I forced myself to take the compromise of using entry level camera, just like most other infrared photographer fellows. I eased my mind by telling myself that many experienced infrared photographers produced stunning images with converted entry level DSRL bodies. I also decided to keep my existing lineup, so it was all about Canon.

Looking into the market I understood that 1000D was just too low and looking up to 500D. Unfortunately it was way beyond my budget. I stuck in the fact that even a used 450D plus a conversion fee was still beyond my budget. So I looked down to used D300, D350, and D400, which I did not like, especially because its cheapo, easily swept away, hand grip. I quickly pushed away 300D and 350D for its very small LCD screen and inferior image quality.

I spent weeks to watch local photography forum for a decent used 400D at an affordable price with no luck. I was upset to find that the process was so hard. Talked to many, even made appointments, nothing came through. I started to think of stretching myself to squeeze a bit more for 450D when I got in touch with someone offering a decent 400D which has been already converted into IR V3 by Harlim. Mint condition at a very affordable price of about $500.

I knew that it would not be around for long. I did a quick math. A used 400D in normal condition would cost $400, so it went up to $700 including the conversion fee. I knew that V3 was rather old, $300 is for new V9.3 instead. But I learned that upgrading V3 into V9.3 would cost only $90. So if I bought it at $500, I could start rocking it right away. And when I feel the need to upgrade in the future, it will only take $590 in total. Still a decent deal.

I decided to take it at the same day I saw it. So here it came, a used but mint Canon 400D in Harlim’s V3 infrared.

1. Extremely long exposure was needed. Shoots took at least 20 seconds in the middle of bright sunny day. Tripod is inevitable, handheld is simply impossible.
2. Very dark, it was difficult to ensure desired composition whilst visual control of correct focus and metering were practically impossible. Metering had to be manual anyway whilst auto focusing worked fine.

I decided that the only practically workable way is to have an ir-modified camera. By replacing the original hot mirror with certain optical recipe – or simply a piece of infrared filter glass – the camera can take infrared shots in normal way, no more dark view finder, no more slow exposure. The catch was that conversion is not as easy as replacing a filter. It needs professional with certain skill to do it. It means I had to have two cameras if I still wanted to shoot normal photos, which I did.

Choosing The Camera

I quickly ignore the thought to just modify my Canon 5D. I knew that a few people do modify 5D or even fancier camera. But I was not that rich. It was on experiment as well. So I decided to look for used smaller cameras, entry level DSLR. By specification I chose Canon 450D. But after the second thought, especially for financial reasons, I decided to go for Canon 400D.

Choosing The Modificator

Here in Indonesia there are a few infrared modificators, but on the top of those very small distinguished group were two names, Dibyo Gahari in Bandung and Harlim in Jakarta.I am in Bali so I have to transport this anyway. More than the fact that Harlim charges almost double Dibyo’s price, I slowly leart difference between the two by long researches and discussions with experienced infrared photographers in local photography forums.

Out of idealism, Harlim only willing to work for those who are serious in IR and therefore destroys original hot mirror. Camera manufacturers do not sell this part, which mean there is no way back. Dibyo returns the original hot mirror and willing to restore it at a separated cost, so if we later on find that infrared photography is not that hot, we can make the camera back into normal condition.

Furthermore Harlim calibrates his modification with certain lens. We will get the best result with that designated lens, but possibly not with other lenses. Dibyo makes his works universal. We can attach any lens and still get the same result quality.

I was certain then that Dibyo was the right way to go. But my mind was kept on contaminated with a logical question “if Harlim charges that much, limits lens compatibility, and destroys the original hot mirror, who does he is still getting many clients?” So I continued my reasearch until finally I have enough experienced people telling that cameras modified by Harlim gives significantly better details, so most hobbyist mostly shooting landscape went to Dibyo whilst pros and those who also shoot models went to Harlim.

After seeing enough evidences, comparing results between the two, i was clear that I was going for Harlim.

Choosing Infrared Type

By cutting different light wavelength both Dibyo and Harlim has various types to choose for. Dibyo has Full IR, Semi IR, Goldie IR, and later on also introduced Travel IR and Prewed IR for those who do not want to get IR photos without having to do digital post processing. Harlim had V3, V5, and V7. People matched their version into following equality: V3 = Full IR, V5 = Goldie IR, V7 = Semi IR.

As I have decided to go Harlim’s way, I was only looking to three choice, V3, V7, V5 = Full, Semi, Goldie. My research shows two extreme ends. V3 has highest demand of digital post processing but gives the widest possibility for creative expression, V5 requires the least digital post processing and correspondingly the least creative possibilities, V7 is somewhere in between.

I wanted a canvas to express myself. I did not really want people to like my works. For a common artistic quality I can still shoot normal photos. I realized the challenge that I had to learn a lot in digital post processing, but I am not allergic to learning, so I was not seeing any problem there. I am going for V3, Full IR.

It was quite a while since the last time I researched for new lens. Today I have just found out that Canon has recently – back in September 1st 2009 to be precise – released a newcomer into its highly acclaimed premium L series, and surprisingly it is the upgraded version of its very popular 1:1 Macro lens, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM.

Owning the older version EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro which I used mostly for product photography as well as sometimes shooting bugs or flowers for fun, I have been wondering why Canon does not put image stabilizer in the lens. For macro it is essential as in extreme magnification even the slightest shake can make a disaster. On the other hand, shooting bugs which sometimes hide under some sort f shade needs slow shutter speed. It has quite a wide opening of f/2.8, but in extreme magnification, opening the lens that wide in many cases does not allow us to get desired depth of field.

The image stabilizer system comes with this lens is of the most advanced technology called Hybrid IS which theoretically gives 4 stops correction. It is just awesome. Theoretically the slowest shutter speed for good quality hand-held shoots are at 1/focal length. So for 100mm lens we are talking about minimum speed of 1/100. One stop means a half, so four stops from 1/100 means four times halved 100 which is 1/6.75. In extreme magnification the specification talks about 2 stops correction, which in the same calculation means we can shoot as slow as 1/25, not bad at all.

With this lens, IS is not the only thing helping us in preventing shake. Low friction ceramic balls support the moving elements, which allows for the amazingly smooth movement. Additionally it has a tripod collar.

On the other hand, as macro lens is not only used by hobbyist addicted to shooting bugs having sexual intercourse but also professional product photographers, L optical quality can give a significant quality improvement to the end result.

It is very tempting to own one to replace my old one which lacks of both image stabilizer and L optical quality. Build quality of L series is also awesome, but as I mostly use it for product photography I do not really care about its dust and water resistant sealing. But more accurate auto focus helps product photographers whilst faster auto focus helps bug shooters. I do not even want to have a try, believing in its quality, I do not need a try it before buying one.

Below is the launching press release:

Canon announces the arrival of the
first EF lens to feature Hybrid IS

London, UK, 1st September 2009: Canon today announces the launch of the high performance EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, the latest addition to its prestigious L-series, Canon’s flagship professional lens range. The EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM incorporates image stabilisation in a macro lens for the first time in the EOS lens range. This enables photographers to capture stunning close-up shots without the need for a tripod.

The high quality, medium telephoto macro lens, has been developed for photographers who demand the highest level of optical quality.  The new Hybrid IS system features up to 4-stop correction, compensating for the effects of camera shake, during normal shooting. Low friction ceramic balls support the moving elements, which allows for the amazingly smooth movement – needed when compensating for camera shake during macro shooting.  Hybrid IS corrects shift movement – problematic when shooting up close -as well as angular movement providing photographers with the benefit of up to 2 stops at 1.0x magnification.

The EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM features ultra low dispersion (UD) lenses that correct colour aberration for high resolution, high contrast images while the addition of Super Spectra coatings effectively reduce ghosting and flare for superior quality images. A nine blade circular aperture makes subjects stand out amid beautiful background blur and a silent, high-speed ring type USM Autofocus motor quickly achieves focus. The lens also includes a three position focus limiter to tailor the focus system range to the desired subject.

As part of the L-series the lens features dust and water resistant seals.  Sitting ahead of the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, within the range, the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM supports a full range of accessories including: Tripod Mount D, Macro Lite adaptor 67, Lens Hood ET-73 and EF12 II and EF25 II extension tubes. The tripod mount attaches to the lens without the need for an adaptor enabling quick portrait or landscape switching without having to reframe the camera. Speedlites MR-14EX and MT-24EX can be attached using the MacroLite adaptor.

Landscape is one of my favorite, and anyone plays landscape will sometime got into a will to shoot in slow shutter speed. Probably one of the most common case is shutting water, such as wave, river stream, or waterfall into cotton-like soft image by shooting it in an extremely low shutter speed.

The challenge here is light, because most landscape shoots are taken in daylight, where fast shutter speed is needed to control overcast. Even after you close the aperture down to the smallest size – means largest f-stop mark – you are still running at 1/n speed, whilst desired blur the water movement to cotton soft requires at least 30 seconds or even a few minutes.

The tool to overcome this problem is neutral density filters, widely known as ND. In simple way, usage of ND filters is like using a sun glass to block the light. ND filters work the same way, blocking part of the light from reaching the sensor, making the sensor “feels” and then records the image in darker situation than it actually is. The difference of ND filters is in its optical specification. The glass is designed to block the light without interfering clarity and color.

ND filters are available in various light-blocking capacity, in shops we can find 2, 4, 8 f-stops. These numbers mean that the filter blocks the light by n stop. If you for example use ND-2, then you can shoot two stop slower if you are prioritizing aperture or two stops wider if you are prioritizing speed. As it covers the lens, usage of ND filters is responded correctly by automatic metering system of the camera.

Logically you can stack as many ND filters as you need to get desired light-blocking capacity. However, bear in mind that no mater how high the optical quality is, putting slices of glass in front of the lens compromises image quality. The more you put the filter the worse the effect. Technically the hollow space between filters can bring negative impact too. On the other side, stacking many filters may result in vignetting effect especially when ultra-wide lens is in use.

The catch of using ND filters is practicality. If you have ND-2 attached and you find that you need it darker, you have to either put another ND-2 or replace the ND-2 with ND-4. Vari-ND filter is the solution to this situation. You only need to bring and attach one filter, if you need it lighter or darker, you just need to twist the dial. Unfortunately this luxury is quite expensive. The only brand that I know is offering this product is Singh-Ray sold at about $400 for 77mm thread. I will have to spend at least another $200 to ship it to my country and pay the custom bill.

If I buy three ND filters at different powers of 2,4, and 8, I will only have to spend something between $100-$200 depending on brand, and do not have to pay for shipping and custom as it is available here. But I am interested in owning one and therefore seeking for chance to get one at the most affordable cost.

Being a Canon addict, using old Canon QL as my first camera some 20-30 years ago, then came back to Canon after a while with Nikon in my early digital day, I do believe in its quality. However,  I personally do not think that Canon EOS 7d will yield significant success like the old Canon 5D or even its Nikon rival, D300.

Unfortunately as a brand new one, I am not seeing something meaningful, something that makes it stands the competition. It is a personal opinion, of course. Following are attributes exposed as the selling points of this new camera:

(1) 18MP, nice to have, but how large you want to print your photos anyway. Those who needs to print their photos very large would have gone to full frame, or even large format.

(2) And Ahhh … yes. Full HD video. Nice to have. But again, others have started to offer it a year ago.

(3) APS-C, this is the catch. At least I, and I believe most of us who are used to full frame, will personally say NO to APS-C. It only worth as a second camera if not a backup one. Many said that wedding photographers and those focusing on portrait needs APS-C. Wrong. Only those who are not used to larger format will say that. Why do you think professional model photographers goes to either Hasselblad or Mamiya? Or at least Canon 1Ds or Nikon D3? The only ones which slightly benefit from smaller factors are wildlife photographers or paparazzis needing to shoot their target from a very long distance. Pictures resulted by APS-C are slightly better that those taken by full frame then getting cropped on post production to get the same magnification. It is true even if we take into account the megapixel figures.

(4) Dual Digic4 processor. Hmm. Is it a real need or just a sales pitch? When Canon introduced a camera with Digic3, I mentioned that have never had any complain of using the camera powered with Digic1 processor. So who will feel the difference of running the older Digic3 or the new Digic4. I believe it does not that critical like processor powering your notebook.

(5) 8 frames per second. Well, not bad. But I have never need anything faster than my old 5fps camera. And those needing speed, like photojournalists, will need something even faster than 8fps. So if they want it to be a considerable benefit, they should have made it more.

(6) ISO range expandable to 12,800 this is fabulous. Well, depends on how good the grain is, of course. But my assumption is if it can go higher, than at least it give better performance in lower settings, sat 3,200 or 6,400.

(7) 3 inch LCD, 920K resolution. Cool. Cramming large MP into that small of screen does not make 920K a significant different, but cool. However, most of the new DSLRs have it already. So what?

(8) New viewfinder with 1.0 magnification and 100% coverage, is something I have always wanted. Not so essential, but a definite decision making parameter. For me it can make or break my decision to buy.

So, I personally do not think 5D fits perfectly in the market. Advanced amateurs will go to D50, entry level professionals will go for 5D Mark II. Nikon has similar situation with its D300 actually. I think advanced amateurs will go to D90 whilst entry level pros will go for D700. But at the time it get launched, Nikon had a perfect situation. Canon did not have competing product with similar specification, whilst its full-frame and cheaper 5D was aging up. And, Nikon had a predecessor to replace, D200. So D300 was something long awaited. Going up was a long leap. At that time, D3 was the next class, D700 was not exist yet.

Having old 5D in hand, I have no intention at all to buy 7D of course. In fact, I do not even seeing crucial reason to replace my 5D with 5D Mark II. It will be nice to have a backup, but when I buy one, I think I will go for 50D instead. I believe that advanced amateur will be happy enough with 50D, and when they are going pro, they will go for 5D Mark II. 7D will be skipped behind. If for financial reason, 50D users could not afford to go up to 5D Mark II, they will prefer to wait and save more, I guess.

I do agree with the general thumb advising that every lens performs at its best starting from two stops darker than its maximum aperture, which means f/2.8 lenses get their best at f/5.6 whilst f/4 lenses have to go down to f/8 to reach their top. But with the latest lens technology the difference is hardly visible especially with top quality lenses like Canon’s L series. Therefore to fill up the mostly needed range spanning between ultra-wide to telephoto I chose f/4 zooms of Canon L series.

With arrival of the brilliant 24-105mm f/4 L IS which offer general purpose range with Canon’s proven image stabilizing technology into my drybox, I have completely cover the favorite range between 17mm to 200mm all in Canon f/4 L series. The new comer accompanies 17-40mm f/4 L ultra-wide zoom and 70-200mm f/4 L medium telephoto I bought before. In my opinion, in term of focal range, all the three fits each other perfectly, with a bit overlap among them giving extra comfort especially as I only own one camera body. As the numbers shows, the ultra-wide goes to 40mm whilst the general purpose starts from 24mm, the general purpose ends at 105mm whilst the medium telephoto starts from 70mm.

Unfortunately the more capable my setup is, the less chance I have to spen my time using it. But that’s the way life goes, I think. Just like the most of us, it takes more time to make more money to spend on hobbies. However, with better set on hand I believe that I can make the less chances I have more enjoyable ones.

Although it seems that luxury and elegance play the most essential roles, at the same time these luxury villas for rent are also built environmentally friendly. At a Bali villa you’ll be so close with nature, where you will hear the birds singing, where you can breathe the fresh air, where you can touch the white sandy beaches under the warm sunshine. All the facilities have been prepared by these rental private villas to make you feel at home, full with the happiness and joy that you’ll be hard to find in any other places. At a Bali villa you will find that the opportunity to get fulfilled and entertained is endless.

Being one of the most prestigious places on earth, a Bali villa like The Beach House for example is not just a fine accommodation but also a small wonder in life. Ideal for the special holiday, romantic celebrations, meaningful events, and the other purposes, these rental luxury villas surely will appeal more than just some ordinary accommodation. As the spots for the most relaxing vacation, the private villas for rent show the most impeccable services and friendliness, making anyone addicted in a good way. Now after all that, there’s no excuse not to come and stay at the Bali villa.

In the focus are story from Photokina 2008 in Cologne, the largest annual photography exhibition which has been attracted 168,000 visitors so far for this year alone. The new releases column features Panasonic G1, Pentax K-m, and a few others. Reader’s portflio features Matt Harris with his fabulous landscape in the wilderness of Hampshire.

Techniques features one of the most sough after issue – at least for me personally – panorama. Also in techniques are a few tips on improving DSLR skills, creative article on creating imaginative image by playing with lights titled “create light grafitti”, location guide of Budapest, group photography. Career column GoPro gives rational reasons for featuring works online.

New technology column features the new trend of full frame DSLR with newly introduced addition to the existing products of Canon 1Ds Mark III, Canon 5D, and Nikon D3. The new contenders include the new geenration of Canon 5D with additional Mark II sign, Sony Alpha 900, Leica S2, and the medium size Phase One 645AF.

These guys are really thirsty in packing in more into one edition, just like if they will never issuing any more releases. Image stiching, vifgette frame, adding keywords and metadata into image file in tutorial column. Closing the issue is reviews which this time features Nikon D90, Canon IXUS 980 IS, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150, Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f3.5-5.6G ED VR, and Zuiko 25mm f2.8 Pancake.

Before a bunch of ads are advertorial feature of the world’s first 24.6MP DSLR and head to head comparison of the latest A3+ photo printers Epson R2880 and Canon Pixma Pro 9500.

The easiest setup is using the flash. But there are many issues in using flash for macro photography. When the object is too close and falls into the shadow of the lens, on-camera flash may not be able to illuminate it. Taking the flash off the camera – either wired or wireless – can somehow overcome this problem. The second issue is that for macro, even the smallest flash power can be too harsh and burns out details in overcast.

To overcome these two issues,  equipment manufacturers like Canon and Nikon offers their own version of macro ring light. Illuminating evenly from a circle instead of monolight, it gives softer illumination which is perfect for very close distance. Attached at the front tip of the lens, it ensures correct illumination regardles how close the object is. Later on they also offer newer twin light instead of ring. Some other third-party manufacturers like Sigma also offer similar product. The trap here however is price which plays at around $500 at least.

I did not pay real attention the first time I heard a new product called StarLite. Attached to shoe-mounted flash, StarLite basically direct the ligher blown by the flash into a kind of tunnel, formed as a ring around the lens. My first logical impression was a doubt whether light can be tunnelled around like water, especially at a speed which match the shutter. However, after a few discussions with a friend who – though he may not be a real professional – had a number of product photography assignments, all of which invloved small products like foods and electonic gadgets, I decided to put the investment.

When I ordered one, I got to know that it has different sizes to fit different combination of flash and camera body. Distance between the mounted flash-head and lens is the most critical measurement, whilst size of flash-head can be a bit more flexible. My setup of Canon 550EX and Canon EOS 5D requires the largest size which costed me about $75.

When it arrived, I was a bit surprised with the size of the box. Inside was the unit plus a rubber strap was supplied to protect the flash head from scratch made by the pastic attachment. Finish was quite okay for Chinese product. Don’t compare to branded products like Nikon and Canon. Chinese product is Chiense product, it ranges from crap to okay, never good or even excellent. Okay is the best thing you could ever get.

First the rubber strap goes into the flash head, then plastic mounting goes in to fit around the flash head. The mounting is a bit flexible so it may fit a fews different types with not so much different size. Velcro strap is available to tighten the mounting. Then the light ring gets around the lens before mounting the flash hot shoe onto the camera. Quite a simple procedure, just need a bit of extra care.

Whilst the specification mentioned that E-TTL (I-TTL on Nikon) works, after a few shots I found out that there was a bit of light lost. So shooting in E-TTL, a bit of flash compensation is required. In my experience 2/3 is about right almost all situation I tested. But I do not really care as I found that for these kind of shots, I prefer to go for manual setting.

To a surprise, the result is quite satisfactory. Object is evenly lit in soft but adequate lighting. The only trap is that ligting evenly distributed around the object, resulting in rather dull and flat result. Most situations can be worked around by  taking it from bit of angled direction. But in certain situations when depth of field is very thin, taking angled shot may not give enough. But knowing that the same result will be produced in using dedicated, branded ring light, it is not a real issue. Maybe this is the reason why manufacturers then offer twin light, each of which can be controlled separately.

I was told that another area where this equipment shoud work – I have never tested though – is portraiture. I understand that there are ring light for portraiture especially in studio works, however, its circle tends to be quite large, larger than human face. I am not sure if thish small ring can do the same.

The first one is using a filter attached in the front of the lens. It is perhaps the easier way to start with, as all we have to do is buy an infra red filter, attach it on to the lens, and off it goes. The problem is that the filter blocks the light, and therefore we have to shoot in very low speed. In almost all cases, usage of tripod is definite must as we can go as low as about a second in a bright sunny mid-day.

The second one is by modifying the camera body by replacing camera’s hot mirror with certain kind of infra red glass. This work needs expert hands, so it is a kind of “don’t do it yourself at home” sorts of thing. The benefit is that it does not block the light getting in through the lens, so we can shoot at the same speed as we normally do. As results are dependent to certain wavelength being cutted away, technician tweak it into an unlimited number of different results, something which is very limited in using filter. The drawback is that once a camera body converted into IR, it could not be used for normal photography unless we get back to the technician to return the normal hot mirror.

In addition to having to get a dedicated camera body together with the main one used for normal photography, cost for conversion is quite expensive. Here in Indonesia it cost somewhere between $150-$300 depending on camera body we have and wavelength we want to cut. So even I go with the very old used DSLR, it will easily get to $600-$700. So to start with I am foreseeing filter.

Unfortunately as I do not have a lens with small filter ring, filter is not a cheap solution as well. For lens with 77mm filter thread, HOYA R72 costs about $160 and HOYA RM90 costs about $180. None of them are available in Bali where I live, but I can order one from Jakarta based online shop. Used ones sometime available for sale in local photograhy forums at somewhere between $80 – $100. Another chance is to get cheap lens with 52mm filter thread – mostly are kit lens for lower-end DSLR – which costs about $60-$75 in second hand market. Infra red filter for those small lenses costs about $30.

I haven’t made up my mind untill a new option comes though a local photographer online forum. Chinese made filter at Cokin standard called Tian Ya offers infra red filter in P standard, which work for 77mm filter thread. It is not a screwed-in type though. Cokin P is square filters slotted into a holder, which are large enough to cover the face of 77mm lens. I already have the required P standard holder and ring adapter (to lock the holder into lens filter thread), so all I need to spend was the filter which was priced at about $35 for the only type available IR690. The picture shows how it fits into the mount of my Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L.

Following advises in online forum telling that best time for infra red photography is at the worst time for normal photography – means mid of a sunny-brite day – I went off at around lunch time for the first trial. It was a failure. I did not realize that it was goung to be that slow, and I went off without a tripod. I also found that the result was monotonous red, something like b/w with the white repladed by red.

Realizing that tripod was mandatory was a snap. After consulting back to forums I was also got educated that white balance setting is another key to infra red photography. I went to consult my camera manual for custom white balance setting before ready for the second attempt.

On the second attempt, I brought in my Manfrotto 190XProB along, so speed would not be a problem. Before I took the real shoot, I measured custom balance into a piece of white paper, got the camera to record it into its custom white balace setting. Resulting shots looked like what I was supposed to be. Next thing I will need to learn was digital post processing. I was not really sure yet however if the shots I took was really the right one to be converted into stunning unique frame.

My dream was to make shots of Bali villas in infra red. It would be amazing to frame the reflective swimming pool and ocean views in a unique tone of processed infra-red images.