Infra red converted camera for hire?

[Ian]

As a result of a discussion on our Olympus UK site:

http://e-group.uk.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13694

..I'm seriously considering the idea of offering an IR converted camera to that site's Olympus gear hire stock.

I think offering an IR camera, regardless of the make and model, may be of interest to people of all brand loyalties.

It will probably be an Olympus Pen E-PL1 compact system camera to start with as this could be used by both Four Thirds lens users (with an adapter) and Micro Four Thirds lens users. Of course to non-Olympus users we could supply lenses appropriate to their needs, But if the service is popular enough I may well source an IR-converted E-System DSLR body as well, or even a Nikon or Canon DSLR.

Can I just take a straw poll to see if anyone here would be interested in hiring such a camera body?

Incidentally, we do have continental hire customers, but there is an extra cost to the shipping. Nobody has hired from the USA yet, probably because of the high shipping costs.

So what do you think?!

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

As a result of a discussion on our Olympus UK site:

http://e-group.uk.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13694

..I'm seriously considering the idea of offering an IR converted camera to that site's Olympus gear hire stock.

I think offering an IR camera, regardless of the make and model, may be of interest to people of all brand loyalties.

It will probably be an Olympus Pen E-PL1 compact system camera to start with as this could be used by both Four Thirds lens users (with an adapter) and Micro Four Thirds lens users. Of course to non-Olympus users we could supply lenses appropriate to their needs, But if the service is popular enough I may well source an IR-converted E-System DSLR body as well, or even a Nikon or Canon DSLR.

Can I just take a straw poll to see if anyone here would be interested in hiring such a camera body?

Incidentally, we do have continental hire customers, but there is an extra cost to the shipping. Nobody has hired from the USA yet, probably because of the high shipping costs.

So what do you think?!

Ian

I'm not trying to hijack this interesting idea but I am seriosly considering selling my Canon 10D that was converted to IR a couple of years ago. I will be fitted with a 17-35 f2.8-f4 sigma EX lens which has lived on the camera since conversion.
If anyone interested please contact via private message.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

I'm not trying to hijack this interesting idea but I am seriosly considering selling my Canon 10D that was converted to IR a couple of years ago. I will be fitted with a 17-35 f2.8-f4 sigma EX lens which has lived on the camera since conversion.
If anyone interested please contact via private message.

Patrick

Of course we have enjoyed several images from this camera here on DPNow - do you have any tips or remarks about using converted cameras like this one?

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

Of course we have enjoyed several images from this camera here on DPNow - do you have any tips or remarks about using converted cameras like this one?

Ian

One or two come to mind.

I feel IR works best on wide angle subjects, which is why I use a 17-35 on my own camera, exposures were mostly at the 17mm end.

Exposure can be critical, IR more easily burns out highlights even using RAW, so I always under exposed.
Flare as we all know can be a problem with digital over film if shooting into the sun, this goes double for IR. Although flare I think can be used in an artistic way.

I found setting a custom white balance using a green ground works well.

Processing the images to B/W often look flat, so some careful contrast boost will be necessary.

Thats all I can think of at the moment no doubt other thoughts will cross my mind, if they do I will post.


Patrick

[Patrick]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

As a result of a discussion on our Olympus UK site:

http://e-group.uk.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13694

..I'm seriously considering the idea of offering an IR converted camera to that site's Olympus gear hire stock.

I think offering an IR camera, regardless of the make and model, may be of interest to people of all brand loyalties.

It will probably be an Olympus Pen E-PL1 compact system camera to start with as this could be used by both Four Thirds lens users (with an adapter) and Micro Four Thirds lens users. Of course to non-Olympus users we could supply lenses appropriate to their needs, But if the service is popular enough I may well source an IR-converted E-System DSLR body as well, or even a Nikon or Canon DSLR.

Can I just take a straw poll to see if anyone here would be interested in hiring such a camera body?

Incidentally, we do have continental hire customers, but there is an extra cost to the shipping. Nobody has hired from the USA yet, probably because of the high shipping costs.

So what do you think?!

Ian

Well Ian I guess the massive responce to this thread tells its own story.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

There has been a bigger response over on the Olympus site, so we are going ahead and getting an Pen E-PL1 converted

But I'm hopeful that some non-Olympus users will be interested.

Ian

[Ian]

[Patrick]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

[Ian]

Re: Infra red converted camera for hire?

10-4 Patrick

Most of the interesting IR imagery I have seen is in mono, processed from false colour originals. But I understand some quite interesting images in colour can be achieved with a 720nm conversion. So we will just have to see how it turns out. We should get the camera back within two weeks.

Ian