% cut-off at 680nm. Here’s a chart. See also “infrared filters” in § 6.2.1 below. Page 19 of 28

5.8.5 How does the IR filter affect exposure? When used with the Hoya R72 or equivalent infrared filter, the FZ1 takes a hit of approximately 9 stops. That is, the amount of light reaching the sensor would be about 500 times less than if no filter was used. To compensate, much longer shutter times are needed for IR photography. For example, a picture taken at 1/1000 sec. under normal lighting will need to be taken at 1/2 sec. with the R72 (assuming the same aperture and ISO sensitivity).

5.8.6 Why are leaves so bright in IR photographs? Quoting a post from Steve Steppe: Chlorophyll transmits IR. Leaves are growing in spring and summer, and there's a high rate of photosynthesis. The higher the rate of photosynthesis, the greater the amount of infrared reflection, so the leaves appear white. In autumn, when the leaves have lost their chlorophyll and aren't carrying on photosynthesis, the leaves won't appear white. Quoting a post from Karl Norris: Healthy green leaves contain a lot of chlorophyll, and chlorophyll absorbs the blue and red light from the sun. More important here is that the chlorophyll converts the blue and red light to near infrared radiation by a process called fluorescence. This radiation emitted from the leaf peaks in the 750nm region of the spectrum, and this coincides with the peak sensitivity of a silicon detector covered by an IR blocker and a Hoya R72 filter. The green leaf has a reflectivity of about 75% in the 750nm region, but the fluorescence emission makes the camera think the reflectance is greater than 100%. The camera can not distinguish the difference between the reflectance and the fluorescence, so the total radiation from the leaf is recorded by the camera as a bright source, compared to surrounding objects. This bright radiation can be processed to appear as red, green, blue, or whatever color the photographer desires. Keep in mind the radiation in the 750nm region is not visible to the human eye.

5.8.7 Can I photograph body heat at night? Quoting a post from Steve Steppe: The visible spectrum is in the range of 400-700nm (nanometers) wavelength. The range from 700-1200nm is more properly called "near infrared", and this is the range that digital cameras are sensitive to. This is actually reflected from objects, the source being either the sun or incandescent light. "Far infrared", or "thermal" IR (which is what you were thinking of) is in the range of 3000nm and higher, and most digital camera sensors are not sensitive to those longer wavelengths. Those are the wavelengths given off by body heat, and the FZ1 will not pick that up. Quoting yet another post from Steve Steppe: Shooting at night won't provide enough light, since near infrared is only reflected - the source is the sun or incandescent lamps. And the FZ1 won't pick up thermal infrared. (Moonlight is reflected sunlight, but you'd need a MUCH longer exposure than the FZ1 is capable of.)

5.8.8 So what do I do and what will it look like? There are workflow explanations in this thread and this post. Also see the Enhance digital infrared photos technique article. One issue with infrared photography is composition, as the IR filter is very dark (or even opaque). Using a tripod and pre-composing before putting the filter on will help. You can see sample FZ1 and FZ2 infrared photos in these galleries by Chris Pilot (1, 2), Fred Moore (1, 2, 3), David Bryant, Harlan Saperstein, Bobby Pearce and Johnny Yeo.
Page 20 of 28

5.8.9 Where can I learn more about digital IR photography? There are several sites with good explanations: - Jens Roesner’s photography site, - The Infrared basics for digital photographers page on Jeremy McCreary’s dpFWIW, - The Fine Art Infrared Photography site, - The Infrared Photography With a Digital Camera page on Andrzej Wrotniak’s Photo Tidbits site. - Clive Warren's official Infrared Photography FAQ. 6 Accessories and add-ons 6.1 Lens attachments and adapters

[k3nn3th03]

Originally Posted by eow Wrote for the fz1 by alex oren of canada his pointer on ir photography and some mentioned of the fz3,10 and 20...the fz5 is supposed to be of lesser sensitvity than the older series but thks to Dominator'showcase..it seem it still possible to take good photo with them 5.8 Infrared photography 5.8.1 What is infrared photography? The sensor used in digital cameras is also sensitive to “near infrared” light just beyond the limit of visibility. Blocking most (or all) visible light allows the camera to record only the near infrared light. The resulting images are quite different from those taken “normally” since objects often reflect infrared and visible light differently. The effect is very noticeable in pictures that contrast green leaves and clouds, which are good IR reflectors, with water and the sky, which are not. However, photographers are usually interested in capturing visible light so most cameras have infrared blocking filters of varying strengths. Also see this Wikipedia article. 5.8.2 How suitable is the FZ1 for infrared photography? Under optimal lighting conditions, using low zoom, wide aperture and high ISO sensitivity, the FZ1 can be used with “shallow” IR filter to take handheld, properly exposed infrared pictures. A darker filter, dimmer lighting and/or lower ISO setting will probably require a tripod. Note that the original FZ1 can only take infrared pictures (with a suitable filter) in [Night Portrait] mode. The FZ2 and FZ1v2 can use the shutter priority mode. 5.8.3 How does the FZ1 compare? Newer cameras (including the DMC-FZ10 and newer Lumix FZ models) have stronger IR-blocking filters and are less suitable for infrared photography. Some older cameras have weaker IR-blocking filters. Notable cases are the Nikon Coolpix 950 and the Olympus C-2020 and C-2100UZ, which are over ten times (about 3.5 stops) more sensitive to IR than the FZ1. The best unmodified digital cameras for infrared photography are probably the Sony CyberShot models with the “NightShot” feature (DSC-F707, DSC-F717, DSC-F828, DSC-V1) that moves the IR-blocking filter out of the way. Similar or better results can be achieved by removing the IR-blocking filter altogether from an already IR-sensitive camera. 5.8.4 What IR filter works best with the FZ1? Quoting Andrzej Wrotniak: I believe the most useful, general-purpose IR filter for digital photography is Hoya R72 (#89B). It blocks visible light well enough (if not entirely) to provide a well-pronounced IR effect, while still allowing for non-exotic exposure times. The small amount of visible (far red) light which this filter lets through does not affect pictures enough to spoil the IR effect, while coloring your images red (or purple), therefore they need to be converted to monochrome in postprocessing. Technically speaking, the Hoya R72 has a 50% light cut-off at 720nm and 100% cut-off at 680nm. Here’s a chart. See also “infrared filters” in § 6.2.1 below. Page 19 of 28 5.8.5 How does the IR filter affect exposure? When used with the Hoya R72 or equivalent infrared filter, the FZ1 takes a hit of approximately 9 stops. That is, the amount of light reaching the sensor would be about 500 times less than if no filter was used. To compensate, much longer shutter times are needed for IR photography. For example, a picture taken at 1/1000 sec. under normal lighting will need to be taken at 1/2 sec. with the R72 (assuming the same aperture and ISO sensitivity). 5.8.6 Why are leaves so bright in IR photographs? Quoting a post from Steve Steppe: Chlorophyll transmits IR. Leaves are growing in spring and summer, and there's a high rate of photosynthesis. The higher the rate of photosynthesis, the greater the amount of infrared reflection, so the leaves appear white. In autumn, when the leaves have lost their chlorophyll and aren't carrying on photosynthesis, the leaves won't appear white. Quoting a post from Karl Norris: Healthy green leaves contain a lot of chlorophyll, and chlorophyll absorbs the blue and red light from the sun. More important here is that the chlorophyll converts the blue and red light to near infrared radiation by a process called fluorescence. This radiation emitted from the leaf peaks in the 750nm region of the spectrum, and this coincides with the peak sensitivity of a silicon detector covered by an IR blocker and a Hoya R72 filter. The green leaf has a reflectivity of about 75% in the 750nm region, but the fluorescence emission makes the camera think the reflectance is greater than 100%. The camera can not distinguish the difference between the reflectance and the fluorescence, so the total radiation from the leaf is recorded by the camera as a bright source, compared to surrounding objects. This bright radiation can be processed to appear as red, green, blue, or whatever color the photographer desires. Keep in mind the radiation in the 750nm region is not visible to the human eye. 5.8.7 Can I photograph body heat at night? Quoting a post from Steve Steppe: The visible spectrum is in the range of 400-700nm (nanometers) wavelength. The range from 700-1200nm is more properly called "near infrared", and this is the range that digital cameras are sensitive to. This is actually reflected from objects, the source being either the sun or incandescent light. "Far infrared", or "thermal" IR (which is what you were thinking of) is in the range of 3000nm and higher, and most digital camera sensors are not sensitive to those longer wavelengths. Those are the wavelengths given off by body heat, and the FZ1 will not pick that up. Quoting yet another post from Steve Steppe: Shooting at night won't provide enough light, since near infrared is only reflected - the source is the sun or incandescent lamps. And the FZ1 won't pick up thermal infrared. (Moonlight is reflected sunlight, but you'd need a MUCH longer exposure than the FZ1 is capable of.) 5.8.8 So what do I do and what will it look like? There are workflow explanations in this thread and this post. Also see the Enhance digital infrared photos technique article. One issue with infrared photography is composition, as the IR filter is very dark (or even opaque). Using a tripod and pre-composing before putting the filter on will help. You can see sample FZ1 and FZ2 infrared photos in these galleries by Chris Pilot (1, 2), Fred Moore (1, 2, 3), David Bryant, Harlan Saperstein, Bobby Pearce and Johnny Yeo. Page 20 of 28 5.8.9 Where can I learn more about digital IR photography? There are several sites with good explanations: - Jens Roesner’s photography site, - The Infrared basics for digital photographers page on Jeremy McCreary’s dpFWIW, - The Fine Art Infrared Photography site, - The Infrared Photography With a Digital Camera page on Andrzej Wrotniak’s Photo Tidbits site. - Clive Warren's official Infrared Photography FAQ. 6 Accessories and add-ons 6.1 Lens attachments and adapters

wowwwww...........

[Reno]

Hi..... I just started to try out IR photography... below is the link to it, Thanks to Dominator for introducing me into it..... Oh... I am using FZ20....

http://seudzar.multiply.com/photos/album/2

[dominator]

Power man eow...

Hi reno, i think your photos abit blue..what setting you used? my normal is iso100 and cwb on green. can try out on that...by the way keep on trying! try different settings to get the best results!

[sil]

interesting. making me gian... hehe

btw, dominator.. how u set WB to green?
point to green object to set? with the R72 on or off?
Thanks.

might get 1 filter to try this out.

[dominator]

Originally Posted by sil interesting. making me gian... hehe btw, dominator.. how u set WB to green? point to green object to set? with the R72 on or off? Thanks. might get 1 filter to try this out.

with filter on of cos

[sil]

Originally Posted by dominator with filter on of cos

ohh.. alrite. going to do some read up on it.
Thanks!!

[kababoom]

Originally Posted by Reno Hi..... I just started to try out IR photography... below is the link to it, Thanks to Dominator for introducing me into it..... Oh... I am using FZ20.... http://seudzar.multiply.com/photos/album/2

Hi! can tell me what filter u use for ir photography?

[delay]

any FZ 10 users here using a IR filter?

[dominator]

guys trust me ...all pana FZ series can take IR la.
Most ready avaliable to get and use is the Hoya R72.

[Reno]

Originally Posted by dominator guys trust me ...all pana FZ series can take IR la. Most ready avaliable to get and use is the Hoya R72.

Yup..!! Its Hoya R72.....

dominator.... actually i dunno how to do the setting.... i just anyhow whack and see one... hahahahaaaa

[dominator]

Originally Posted by Reno Yup..!! Its Hoya R72..... dominator.... actually i dunno how to do the setting.... i just anyhow whack and see one... hahahahaaaa

how can anyhow whack..come come give me your camera. i will take care for you

[Reno]

Originally Posted by dominator how can anyhow whack..come come give me your camera. i will take care for you

[delay]

Originally Posted by dominator guys trust me ...all pana FZ series can take IR la. Most ready avaliable to get and use is the Hoya R72.

wats the $ damage with the Hoya R72?

[eow]

Originally Posted by delay wats the $ damage with the Hoya R72?

so far the cheapest i was quoted is $41 for the 55mm thread....sibeh $damaging

[Reno]

Originally Posted by eow so far the cheapest i was quoted is $41 for the 55mm thread....sibeh $damaging

better than mine... was quoted $44

[dominator]

my damage point: R72 55mm + one 55mm lens cap @ $40 from AP
think i got it the cheapest...

[kababoom]

any idea how much r72 filter will cost for 72mm thread?

[dominator]

Originally Posted by kababoom any idea how much r72 filter will cost for 72mm thread?

saw on the IR thread and was mentioned should be more than $200