Along the selection of IR images, I got tired of my motives. It is a case of "kill your darlings", you know. When you think your photos are awesome - but then i realized, that they where just (for the most) rather average. Plus that I never really took out the Leica M8 camera to other places. Maybe because of the restriction in (free hand) shutter speeds being limited, often between 1/10 and 1/30 seconds, in bright sunlight - more often creating blurry results (through shaking). The speeds then dropped even lower as clouds start to emerge. (i would then use ISO 640 instead).

With a full spectrum camera - I can access a much larger selection of lenses in the Olympus line up. Therefore I can also start to do more creative work (or at least that is my thinking). Plus that an Olympus camera is RUGGED, while a Leica M8 - it's rangefinder mechanism very sensitive; a medium bump against the camera and it goes out of alignment. (Been there, done that - not fun). So, I wouldn't take it everywhere, and I didn't.

Olympus cameras on the other hand - I would take with me wherever I go !

It is extremely rugged.

The limitation of the Leica M8 in IR mode

My Leica M8 didn't have many options in terms of lenses. After I dropped the Zeiss 21mm ƒ2.8 lens on a marble floor in Tallinn - where the lens was never fully connected to the lens mount - and suddenly simply popped out... it damaged the left side of the optics, becoming blurry.

Another issue is, that the Leica M8 is smaller sensor, with factor 1.3 - therefore wider lenses become more narrow. My widest lens became the Elmarit-M 28 mm ƒ2.8 ASPH - turning into a 35mm wideangle only.

Converted Olympus camera

With a converted Olympus EM1 Mark II, i have access to all the focal length, including on the side side, starting at 8mm (16 mm super wide angle) - and therefore much more creative options. While the shutter speeds will not be limited anymore, and much higher than with the Leica M8 with IR filter.

On top, with a full spectrum converted camera, i can use different types of IR filters. Or even UV - albeit the latter I have never done, and have no experience what so ever.

Kolari in the EU

Converts in essence any camera, even the mediumformat Fujifilm GFX models can be turned into Astro, IR or full spectrum. Albeit it will cost quite a bit more. The same goes for the special Olympus version EM1X - there they add 250 € on top. I don't know why - but assume it is more tricky to take apart. Speaking of Fujifilm GFX, that is for me a no-go, since I only have one model *grin*

Anyway

it was fun to go through my past Infrared images. It is easy to forget photos over time, given the vast size of my archive accumulated since 1980s.