Infrared Photography II- Panasonic DMC-L1

July 2010, Carl Garrard

Summer is here. Lots of sun, and that means a lot of infrared light to play with. Not long ago I decided to get another camera converted to Infrared from Spencer's Camera in Utah, this time with a 665nm Color Amplified filter which is just a tad "weaker" than the filter we used for the A500. This filter will allow a bit more color light spectrum to pass through to the sensor, and gives me more options for infrared creativity. As you can see by the image inset to the left, I also have more options for the types lenses I can use on the L1. Add that the L1 has a couple of neat tricks up its sleeve during the live view exposure process, and this makes one heck of a good body for Infrared Conversion.

Introduction and Short Review:

Since I have two DMC-L1's I thought "why not convert one to Infrared and try a new type of IR filter this time?". No reason not too since there are still plenty of L1's about, so I sent one up to Clarence for the conversion (he did another excellent job by the way). I've made a few images with the L1 already (only had it back for a couple of days now) and can tell this is a body I'm going to like doing IR photography with for quite some time.

I've used both Panasonic L1's (I'll use that abbreviation from now on in the review) for quite some time now. They make excellent cameras for many purposes, and produce stunning images at lower ISO's with dynamic range up there with the best I've used, as well the L1 has some wonderful out of camera Jpegs with extraordinarily good color. Besides top notch handling and some surprising versatility, the L1 is a camera I can rely on for top notch large prints.

This camera is a blast to use for those who like manual external controls. You may confuse this camera with the Panasonic LC1 that I just completed a tribute review on recently, but don't because these two cameras are really night and day apart in many respects. What they have in common are external analog control and styling, along with a similar style of menu, but the L1 is a DSLR and the LC1 is a digicam. The L1 comes with it's own unique set of advantages and disadvantages as a regular camera. I'll refrain from making this article a comparison piece between the two cameras, even though I'd like too.

Why does the L1 make such a good candidate for Infrared Photography though? This is a good question and I've got a list compiled that makes a compelling case for the L1.

• Excellent Live View implementation (easy to access and switch between modes on)
• Live Histogram during Live View
• Wider than normal range of white balance control (you need that for good out of camera jpegs for color IR images)
• Optical Viewfinder (for before and after views of your composition)
• Excellent Dynamic Range and overall Image Quality
• 4/3 Sensor gives you added depth of field at a given aperture (you don't have to stop down as far)
• Use of third party lenses with adapters
• Focus confirmation with third party lenses
• Customizable platform and menus
• External metering switch for quick adjustments to scenes (IR can be tricky to meter)
• Quick access to B/W mode (or custom color profiles) via FUNC 1 and FUNC 2 buttons  
• Best looking out of camera Jpegs for IR work of 12 different cameras that I tested prior to conversion

Now this is quite a list. And anybody that has tried IR photography knows that the requirements for a dedicated IR DSLR are a bit more precise for color IR work. Since the L1 ticks off most of the needs of an IR camera, it makes a great choice. If you are wondering how much resolution 7.5mp translates to prints, well the L1 will do excellent 20x30" prints at full resolution from raw files. There are several reasons for this.

• Panasonic put a great sensor in this camera that resolves minute details
• 4/3 Sensors take better advantage of the sweet spot in DSLR optics
• Standard optics for this camera are exemplary (Olympus 14-42mm kit, Panasonic 14-50mm Vario-Elmar (Leica), 3rd party pick your lens of choice!) 

What could be better for IR work on the L1 is its range of exposure adjustment compensation. Ideally it's best to have as much as possible here, but the L1 only has -2 to +2 compensation. I can get around that fine, but I'd prefer a minimum of -3 to +3 because of the tricky nature of IR exposure readings.

Also, the LCD panel (while large enough) seems to have a bit of trouble with color refresh at times and, it has a hard time rendering the color that the IR conversion translates (during the live view process only). It is just fine when reviewing the images on playback however.

This list is relatively small in comparison to other cameras I've used, and aren't huge obstacles at all in practical use but they are worth mentioning. 

Overall the L1 is a fantastic camera for the job; it is a lot of fun to use, produces stellar results, and has some seriously sexy looks to it. Those familiar with the L1 should already know that the Leica Digilux-3 is the sister camera to the L1; this too is a camera I think would also be a great choice for an IR conversion (yet at much higher price).

I'll style this article in the format I've been using of late, with periodic updates. Since I'll be using the L1 quite a bit, expect this article to be updated often. I'll go into the cameras use a bit more as well as describe more about the infrared photography process, but for now its time for me to continue to shoot and make some photographs worth sharing for this article. 

Most of my images will be shot with the Olympus Zuiko 14-42mm kit lens, it has a versatile focal length and stellar sharpness from corner to corner. I'll also be using the Olympus Zuiko 25mm f/2.8 pancake lens as a "standard" lens. This is one of the best pancake lenses I've used to date, and it's focal equivalent is similar to my other favorite prime to use, the Pentax 35mm f/2.8 Macro. It even has a very decent close up magnification ratio.

This is straight out of the camera resized for this article. Again for review, I'm using a 665nm Color Amplified Filter on the L1. For now, here is a teaser image for the review.