Trial with Kenko PRO1D R72 N filter
Whenever I go around various SNS, some people are enjoying the shooting with Leica M Monochrom + infrared filter. Basically green color become pure white, while sky and water of river become darker. Just to enjoy imply the scene as if we are in snow country in summer season, it looks very nice, I thought. Therefore I went to Yodobashi Camera and get Kenko PRO1D R72 N filter.
With Leica M Monochrom
I read several articles that Leica M Monochrom series is one of best choices to enjoy the shooting with IR filters, since M Monochrom series doesn’t have color filter and LPF (low pass filter). Thus these cameras can enjoy the efficiency of Yellow, Red, Green, Orange and IR filters as traditional film camera with B&W films. Yes, I actually use Yellow, Orange and Red filters for snap shooting with Leica M11 Monochrom ( M11M ). This is the 1st trial for me to use infrared filter with M11M.
Advantage of Leica M
When we use infrared filter, the view in finder become completely red color. It might be no so easy to decide the composition. But in case of range finder camera, it has optic view finder, which doesn’t get the red filter on shooting lens. As usual, we don’t get any stress to check and decide composition.
Pint check
Focus point under visible light is different from that under infrared. Yes, we must pay attention into IR focus shift. On this point, old lenses which have been used for traditional film cameras have infrared focusing aids. But modern lenses doesn’t have it. Fortunately Leica M11 Monochrom have LCD monitor. Although the color is almost red only with R72 filter, at least we can recognize the aspect of each object in the screen, so it is possible to apply manual focusing as usual.
The 1st trial result M11M + APO-Summicron 35mm
I think, as the 1st trial result, this image is not so bad. M11M has full frame sensor, Maestro III with triple resolution technology, which can depict quite details of objects and scene. And another advantage is that APO-Summicron 35mm f2.0 ASPH is apochromat lens. It minimizes the chromatic aberration. Therefore even if we don’t shoot in the environment of visible right but infrared circumstance, the focus point might be almost exactly same (??). This camera body and lens with R72 must realize remarkable image.
along Kamogawa river in Kyoto, 10mins walk from my home
Yes, I like this 1st result. In addition to the shooting under normal visible light, I would like to continue the creation of unique image with R72 filter.
Next trial of R72 filter with Leica MONOPAN 50 and ADOX HR-50
I would like to try the shooting with R72 filter + Leica M3. The reason is that LEICA CAMERA AG will release MONOPAN 50 soon. This Leica’s new black and white film is super panchromatic. It means that it has infrared light sensitivity. Thus I can try same way, as I did with R72 filter + M11M.
ADOX HR-50 is also super panchromatic. So I would like to try the shooting with Leica M3 and HR-50 in advance before I get Leica MONOPAN 50.
Especially I would like to confirm the focus point difference between visible light case and IR light case. The tendency might be also different between APO-Summicron 35mm and traditional Summilux 35mm or 50mm Pre-ASPH lenses, when I use Leica M3 for the trial’s camera body. Especially in case of ADOX HR-50, just in this week, I got bulk roll from Germany. Many different patterns can be tried. Just fan!!
