Marooned M8 lovers! Interesting article...

[Carterofmars]

Marooned M8 lovers! Interesting article...

It was suggested to me by one of the members, after viewing a few of my initial M8.2 pics, to pick up some IR Cut filters. This prompted me to start researching this interesting phenomena with my Leica. Only it seems, this is not a phenomena but actually normal for the M8.

http://www.popphoto.com/Features/Marooned-Leica-M8-Lovers



This is the line that pains me most from this article:

But forget hand holding the camera or using it for IR street photography, as the built-in IR cutoff filter forces you to use longer exposures, higher ISOs, and even a tripod to get a good exposure.

I shoot a lot of street. What's a boy to do... go out and buy an M9?



Interested in thoughts and opinions.

Thanks in advance.



Some examples before and after I picked up the B-W IR-Cut filters.

 

[Avotius]

The article was talking about shooting IR photos, which if you use an IR cut filter it means you are not getting any (or as much) IR in the photo. What they are talking about is a near black looking filter that only lets IR spectrum through, which people have been doing for a long time, and is no shock that you cant shoot quick moving objects with.

If you are using an IR cut filter, go shoot all the street photos you want, wont hurt anything.

 

[Ranchu]

I'm curious if those IR cut filters have a color when you look through them (cyan?) or if they're neutral? I've never had one (no M8), but I'm considering investigating them...

 

[Fuchs]

I'm curious if those IR cut filters have a color when you look through them (cyan?) or if they're neutral? I've never had one (no M8), but I'm considering investigating them...

When you look *through* them, they are perfectly clear. When you look *at* them, especially if from a side, you see a bright magenta or green reflection from the surface. These are interference filters, not absorption filters. They cut off near-IR wavelengths by reflecting them with special surface coatings, not by blocking them with pigments inside the glass.

 

[Ranchu]

Thank you. That is what I thought, but I didn't know if the coatings actually had some kind of color effect anyway. Thinking about it, I speculate that the M8 setup might actually be the best way to cut the IR as opposed to most cameras in which it's done by a cyan filter in front of the sensor. They can't use one of the UV/IR filters in there obviously, because of flare. Thanks again.

 

[Doug]

The word "Cut" is important in the filter description... this means it reflects IR, does not let it pass through to the sensor. Otherwise an IR filter allows only (or mostly) IR to pass, for special effects with IR-sensitive film/media.

Since the M8 and 8.2 have a very very weak IR cut filter inside, in front of the sensor (most digital cams have a stronger filter), this has two effects on usage. First, it really is a good idea esp with color to use an IR Cut filter on the lens to get more accurate color... particularly with light strong in IR.

Secondly, because the M8/8.2 has "better" IR sensitivity than usual, you can fit an IR pass filter on the lens to get an IR special effect. But since the filter cuts all or most of the visible spectrum, and the sensor's IR sensitivity isn't all THAT high, the exposures will be long and a tripod would be useful.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

This WAS an interesting article when it was first published:
From your link:-
Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov. 15, 2006, and reflects the state of affairs with the Leica M8's sensor sensitivity issues at that moment in time.

The example shots you have posted are certainly among the most extreme illustrations of this "feature". I can only approach this with an uncoated Summar, which because of its low number of internal elements and lack of coating assume removes less of the IR than a more modern multi element multi-coated lens.

As has been pointed out you may have confused ordinary shooting with deliberately shooting for the infra-red which, due to the IR filter, weak though it is, on the M8 sensor make the camera less suitable than a Canon or Nikon which has physically had its IR filter removed.

Bear in mind that shooting street with presumably a wide angle lens you will probably run into problems with the M9 which has introduced a new set of "features" with wides. This also may soon be old news with a promised software fix.

Just a little bit of me wishes it needed a special filter to do the job. 🙄🙄

 

[Ranchu]

Filters are often better than software.

http://www.libraw.org/articles/magenta-filters-on-digicam.html