So far it works really well. I just have to set the camera to remote and I can use the IR remote standalone or plug in the intervalometer and shoot away!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Hacked IR Intervalometer for my Sony NEX 5N
From this page I found someone who had accomplished what I was intending to do. This is always a good find since you can save some time and money and just buy what is needed. Mine is the same concept only thing different is that I scavenged a PCB mic jack from some junk electronics and was able to mount it within the case.
So far it works really well. I just have to set the camera to remote and I can use the IR remote standalone or plug in the intervalometer and shoot away!
So far it works really well. I just have to set the camera to remote and I can use the IR remote standalone or plug in the intervalometer and shoot away!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
There is a design difference between a macro lens and a "normal" lens.
The difference is that a macro lens is designed for "near-field" photography. At least, it should be. You have to make optimizations for the purpose of each lens and some of those optimizations are sacrifices to other aspects of how the lens "could" be used.
This happened with Nikon. The earlier 50/55 macro lenses are actually their best. They were designed to actually be macro lenses and were optimized for near-field photography. But, over time they changed the design incrementally as people were using it as a walk-around, "normal" lens. So, it basically became a normal 50, with the ability to do 1:1, with some minor performance advantages in comparison to the non-macro 50, but nowhere as sharp as its predecessor as it was now optimized for fair-field work.
This is also true of my Sigma 150/2.8. Sure, I can use it as a tele, but it performs its best on or around 1:1. I would probably have a higher lp/mm at one foot over ten feet. Why? Because, it is a macro lens. Not a tele.
You have to choose where you want the performance: near-field or far-field. Since, it is a macro, they chose near-field. This is indicated by how it resolves a speck of dust but sucks wide-open as a walk-around lens. Because, its a macro lens.
Also, a real-low f/stop is not really required for a macro. Yes, I know, I have the Sigma 150/2.8 but I did not but it because it was a f/2.8. The reason why a low f/stop is not required is you really start to loose DOF as you get closer. You would have very little DOF with a 30mm lens at 1.8 and the image would be abstract at best. Most macro lenses are optimized for f/8, some might be f/5.6 and others f/11. This, is the reason why I bought my Sigma was because it had excellent results at 1:1 at f/8. I usually bracket my shots and shoot f/8 and f/11 to see if the minor loss at f/11 is acceptable. And, in case you are wondering, I wish the lens was optimized for f/11 or maybe even f/16. What would be awesome is a macro lens optimized for f/22. Man, macro and DOF, FTW!!!!
I really hope Sony ignores these people who have NO idea what they are talking about. They apparently have designed a proper macro lens. It actually makes me want to buy it.
This happened with Nikon. The earlier 50/55 macro lenses are actually their best. They were designed to actually be macro lenses and were optimized for near-field photography. But, over time they changed the design incrementally as people were using it as a walk-around, "normal" lens. So, it basically became a normal 50, with the ability to do 1:1, with some minor performance advantages in comparison to the non-macro 50, but nowhere as sharp as its predecessor as it was now optimized for fair-field work.
This is also true of my Sigma 150/2.8. Sure, I can use it as a tele, but it performs its best on or around 1:1. I would probably have a higher lp/mm at one foot over ten feet. Why? Because, it is a macro lens. Not a tele.
You have to choose where you want the performance: near-field or far-field. Since, it is a macro, they chose near-field. This is indicated by how it resolves a speck of dust but sucks wide-open as a walk-around lens. Because, its a macro lens.
Also, a real-low f/stop is not really required for a macro. Yes, I know, I have the Sigma 150/2.8 but I did not but it because it was a f/2.8. The reason why a low f/stop is not required is you really start to loose DOF as you get closer. You would have very little DOF with a 30mm lens at 1.8 and the image would be abstract at best. Most macro lenses are optimized for f/8, some might be f/5.6 and others f/11. This, is the reason why I bought my Sigma was because it had excellent results at 1:1 at f/8. I usually bracket my shots and shoot f/8 and f/11 to see if the minor loss at f/11 is acceptable. And, in case you are wondering, I wish the lens was optimized for f/11 or maybe even f/16. What would be awesome is a macro lens optimized for f/22. Man, macro and DOF, FTW!!!!
I really hope Sony ignores these people who have NO idea what they are talking about. They apparently have designed a proper macro lens. It actually makes me want to buy it.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Lens focus, lens back focus, lens front focus, soft images...
Daily, I read up on posts on DPreview.com and Photo.net. A lot of people seem to have issues with front and back focus, soft images, etc. I don't know if these people are in the minority or majority but they do create a lot of "noise" which probably effects the decision making of others. No, wait, they do effect the decision making of others. I personally have never had an issue with focus related to the camera/lens not performing correctly. It was usually my technique.
And, that is what I think the issue is at hand. Sure, most SLR type camera come with a kit lens which also happens to have some form of optical image stabilization. But, that is there to help you out and not replace proper technique. Most people whom I see walking around don't even hold the camera correctly: they have both hands on the body and none on the lens. Even if they use a long lens or high-zoom ratio lens. As a quick recap: shutter-finger hand on the camera body and the other hand cradle the lens. If the other lens is too small then cradle the body of the camera and use your finger tips to hold the lens. This is a good start to properly stabilizing your camera body. Also, I have seen, with some humor I might add, people actuating the shutter with such gusto that the whole camera rotates in a clockwise direction. This will easily cause the periphry of the image to be blurry. The lens is not soft, you suck, and you need to get better. You only need to move your finger not your whole hand to take the picture. Practice that. Another good tip is to control your breathing: inhale, partial exhale, hold it, steady the shot, click, exhale fully. Another tip is to use a 2 second timer. This may not always work but it does for scenic shots.
Which brings me to another thing, the use of image stabilization. It is awesome indeed. But, unless you have a camera that has "intelligent" image stabilization then you need to turn it on or off. The reason for this is that the optical element(s) that stabilize, have to move to stabilize, and if the lens is in that mode then those elements will be moving. Even if you mount that camera to a rock. Those elements will be moving. Making an otherwise tack-sharp shot blurry. Even in the camera body and lens manuals they specifically mention to turn it off if the lens will be held still or braced. The stabilization comes in if you are walking around or running. As a rule of thumb, unless you are an extremely unstable person, if the shutter speed is equal to or greater than 1/(focal length) then you are good to go. No stabilization or tripod needed.
And lastly, so many people buy really expensive lenses but fail to buy a most basic piece of equipment: the tripod. Yup, this relatively simple device does a great deal. If you think you can get a super sharp shot of some tiny object on a telephoto or super-zoom, with just image stabilization, think again. Stabilization helps with that "grey-area" between hand-held and tripod mounted. It does not replace a camera, securely fastened to a tripod. It just can't. This is absolutely true with macro. Yeah, Nikon, Sony, et all make a macro lens with stabilization but if you think you can pull 1:1 or greater with just that you are nuts. You have to have a tripod. there are even some tripods that have "arms" that come out to not just hold the body but the lens as well.
So, as a recap:
Master the technique of holding your camera correctly
Master the techniques of breathing and actuating the shutter correctly
Know your equipment: when and when to not use stabilization
Have the proper equipment: tripods are your best friend (as is your flash)
And, that is what I think the issue is at hand. Sure, most SLR type camera come with a kit lens which also happens to have some form of optical image stabilization. But, that is there to help you out and not replace proper technique. Most people whom I see walking around don't even hold the camera correctly: they have both hands on the body and none on the lens. Even if they use a long lens or high-zoom ratio lens. As a quick recap: shutter-finger hand on the camera body and the other hand cradle the lens. If the other lens is too small then cradle the body of the camera and use your finger tips to hold the lens. This is a good start to properly stabilizing your camera body. Also, I have seen, with some humor I might add, people actuating the shutter with such gusto that the whole camera rotates in a clockwise direction. This will easily cause the periphry of the image to be blurry. The lens is not soft, you suck, and you need to get better. You only need to move your finger not your whole hand to take the picture. Practice that. Another good tip is to control your breathing: inhale, partial exhale, hold it, steady the shot, click, exhale fully. Another tip is to use a 2 second timer. This may not always work but it does for scenic shots.
Which brings me to another thing, the use of image stabilization. It is awesome indeed. But, unless you have a camera that has "intelligent" image stabilization then you need to turn it on or off. The reason for this is that the optical element(s) that stabilize, have to move to stabilize, and if the lens is in that mode then those elements will be moving. Even if you mount that camera to a rock. Those elements will be moving. Making an otherwise tack-sharp shot blurry. Even in the camera body and lens manuals they specifically mention to turn it off if the lens will be held still or braced. The stabilization comes in if you are walking around or running. As a rule of thumb, unless you are an extremely unstable person, if the shutter speed is equal to or greater than 1/(focal length) then you are good to go. No stabilization or tripod needed.
And lastly, so many people buy really expensive lenses but fail to buy a most basic piece of equipment: the tripod. Yup, this relatively simple device does a great deal. If you think you can get a super sharp shot of some tiny object on a telephoto or super-zoom, with just image stabilization, think again. Stabilization helps with that "grey-area" between hand-held and tripod mounted. It does not replace a camera, securely fastened to a tripod. It just can't. This is absolutely true with macro. Yeah, Nikon, Sony, et all make a macro lens with stabilization but if you think you can pull 1:1 or greater with just that you are nuts. You have to have a tripod. there are even some tripods that have "arms" that come out to not just hold the body but the lens as well.
So, as a recap:
Master the technique of holding your camera correctly
Master the techniques of breathing and actuating the shutter correctly
Know your equipment: when and when to not use stabilization
Have the proper equipment: tripods are your best friend (as is your flash)
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Sometimes, Sony is listening...
Awhile back I purchased a Sony NEX-3 body. Yes, just the body. Some people might be scratching their head but the reason why I wanted the NEX-3 was for its APS-C sized sensor, plus, the rather short register this camera has. This allows me to mount, via modification or with the use of an adapter, just about any lens that has ever been made. But, this is not what this post is really about.
This post is about the latest firmware for the NEX line released by Sony. What they did, which is totally awesome and unforeseen, is they added "focus peaking". Focus peaking is seen in a lot of cameras via some indicator, usually in the viewfinder, such as a green dot. Or, if you have just a LCD screen, green brackets. The Sony NEX firmware actually allows you to control how it peaks and what color the focus peak appears as.
On the object you are focusing on, on the rear LCD, in real-time.
This is a feature that is typically reserved for high-end camcorders and the like. Usually not seen on a $600 DSLR w/lens kit. So, in addition to having gridlines, camera settings, and a live histogram, you can also have focus peaking displayed.
Kudos to Sony!
This post is about the latest firmware for the NEX line released by Sony. What they did, which is totally awesome and unforeseen, is they added "focus peaking". Focus peaking is seen in a lot of cameras via some indicator, usually in the viewfinder, such as a green dot. Or, if you have just a LCD screen, green brackets. The Sony NEX firmware actually allows you to control how it peaks and what color the focus peak appears as.
On the object you are focusing on, on the rear LCD, in real-time.
This is a feature that is typically reserved for high-end camcorders and the like. Usually not seen on a $600 DSLR w/lens kit. So, in addition to having gridlines, camera settings, and a live histogram, you can also have focus peaking displayed.
Kudos to Sony!
Thursday, December 01, 2011
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Linky
This Wikipedia article accurately describes my daily existence while I was in the Navy. However, this "condition" is masked via other terms such as "pride", "cohesion", "leadership", etc. On the ship this was practically an every day occurrence as I would have to frequently go to the chain of command to address some issue that was at hand. Which then began the game of trying to convince them that something had to be accomplished in a certain way. However, as the article states:
What eventually develops is a sort of underground. This occurs as the more senior people are dependably lazy, and want to do what they want to do and will push-off anything that will not result in glamor, to the lower ranks. Although this results in a lot more work for us it also allows us to get a lot done with out them and that's how it works. Soda, especially USA sourced, is a good item to trade for services. As are Snickers and Ramen when they get scarce. In hindsight a lot of what myself and others had to do was pretty scarey and ballsy to say the least. Ordering parts in the $10's of thousands if not more, generating the necessary forms, memo, and signature tree, putting it into a folder and placing it on a desk. Meanwhile, the part(s) have already been swapped and everything is up and running.
I think the only reason why this happens is that the senior people don't know how to control it. If they stop it, a simple 15 minute task will take two days! Yes, two days! Not everyone is up at the same time of day, plus, they may not sign it if the original bearer of the document is not present, plus satisfying their curiosity/teaching them what they need to know, and then finding the next person, and so-on and so-on. So, they are left with the uneasy dilemma of the existence of the "underground" and how effective it is.
You may think that this is odd that such a thing would occur in such a massive organization. But, once again i refer you to the previous link. The majority of the people in charge are incredibly incompetent. Sure, they may have sat through hours if not days of training, but, in reality, they'll probably never use it. Everything is "sand boxed". They just have to maintain the process in such a way that the people they report to are happy, etc etc. As the paperwork trail goes farther and farther away the more and more disinterested the co-signers become.
This Wikipedia article accurately describes my daily existence while I was in the Navy. However, this "condition" is masked via other terms such as "pride", "cohesion", "leadership", etc. On the ship this was practically an every day occurrence as I would have to frequently go to the chain of command to address some issue that was at hand. Which then began the game of trying to convince them that something had to be accomplished in a certain way. However, as the article states:
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to recognize their mistakes.So, basically, you have to teach these people. As in, start from "square-one" and go from there or else they will simply dismiss you. I have had quite a few long conversations that were more like lectures in order to get the point across. The sad thing is, the Navy recognizes this behavior and rewards it (along with a pinch of narcissism). To them this is the type of person you want in charge, they get "shit done" and whatever cost. When in reality, there is total turmoil occurring in the lower ranks as everyone accepts the fate that they are about to encounter. The only solution to this was to simply hide the material condition and status of everything that was going on.
What eventually develops is a sort of underground. This occurs as the more senior people are dependably lazy, and want to do what they want to do and will push-off anything that will not result in glamor, to the lower ranks. Although this results in a lot more work for us it also allows us to get a lot done with out them and that's how it works. Soda, especially USA sourced, is a good item to trade for services. As are Snickers and Ramen when they get scarce. In hindsight a lot of what myself and others had to do was pretty scarey and ballsy to say the least. Ordering parts in the $10's of thousands if not more, generating the necessary forms, memo, and signature tree, putting it into a folder and placing it on a desk. Meanwhile, the part(s) have already been swapped and everything is up and running.
I think the only reason why this happens is that the senior people don't know how to control it. If they stop it, a simple 15 minute task will take two days! Yes, two days! Not everyone is up at the same time of day, plus, they may not sign it if the original bearer of the document is not present, plus satisfying their curiosity/teaching them what they need to know, and then finding the next person, and so-on and so-on. So, they are left with the uneasy dilemma of the existence of the "underground" and how effective it is.
You may think that this is odd that such a thing would occur in such a massive organization. But, once again i refer you to the previous link. The majority of the people in charge are incredibly incompetent. Sure, they may have sat through hours if not days of training, but, in reality, they'll probably never use it. Everything is "sand boxed". They just have to maintain the process in such a way that the people they report to are happy, etc etc. As the paperwork trail goes farther and farther away the more and more disinterested the co-signers become.
Monday, November 28, 2011
2001 S500 Radio Retrofit
This was a crazy install. I guess I have watched way too much HDNET and Discovery to think I could pull off a full-on, custom, install into a S-Class. This whole evolution took about eight days to do. I did not work full days every day, some days were maybe two or three hours and others were closer to twelve. But, it was worth it.
Backstory:
The original stereo system, designed by Bose, was totally nuts. They decided to use multi-mode fiberoptics to send audio to/from peripheral devices and to the amp. So, if you dropped in a CD or tuned to a station on FM, it would be sent digitally to the amp in the back. In addition, the fiber-optic system was D2B, a mostly proprietary system for Mercedes. In addition to digitized audio, it also carried control data between the various components. This all being said, none of the original equipment, aside from the speakers, was going to be reused.
The reason for the replacement was that the system was starting to flake out. Originally, it was minor but annoying: the tape player slot would open and close repeatedly and it would beep each time it did the open/close operation. The only way to stop it was to hold the tape player slot shut and have it time-out and stop. Then, one of the audio channels started to become intermittent, and, factor in some incredibly dated maps. It had to go.
The Process:
The Amp...
This was the first thing that was completed: the amp. It's a Rockford Fosgate R600-5. This took a long time as I separated the wires that I needed from the factory wire looms, re-wrapped them into new looms, then routed them around the trunk. Plus, fishing the RCAs, all six of them, from the front to the back, was also no easy feat. I should have used skinnier RCA cables or removed the driver seat and discarded the original wiring.
The amp itself is mounted onto brackets that have been bolted to a cross brace behind the trunk interior lining. Sorry, no pics, I forgot! I then spray painted the mounting hardware black to "hide" the mounting hardware. I also had to make my own threaded extensions as the local hardware store did not have them. It was all made secure with blue thread locker.
Front Wire Looms...
This was a PITA. I spent awhile figuring out which wire was what, nothing followed convention here, and then followed the procedure of separating the wires and re-wrapping them into new looms. I did not want to have a bunch of wires pushed in like spaghetti. I also soldered all connections and used heatshrink on everything. I also had to do some minor repairs. The previous installer of the XM FM modulator did a pretty unsatisfactory job.
What is not shown is how I had to route and hide new wires for the microphone, GPS antenna, XM radio antenna.
Center Arm Rest Dock...
This was an after-though. Originally, that cradle was mounted on the dash next to the to-be radio. I then realized that the iPhone will sync via Bluetooth so having it up front is no longer necessary. So, I had to take that off, and then, remove the whole center console, route the wires, cut the hole for the USB and line-in jacks, mount the cradle. Finally, put it all back together which is easier said than done. The carpet and center console are "interleaved" together. It's a very precise fit.
The Headunit...
It's a Pioneer X930BT, with P920XM, and, the NDC10 traffic tuner. It's all mounted all together there. I had to flatten the supplied P920 brackets so I could bolt that directly to the headunit. Underneath, somewhat visible in the front shot, in the rear, is the traffic tuner. This way, when you calculate a route it will go around traffic or, you can view traffic in normal map mode. This all just drops in as one and everything gets connected, about nine connectors in total.
Dash shot...
This is what it looks like in front. That piece around the radio is an aftermarket bit we bought. It's made of plastic, does not fit right, and it will be replaced in the near future. But, it is the only option to go for a double-din, aftermarket, radio.
AM/FM Antenna...
Yes, even the factory AM/FM won't work. The COMAND unit up front tells the factory antenna which antenna to use: AM, FM, TV. The signal is then sent to the COMAND unit, which sends the modulated IF back to the antenna, and it determines if it needs to switch to a different antenna for FM!
Any ways, I thought of installing an FM dipole within the rear bumper. There is an AM/FM amplifier above the battery and I used the factory GPS cable since it was no longer being used. I just had to put the correct jacks/plugs on it.
Backstory:
The original stereo system, designed by Bose, was totally nuts. They decided to use multi-mode fiberoptics to send audio to/from peripheral devices and to the amp. So, if you dropped in a CD or tuned to a station on FM, it would be sent digitally to the amp in the back. In addition, the fiber-optic system was D2B, a mostly proprietary system for Mercedes. In addition to digitized audio, it also carried control data between the various components. This all being said, none of the original equipment, aside from the speakers, was going to be reused.
The reason for the replacement was that the system was starting to flake out. Originally, it was minor but annoying: the tape player slot would open and close repeatedly and it would beep each time it did the open/close operation. The only way to stop it was to hold the tape player slot shut and have it time-out and stop. Then, one of the audio channels started to become intermittent, and, factor in some incredibly dated maps. It had to go.
The Process:
The Amp...
This was the first thing that was completed: the amp. It's a Rockford Fosgate R600-5. This took a long time as I separated the wires that I needed from the factory wire looms, re-wrapped them into new looms, then routed them around the trunk. Plus, fishing the RCAs, all six of them, from the front to the back, was also no easy feat. I should have used skinnier RCA cables or removed the driver seat and discarded the original wiring.
The amp itself is mounted onto brackets that have been bolted to a cross brace behind the trunk interior lining. Sorry, no pics, I forgot! I then spray painted the mounting hardware black to "hide" the mounting hardware. I also had to make my own threaded extensions as the local hardware store did not have them. It was all made secure with blue thread locker.
Front Wire Looms...
This was a PITA. I spent awhile figuring out which wire was what, nothing followed convention here, and then followed the procedure of separating the wires and re-wrapping them into new looms. I did not want to have a bunch of wires pushed in like spaghetti. I also soldered all connections and used heatshrink on everything. I also had to do some minor repairs. The previous installer of the XM FM modulator did a pretty unsatisfactory job.
What is not shown is how I had to route and hide new wires for the microphone, GPS antenna, XM radio antenna.
Center Arm Rest Dock...
This was an after-though. Originally, that cradle was mounted on the dash next to the to-be radio. I then realized that the iPhone will sync via Bluetooth so having it up front is no longer necessary. So, I had to take that off, and then, remove the whole center console, route the wires, cut the hole for the USB and line-in jacks, mount the cradle. Finally, put it all back together which is easier said than done. The carpet and center console are "interleaved" together. It's a very precise fit.
The Headunit...
It's a Pioneer X930BT, with P920XM, and, the NDC10 traffic tuner. It's all mounted all together there. I had to flatten the supplied P920 brackets so I could bolt that directly to the headunit. Underneath, somewhat visible in the front shot, in the rear, is the traffic tuner. This way, when you calculate a route it will go around traffic or, you can view traffic in normal map mode. This all just drops in as one and everything gets connected, about nine connectors in total.
Dash shot...
This is what it looks like in front. That piece around the radio is an aftermarket bit we bought. It's made of plastic, does not fit right, and it will be replaced in the near future. But, it is the only option to go for a double-din, aftermarket, radio.
AM/FM Antenna...
Yes, even the factory AM/FM won't work. The COMAND unit up front tells the factory antenna which antenna to use: AM, FM, TV. The signal is then sent to the COMAND unit, which sends the modulated IF back to the antenna, and it determines if it needs to switch to a different antenna for FM!
Any ways, I thought of installing an FM dipole within the rear bumper. There is an AM/FM amplifier above the battery and I used the factory GPS cable since it was no longer being used. I just had to put the correct jacks/plugs on it.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
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