Decisions, decisions...

Decisions, decisions...

Several years ago I found an infrared-conversion Canon Powershot G2 on eBay.

I've had a lot of fun using it - it's a lot easier than putting your camera on a tripod, shutting out almost all of the light with an infrared filter, hoping for the best, and then converting the images in Photoshop, hoping that there will be some usable ones. With a converted camera, it's so much easier - you see what you get (although what you see is red, and does still need to be converted), you don't need a tripod, you can basically shoot from the hip and it will still turn out allright, in most cases.

And shooting infrared gives you so much more interesting results than regular colour or black and white images. First of all, it looks like you're constantly shooting snowscapes, even in summer. Secondly, it really brings out the contrast in skies and makes the most of clouds. And thirdly, it's just different from mainstream photography - and I like things that are different, and not mainstream...

But the old G2 has given up the ghost. And now I have to decide what to do. Get a replacement or not. And if so, what kind of replacement - point-and-shoot, or a system camera? Or do I just go back to using my old infrared filter? It fits the lens I use the most, on my OM-D E-M5. But it's just not the same, I've tried that, and the results aren't as spectacular.

I'd like to get a converted MFT camera, so I can use my different lenses for infrared shots. And my holiday allowance would, I suppose, er ... allow it, so to say. But ... but ... well, let's just say my solicitor is very expensive. So what do I do - treat myself to a new one, or be thrifty and safe, and accept that my filter-on-a-normal-lens shots aren't going to be as nice as the IR shots I took with the converted camera?

The jury's still out...

( Here's one of the images I really liked, no doubt because my favourite model and best canine friend, the late Ashley, is in it: )

Tags: Camera Dead Replace Filter Ir Infrared Converted