honozooloo
Established
I searched the usual RFF forums and noticed that nobody I could find in the x100 forums has started a conversation about using the x100 for infrared capture. If my search skills are just crappy and I am killing a long-dead horse, I apologize.
The image above is pretty much straight out of camera, it's a JPG with default white balance. I desaturated the image a bit and cropped down, otherwise the processing is minimal.
Has anyone else experimented with IR capture using their x100s? I originally got the idea one late night spent loitering on the internet...I happened upon a blog post about the R72 on the m8 and also the x100. I can't remember who tried it/where I'd seen the idea originally. I've wanted to experiment with Hoya's R72 filter on my Canon bodies but the cost of 77 / 72mm R72 filters made it hard to justify buying the bigger R72 "just for the hell of it." But...the 49mm filter the x100 needs is a LOT more affordable. If anyone's interested I found 49mm R72s on eBay for around $40 shipped.
Admittedly my knowledge of "real" film-based IR photography is limited to amateur experimentation, but to my eyes at least I've been really excited by the capabilities of the x100 in IR. The R72 is an extremely dark filter (as most IR filters are) so between needing to minimize ISO and aperture for landscape-worthy DOF and clean images, I'm getting typical "daylight" exposure times at around 4 sec, f/4-8, and ISO 640ish. Handheld wide open at F/2 is a little too slow for my style of shooting, so it's been all tripod and cable release to capture these images.
This is arguably the most dramatically DIFFERENT creative option I've ever added to a digital camera rig for less than $50 (besides the el cheapo tripod I keep in my trunk "just in case", LOL).
Is there any difference between Hoya's R72 and other IR filters such as B+W's 092 or 093? Has anyone else played with the R72 or similar filter on their x100?
A few observations:
1. When in Hybrid mode (VF+overlaid info screen), the Hybrid overlay gets REALLY dim with the R72 mounted. It almost seems like there's a relationship between RF frameline/info "brightness" and the ambient light the CMOS/light meter "sees" coming into it TTL!?? Other than the slowness-inducing, auto-dim "Power Saving" function, I don't remember seeing any adjustable brightness settings for the Hybrid VF. Any guesses as to how or why this happens?
2. Using the viewfinder in TTL/EVF mode gives an excellent "live preview" and the contrast-detecting AF/lens design also seems to focus perfectly even in IR mode...no more IR-corrected focus points. For me this is a big deal because when shooting IR film I was always really bad at focusing properly.
3. Obviously the x100s optics weren't designed for IR capture, but they do a better job in IR than many Canon EF lenses I own. The x100 occasionally flares very weirdly, but I suppose that can be expected.
Has anybody else tried this? Thoughts??
-a
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