Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

Hi All,

I've just uploaded an article exploring the infrared photography
potential of the Panasonic FZ30
http://www.dimagemaker.com/article.php?articleID=559
It joins the list of now 16 cameras I have tested for IR performance
http://www.dimagemaker.com/specials/digitalir/digitalir.php

Cheers,

Wayne

Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog and Podcast http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/
Personal art site http://www.artinyourface.com/

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

wayne wrote:
Hi All,

I've just uploaded an article exploring the infrared photography
potential of the Panasonic FZ30
http://www.dimagemaker.com/article.php?articleID=559
It joins the list of now 16 cameras I have tested for IR performance
http://www.dimagemaker.com/specials/digitalir/digitalir.php


Sorry to be asking such a beginner question but what's the point of
infrared photography?

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Kind regards

Bruno

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

"Bruno" wrote in message
. dk...
wayne wrote:
Hi All,

I've just uploaded an article exploring the infrared photography
potential of the Panasonic FZ30
http://www.dimagemaker.com/article.php?articleID=559
It joins the list of now 16 cameras I have tested for IR performance
http://www.dimagemaker.com/specials/digitalir/digitalir.php


Sorry to be asking such a beginner question but what's the point of
infrared photography?

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Kind regards

Bruno

I am currently interested in this idea, merely to try it out. Speaking from
a position of vast ignorance I understand that most/many digital cameras can
process light through the standard, visual, spectrum and also are receptive
to infra-red light. With an appropriate filter one can eliminate the visual
spectrum and, with a longish exposure, leave only the infra red to activate
the sensor. Naturally an infra red picture has a somewhat different
appearance to a "normal" picture as various elements in the landscape emit
or reflect infra red somewhat differently to the way they do the standard
visuallight spectrum.

Interestingly I have read that the FZ30 can handle this but my usually very
good photo shop told me that it cannot as its maximum exposure time was too
short. I think that they are wrong and will get hold of a suitable filter
and try it out myself.

If anyone can add to or corect this this then please do.

Bill

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

Bill Again wrote:


"Bruno" wrote in message
. dk...
wayne wrote:
Hi All,

I've just uploaded an article exploring the infrared photography
potential of the Panasonic FZ30
http://www.dimagemaker.com/article.php?articleID=559
It joins the list of now 16 cameras I have tested for IR performance
http://www.dimagemaker.com/specials/digitalir/digitalir.php


Sorry to be asking such a beginner question but what's the point of
infrared photography?

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Kind regards

Bruno

I am currently interested in this idea, merely to try it out. Speaking
from a position of vast ignorance I understand that most/many digital
cameras can process light through the standard, visual, spectrum and also
are receptive to infra-red light. With an appropriate filter one can
eliminate the visual spectrum and, with a longish exposure, leave only the
infra red to activate the sensor. Naturally an infra red picture has a
somewhat different appearance to a "normal" picture as various elements in
the landscape emit or reflect infra red somewhat differently to the way
they do the standard visuallight spectrum.

Interestingly I have read that the FZ30 can handle this but my usually
very good photo shop told me that it cannot as its maximum exposure time
was too short. I think that they are wrong and will get hold of a suitable
filter and try it out myself.

If anyone can add to or corect this this then please do.

Many digital cameras have a filter that blocks infrared, whether the FZ30
does I don't know. If it does then exposure times will have to be quite
long, if it doesn't then they should be in the same general range as
visible light exposures.

Bill

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

In article ,
Bruno wrote:

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Yes, you are. To prove it, look at the front end of your TV's remote
control while holding down one of the buttons. See anything? Now try
the same thing while looking at it through your camera's electronic
viewfinder.

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

tjab wrote:

Yes, you are. To prove it, look at the front end of your TV's remote
control while holding down one of the buttons. See anything? Now try
the same thing while looking at it through your camera's electronic
viewfinder.

Thank you - that was enlightening :-)

I can see some very interesting uses for infrared photography being this
is something now in the hands of the normal consumer.

One more possible stupid question!

Could one use a software filter to get out the infrared information from
any image taken with a long exposure time, from say night shoots, or is
the information gone from normal pictures?


Kind regards

Bruno

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

Hi Bruno,

Infrared photography (with amateur equipment) just gives a different
look. Leaves and grass tend to white (if you convert the image to BW).
It cuts through haze. Skies darken. It is just another option for
photography, which some like.

The sensors in digital cameras have sensitivity outside the visible
range, both UV and IR. Effectively all current digitals have an IR
blocking filter that reduces (but does not eliminate) the camera's
sensitivity to IR.

Cheers,

Wayne

Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog and Podcast http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/
Assistant Director, International Digital Art Award
Coordindinator of Studies, Multimedia and Photomedia, Australian
Academy of Design
Personal art site http://www.artinyourface.com/

Bruno wrote:

Sorry to be asking such a beginner question but what's the point of
infrared photography?

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Kind regards

Bruno

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

Hi Bill,

You are right. The FZ30 is certainly capable of IR photography, as the
images show. Exposures in the 2 second plus range work.

Cheers,

Wayne

Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog and Podcast http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/
Assistant Director, International Digital Art Award
Coordindinator of Studies, Multimedia and Photomedia, Australian
Academy of Design
Personal art site http://www.artinyourface.com/

Bill Again wrote:
"Bruno" wrote in message
. dk...
wayne wrote:
Hi All,

I've just uploaded an article exploring the infrared photography
potential of the Panasonic FZ30
http://www.dimagemaker.com/article.php?articleID=559
It joins the list of now 16 cameras I have tested for IR performance
http://www.dimagemaker.com/specials/digitalir/digitalir.php


Sorry to be asking such a beginner question but what's the point of
infrared photography?

And also isn't the camera only working within wavelenghts we can see and
not really infrared - or am I mistanken in this?

Kind regards

Bruno

I am currently interested in this idea, merely to try it out. Speaking from
a position of vast ignorance I understand that most/many digital cameras can
process light through the standard, visual, spectrum and also are receptive
to infra-red light. With an appropriate filter one can eliminate the visual
spectrum and, with a longish exposure, leave only the infra red to activate
the sensor. Naturally an infra red picture has a somewhat different
appearance to a "normal" picture as various elements in the landscape emit
or reflect infra red somewhat differently to the way they do the standard
visuallight spectrum.

Interestingly I have read that the FZ30 can handle this but my usually very
good photo shop told me that it cannot as its maximum exposure time was too
short. I think that they are wrong and will get hold of a suitable filter
and try it out myself.

If anyone can add to or corect this this then please do.

Bill

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

You can't extract the IR info from a picture that is not taken with an
IR filter, as there is no way to separate it from the generally much
stronger visible light components.

Cheers,

Wayne

Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog and Podcast http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/
Assistant Director, International Digital Art Award
Coordindinator of Studies, Multimedia and Photomedia, Australian
Academy of Design
Personal art site http://www.artinyourface.com/

Bruno wrote:
tjab wrote:

Yes, you are. To prove it, look at the front end of your TV's remote
control while holding down one of the buttons. See anything? Now try
the same thing while looking at it through your camera's electronic
viewfinder.

Thank you - that was enlightening :-)

I can see some very interesting uses for infrared photography being this
is something now in the hands of the normal consumer.

One more possible stupid question!

Could one use a software filter to get out the infrared information from
any image taken with a long exposure time, from say night shoots, or is
the information gone from normal pictures?


Kind regards

Bruno

Panasonic FZ30 Infrared Performance
 

In article ,
"J. Clarke" wrote:

Interestingly I have read that the FZ30 can handle this but my usually
very good photo shop told me that it cannot as its maximum exposure time
was too short. I think that they are wrong and will get hold of a suitable
filter and try it out myself.

If anyone can add to or corect this this then please do.

Many digital cameras have a filter that blocks infrared, whether the FZ30
does I don't know. If it does then exposure times will have to be quite
long, if it doesn't then they should be in the same general range as
visible light exposures.

Not correct apparently. See
http://digitalimagemakerworld.com/category/infrared/

there are a couple of images on that page taken with an FZ30. The
biggest problem with IR photography is the inordinate expense of the
filter. Whoops! Take that back, they're bloody expensive here in NZ but
I just checked on eBay & Hoyas are around US$30.

Go for it, kid! ;^)

--
Te Crumpler