Vintage Digital: Infrared modified GXR S10 24-72mm… What On Earth?

This is a post for very few folks. Who? Well…

Do you have a GXR body?

Do you have $70?
- Available on eBay.
Does Infrared interest you?

If not this post is of no use to you.

But if your answer is yes to all three this lens module is a heck of a deal and far better than I expected it to be.

I will say it. I did not expect this lens to be any good optically. Why?

It does not have an APS-C sensor like the 28mm and 50mm modules, but much smaller.

But there are advantages.

It zooms.
It has VR… This surprises me honestly.
It is IR modified.
It came free with an available light filter.
- Those unfamiliar with IR, like I was not long ago, IR modified sensors remove the IR cut filter but this does not address non-IR light hitting your sensor. So that needs to be filtered out to capture IR only. With my other IR camera, I needed to purchase filters separately.

There are easily forgiven downsides.

Unlike my other IR solution getting results I liked took a bit more faffing about.
- Fortunately, the seller emailed me some tips when I asked. Most important? Use Manual WB where the camera automatically selects a WB based on what you point it at. In my case it was foliage.
That free non-IR cut filter is a plastic square that must be handheld.
So far it looks like AF is not available with the filter in front of the lens.
- This requires focusing without the filter and then putting the filter in place. Not as bad it sounds honestly.

This is still a good value… assuming you have a GXR body already. IR modified cameras cost far more than $70.

Ok. Enough of that. On to the photos with some thoughts afterward. These are day one photos with near no experience. So not Earth shattering. I expect to get a bit better with this module once use it more.

GXR Infrared Modified Module — This book arrived at the same time… so I took a picture of it naturally.

Closing thoughts.

Post processing was minimal. A bit of exposure, contrast, shadows, and clarity corrections here and there. For RAW photos I used AI Denoise in LR but that is optional.

The only addition I may look for is some manner of fixed visible light filter, but given that AF works better without it I may not bother. Holding the filter in front is not as much trouble as I thought it would be.

For $70.

And it comes with the usual GXR system pluses.