Kolari Vision is a US company specializing in camera full-spectrum and infrared camera conversion services and producing filters and adapters. They have developed an OLPF (low-pass) filter for the Panasonic Lumix S series cameras. Let’s take a look at this exciting modification!
As you may well know, moiré is that ugly color effect produced especially in clothes and fabrics. To make it simple, if the sensor resolution can’t read the repetition of lines or patterns, we will have moiré in our picture. To avoid that, manufacturers put an OLPF in front of the sensor. This filter blurs those details while (hopefully) preserving the image resolution, at least to our eyes.
In reality, some blur always occurs. For many of us, especially filmmakers, this is not a problem, and we are happy to pay the price if the reward is getting rid of digital artifacts on our image. But imagine you are a technical photographer documenting paintings, for example. In that case, you would need the sharpness.
It is always about compromise
For the past years, we have seen a trend in the camera industry to remove the low-pass filter from the cameras. The truth is that sensors now have a better resolution and deal better with artifacts, and we also have more postproduction tools to fix our images. But most of the time filmmakers are still shooting in 4K, and moiré is an uninvited guest.
Brands like Panasonic offer video-centric cameras like the Lumix S1H with an OLPF and others like the Lumix S5 II without it. Although the S5 II is also a hybrid camera, buyers are mainly attracted by its video features. We have outstanding image quality, IBIS, a decent autofocus system, professional exposing tools, etc., but we also have moiré and aliasing, especially when not shooting open gate. The Kolari OLPF filter addresses this issue, as we will see later.
Is moiré a deal breaker? Removing moiré and similar artifacts can be a headache, but it can be controlled with art direction and wardrobe. However, it is not so easy in scenarios like documentaries, travel videos, etc. Other than that, it comes down to taste and preference. I still prefer the look of not-so-sharp images coming straight from the camera, like the old Blackmagic Pocket Camera or the Panasonic S1H. Although I love the functionalities of new cameras, I find their images excessively sharp and clinical. That is a good thing for others, but I am always looking for lenses and filters to remove the microscopic sharpness of my S5IIx and Fuji X-H2s, for example.
An option out of the box
Installing an OLPF in camera is challenging unless you have the knowledge, the tools, and the place to do it. However, professionals can do it more safely for your camera and mental tranquillity.
Dan Hopkins is a filmmaker who uses Lumix S cameras (mainly his S1H) to film weddings. No moiré seen until he started using the S5 II and the S5 II X. Tired of tracking his shots in postproduction to eliminate it, he contacted Kolari Vision, a company doing camera modifications like infrared and full-spectrum conversions, and discussed his problem. After some tests, they sent him back the camera with an OLPF filter that eliminated moiré better than his S1H, in Hopkins’ own words.
Judging by his comparison footage, the Kolari OLPF filter modification does an excellent job of eliminating moiré in the S5 II cameras. Of course, the image loses some sharpness, but the balance is still beneficial. The OLPF filter also causes a shift in white balance towards the blue spectrum that can be easily corrected in post (or with a custom white balance in camera). Hopkins says the autofocus is not affected at all by this modification.
Price and availability
The Kolari OLPF filter modification is available for all Panasonic Lumix S1 and S5 cameras for $699. The service includes removing and replacing the original UV/IR cut filter with the upgraded UV/IR filter with OLPF. You need to provide Kolari with your camera’s serial number and send them the camera. After that, it takes 2-3 weeks to get it back.
This service can be attractive for US filmmakers, but sending a camera from outside the US can be tricky due to customs. The possible increase in cost is something to consider. What about a low-pass filter we can easily install at home?
For more information please visit their website.
What do you think about Kolari’s OLPF modification? Do you prefer cameras with or without low-pass filters? Let us know in the comments below!