Just to prove you don’t need an expensive camera like the Canon 1DMIII in my last post, or a IR-modified camera to do digital infrared photography, this post is to show you that the Olympus dSLRs have some advantages over other un-modified dSLRs.
As with the Canon 1DMIII and other current un-modified dSLRs, the strong IR blocking filter means you will need to use a tripod and long exposure times which can be an advantage as mentioned in the previous post.
I chose the Olympus ZD 50mm f/2.0 macro lens for this IR beach shot as it has a 52mm filter thread and thus I can use an inexpensive 52mm Hoya R72 filter on this lens and via a 49-52mm step up ring, on the Olympus OM wide angle lenses (On the Canon and the Olympus, I can use the 21mm, 24mm and 28mm lenses all with 49mm threads).
Another reason I used this lens is that its wide aperture combined with Olympus’ unique Live Boost live preview means I can compose and autofocus in bright sunlight, and indeed, you can actually see enough in the optical viewfinder to compose in bright sunlight.
It also has the advantage I don’t have to manually close down the aperture as with the OM lenses.
Otherwise, the technique is similar to that I posted for the Canon 1DMIII.
Here is another shot with sepia toning:
To get this shot, I used a very compact cheap tripod in the water so it is not as steady as the previous one, and to top it off just after the shot was completed, a wave splashed over my E510, but incredibly, after a bit of a rushed shake and clean down, it kept working and has done so ever since (fingers crossed).
You fooled me into thinking it was winter. Amazing quality and beautiful images, especially the “winter” scene. 😉
digital IR can indeed be much fun, especially in the midday sun when you might be inclined to give normal photos a miss.