That whole line (G) was great for many years, some of the best overall consumer cameras each model in those early years, and much more compact than a DSLR.
I still use it. Here is the fun part. I was able to use a IR filter with a lens adapter and create infra red film quality images after removing RGB layer. That was such a cool trick.
Now..I had been trying to take infra red photos with film for years and I totally sucked at it. It was expensive and it was tricky. You couldn’t use just any camera because anything with electric features would leave a mark on the film because light acted different on IR film/aperture ..it was heat that registered. And gosh..one couldn’t find a place to process it. Every shot was hit and miss. I don’t think I made even one good IR film print.
And then..it all changed with the G1 IR lens hack. I was so excited that I told everyone and blabbed endlessly. I did invite scorn mostly as it was considered ‘cheating’. The older photographers wouldnt stop pontificating about the virtues and glory of IR in film media.So I just stopped teaching people the trick. Suckers!
Anyways..it won’t work with other digital P&S cameras that came later. To me, G1 was almost SLR quality because of the Carl Zeiss lens. Even with the focal length magnifier aspect!
Fast forward many years and I got a DSLR(D3 and then canon D6). This trick sadly wouldn’t work with the new dslr cameras...it has something to do with a sensor light hitting the mirror.(sorry. I forget).
And then I found out that someone made conversions for several hundred dollars but it would mean that it will only take IR shots(images still has to be digitally manipulated..the alteration was inbthe camera..not the lens or lens filter..). Also. It needed a dedicated lens and it was fixed. You can’t use different lens interchangeably. But it was still worth it for me. When I finally got a second DSLR many years later, I sent my old canon for the conversion and I think I use a 50 prime lens with it. It’s an older dslr and still has the 1.6x multiplier. It’s ok. With digital tweaking, I can now print 20x30 prints(Hellooooooo, Costco!!!) that is borderline medium format quality. It’s better with landscape shots than portraits. Altho IR can make a wrinkly 70 year old look like a teenager with gorgeous clear skin.
How things have changed since film days! I enjoyed this one. Thanks for posting!
Some Sony cameras were able to remove the IR filter automatically - they called it "Night Shot" mode. There was a IR LED that would help light the scene. They had to cripple it when it was discovered that some clothing was translucent in IR.