Small Repair

In our daily life situation, when

something break down and need to

be repaired, in most of the case it is 

a loose screw or loose connection

kind of very simple fault.

In certain extent, it is true that the

everything break and lost = natural

were ant tear surely eat away its life

though, in the same time if we pay 

reasonable attention such as to give an oil or tighten the screws etc, the things

can last quite long time.  Like my Electric Kettle, it is more than 30 years old.  

In fact, there is little possibility of a Kettle to break down unless switch

it on without a water thence either whole Kettle melted down or burn-out the

heater element.   It’s mean, if we do “Always put only necessary amount of

fresh water and boil” = Kettle was designed to last for ever in this condition.

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But a kind of machine which has a motor inside, its vibration often cause a

break down.  The worst was the worn-out of the motor bearing (due to a rack

of care = dust,  and rack of oiling) otherwise,  a component became loose.

Photo on the top is a control board of a motor tool in which you can see an

exploded component called Triac.

The vibration caused a component to come loose and caused a short circuit.

The damaged parts was visible and the repair was simply to replace and fix them. 

The photo above is a control board of a back-up battery power supply.  

Right side in the left photo, you can see a yellowish box shaped component

was burnt and exploded.  From the shape and the size, it’s easy to see that it

was the same one in the left side, which said 100mF = It was a capacitor.

Remove the damaged one and test with equivalent component, if the whole

unit works (it’s mean no other component has been damaged), it’s the repair.

In this very case, the damaged capacitor was replaced by the equivalent

capacitor (in the photo right). —– But, if no obvious damage was seen, then

complicated trace and analysis game starts.  It’s mean, this  is not a small or 

simple repair. —– Some time it was called nightmare and often

it is cheaper to buy new one.  😀

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Moss

Wet but not too cold = who most enjoy this weather must be the Mosses.

And nobody would say otherwise.  So, no word here. 

(In fact, I do know them very little any way.  🙂 )

Three photos above were taken by Zeiss 85mm F1.4 with close-up lens.

Rest of photos were taken by Canon EF Macro 100mm F2.8 with Close-up lens.

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Electronics in the Lens

Lens of today’s hi-tech DSLR was connected to the camera body

on its bottom, mechanically and electronically.

Except the Canon EF Lens (for EOS), the Aperture lever has to be

pushed from the camera side, therefore when the lens was used in

rivers direction, either the Lens become completely manual (if the 

Aperture ring was still there) or just out of control. — But Canon’s EF

lens has its own stepping motor to drive the Aperture, hence as long as

they are electronically connected, the Aperture will function as normal.

(If not connected, there is no way else to use Aperture but fully open.)  

To have an electronic connection, we only need a simple cable !  

So, I made this adapter, long time ago, in fact soon after the Canon

introduced their EOS camera. ( yet, it was a film camera then.)

—– the connection between the camera and a lens was made by two

sets of male and female contacts. = I made and mounted them on

a Body-cap and a Lens-rear-cap,  and jointed them with a cable !  

= With this cable, even when a lens was held in angle, still the

lens function like as normal.

I could use this on EOS 620 and RT with EF 28 mm lens for

experimental close-up with tilted lens etc —– though, few days

ago, when I tested this again, with my latest Canon gear, 

I found, 5D camera refused to work with this.  😀  😀

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On the appearance, it was just an 8p connections and two of them

were the ground line, and the signal lines for each direction =

only 5 lines seems to be used though, as long as all 8 lines were

connected one-by-one there should be OK, other than the trouble of

impedance or magnetic interference kind, caused by an extended wires.     

(Those interference might be used to detect unauthorized connection.

And if anything odd was detected, Camera CPU may check the Lens’ ID.

—– If no answer was received, then camera stop to work normal.  🙂 )

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These days, the lens transmit their own ID for their own graphic program

to correct the individual characteristics of the lens, such as the aberration

or corner fall-off of the light.  = To correct the Chromatic Aberration,

Red signal from the Pixels would be shifted inward and Blue signal would be

shifted outward accordingly ! (So, the picture become even sharper !  😀 )

Though, I’m not necessary happy with this kind of approach —– once we

start to rely on computer graphics, we may no longer need to have such as

ultra wide angle lens or fisheye-lens, as we can get the same effect by

stitching the photos or use distorting graphic effect or “filters”.

Graphic design is a desc top process, it is not a photography on the spot.

Photography is a Site-specific, Moment-bound “interaction”

not just a visual effect.

= What “I” witnessed and how I lived with its moment  IS  the matter.

If the artefact left was a fake, the person and the life was a fake. 

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At a moment, I’m quite amazed how  Canon 5D  could detect

“something odd” about this cable, and teasing me while showing

photo-number [50] in the view finder, instead of [950] on the

camera top,  and not showing “Focused” indicator  etc.

—– not malfunction but maliciously falsified on purpose.  😀

(It takes time to debag and hack-into the camera. )

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Too early Spring ?

In the day time, it was so sunny and warm —– so,

one of my friend came over and we popped out to the park.

Though every where, the grass was water logged by the record amount

of the rain (500 mm for this winter) still, Crocus started the flower.

Then we found this flower. —– ? ? ?  

It can be a cherry but my guess was a Peach —– too early still.

Those flowers may not be too early.  

Left seems to be an Apricot (Japanese equivalent of Ume)  and

the right Photo seems to be a Kanzakura (Winter Cherry).

Still, I don’t think even now is not an appropriate time for

this Haney Bee to come out.

Crocus seems to be the second earliest flower to come out.

= First one is the Snow-drop, then after Crocus,  Daffodil start to flower. 

In distance, I realized that there is a quite tall Winter Cherry.  

—– but instead to walk-up, I took photo of it with 500 mm lens.  😀

Like last year, this Spring-like Climate might be a false and the cold

spell may back again —– any how this is the England !

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Spiritual Deptford

In the east London, whether it is north or south of the Thames, the

churches there is quite big and well built. It is the luminescence of how

the area used to be rich with its industry and the people working there.

Of cause, the east London was the Dockland =  

center of the ship building and the sea trade.

But I guess, the Anglican Church, such as in the top photo may not having

so many attendance now, still the “Cathedral” photo above may attracting

a lots of worshippers. (I didn’t ask which sect —– may be Evangelistic.)

So, it seems this town is having a quite fanatic followers of

the Christian persuasion. 

M m m m ?

I’m not necessary convinced that the spirit was made buy glittering

plastic though, it is not my business or the matter I should go into. 

—– I rather feel, this Deptford Creek must have seen and seeing

the change of the time and carried a scum of human life away,

for hundreds, thousands of the years

—– this is my spiritual response to this town.

___/\___

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Most fancy Macro-photo set-up

This is a rather fancy combination of the macro photo set-up,  

around the famous Olympus 80 mm F4  1:1 Macro lens.  

This lens was designed for 1:1 Slide duplication or inter-negative work.

Most of the Macro Lens was designed to give the best performance at

1/10 shooting distance.  (Ordinary lenses were designed for the infinity.)

So,  this Olympus lens was quite unique even among the macro lens.

—– though, this lens was designed to use on the Extension Bellows,

I was thinking to make an adapter to use the lens on a bellows like this.

—– then, I found a fancy (and very rare) camera accessory “Pentax,

Helicoid Extension Tube” together with “49 mm to M42 Reverse ring”

= in this combination, I can use this lens without a bellows.

From the Left, Zuiko 1:1 Macro 80 mm F4,  49 mm to M42 Reverse Ring,

Helicoid Extension Tube,  M42 to EOS Adapter ring, EOS Extension Tube  

and EOS 5D MK-II Body.

Unlike the previous photo by 24 mm lens,  rather long 80 mm lens can

give more even view and giving a ease of lighting. (This is x1 or 1:1 shot)

Clopped and part enlarged image isn’t too bad to the 24 mm original x10 image. 

F4 is not very bright for 80 mm lens, still the out of focus bokhe is quite

large and soft. —– (But a little bit messy.  🙂 )

Looks interesting image though, whether this image is better than such

as Tamron 90 mm F2.5  or  Canon Macro 100 mm f2.8,  it’s need to have 

a test shot in the exactly  the same setting and the lighting.

(I might add the photos by those lenses later here. )

—————————–

PS:  When I posted this, a reason why it became so fancy was that I didn’t

have Olympus-EOS adapter —> hence, I needed to mount the 80 mm lens

reversed = since I couldn’t use 80 mm lens’ own helicoid, I needed to add

Pentax Extension Helicoid and so on !

—– Since then, I obtained an adapter => I can mount the lens in normal

direction straight onto EOS Extension Tube. = Here the simpler configuration.  

When this lens was mounted about 80 mm from the Image Sensor, it focused

to infinity.  And with 80 mm more Extension Tube, it creates life-size image.

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Mind-set of the Medallist

Now the news from Sochi Winter Olympic is the regular feature in the media.

So, naturally I read quite number of the words from the Medallists “How he

(or she) came to this point”. Such as the one from the first Gold Medallist

of Japan, Yuzuru Hanyu (羽生結弦) the Figure Skater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoqHZH6KE1c

—– (Unfortunately I couldn’t find a proper video from Sochi in Youtube =

most of them are either old clips or the clip only using his name with

crap contents. = this one from last year’s competition.)

Yuzuru grown up in Sendai, Japan the place received that earthquake and

tsunami few years ago. So, even he had a part of the same fate, couldn’t

practice for 6 months, as a local ice-rink was destroyed, on top of all sorts

of life’s ups and downs. —– still, in his word on an interview, he said

“On the end I came to the point to realize that I couldn’t be anybody

more than myself or anybody less than myself, and understood, there

couldn’t be anything else but to go the life to be a skater.”

= No pretence of special pride carrying the top name or the feeling carrying

the duty to the country.   (Yet still, when he won, he carried Japanese Flag

on his shoulder. = He was thank-full to the people who supported him

back in Japan. —– He was a nice 19 years old boy !)

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This is in fact quite common feeling among the athletes who became

top medallist. = Non boasted the words like “I came to the Olympic to win

for my country”—– but “Just did my best and it happened to be an Olympic”.

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It is a common misconception = “To achieve such highest goal, it must need

to have highest concentration of the Will and the strong Mindset”.

—– strangely you might think, the stronger the will or higher the aim or

desire kind, it fails to achieve the goal. —– We human was not designed to

withstand to maintain such hard will, and our fate is not providing plain

sailing. = The higher the aim, the stronger the disappointment when the ship

hit an obstacle, then the person brake down.

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Athletes compete physical game though, it is in fact a very heavy mental game.

Minute fear or negative doubt would hinder the moment of judgement.

After thousands, tens of thousands of practices, the body got accustomed to

perform routine = let the body to perform.  = No “Will, Aim, Pride, Pretence,

Desire, Show-off, Sense of Obligation, Duty, Fear, Doubt, Arrogance or Shame”

= in other words ANY MIND was not required here.  = Just Do it.

Any how, in the moment when the athlete is competing, there couldn’t be

a margin to haggle any thought.

—– ? ? ? —– Don’t you think it’s sound familiar ?

Yes. This is exactly the same mental state to Mushin and Ichijo of the Zen.

Or, the Selflessness of the Buddhism. —– are they Buddhist ?  Not necessary.

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Lord Buddha’s teachings = Buddhism, was the wisdom learned from the

human nature, and been applied to the general aspects of the life.

Wisdom in the human nature which was prevailed in the process of extreme

practice was in fact the wisdom held by the universe = Rules of the Universe,

which is in the Buddhist’s term Dharma.

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And the contemplation those athletes has gained, is nothing but

their Enlightenment = Being nobody else of the Self, who is in fact Selfless.

= This selflessness is in deed, the Dharma.

___/\___

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Tripod — give a thought

Among rather delicate Photo equipment, Tripod is exceptionally physical.

No another equipment would be thrown into a car floor. —– and may be that

was a reason why a film company disposed and gave a broken tripod to me.

When I got a huge Bilora tripod (Photo Left),  it’s legs were crushed. I replaced

them with 3 Manfrotto’s Monopod and put Gitzo No.4 (largest) Tripod-head.

= This 15 Kg heavy tripod can extend to 3 m high(with extension column) and

never produced blared image caused by a vibration, resonance kind. (of cause) !

(I was using this for Pentax 6×7 high-angle shot, or large format 4×5 kind.)

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Center Photo is a rather light-weight Gitzo (Reporter) with Ball-socket head.

Unlike other Gitzo which got 3 axis (X,Y,Z) fixing,

this ball-socket head has “a kind of” ease for quick

adjustment.  In the same time it is a disadvantage.  

If 3 axis can be adjusted individually = for instance, while keeping X,Y

fixed, but change only Z direction, it can have finer control.  

And being as light-weight and thin pipe, (even worse, ball and socket’s joint

is rather thin long neck) this tripod is sceptic to vibrate when all the

combination and the balance of the weight happened to resonates.

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And the Photo right is one of my small tripod (but not the smallest) which

become flat, when not in use. (Easily slip into a bag. )  

This tripod extends to 1 m and fold to 38 cm, the weight is mere 500 g !

It’s a typical case, “Better than nothing” but never perfect in any aspects.  🙂

The most important point of using tripod is, never fallen into an expectation

of false security. = Unless the tripod is really hefty heavy one, the use of tripod

may create more adverse effect = causing the blur.  Somewhere like a beach or

hill side, when the wind was strong, the tripod may be vibrating with the wind.

(You can feel it while rightly touch the leg.)

Test your tripod with your camera mounted —–> Click a shutter while rightly

touching your finger to the tripod leg. = If you feel tripod vibrates,

that is a quality of your tripod ! => Need to become aware of FALSE security !

Then take a measure.  Such as, hung something heavy from the tripod.

When tripod is vibrating, instead to use a Remote-Trigger or Delay-shutter,

grip the camera (on the tripod) and trigger the shutter by your finger !

(Hand works as a dumper. )  —– Or completely opposite approach against

Shutter-shock = drastically lower ISO and the shutter speed and make

shutter speed something like one second to few seconds !  

Unless the subject is moving, strangely, the photo become much sharper.

(See it yourself !  🙂 )

—– From the experiences seeing the broken Carbon Fibre Tripod, Golf club

and Fishing rod,  I’m not a fan of Carbon Fibre.  = When they brake, they

disintegrates.  Broken aluminium leg is still “a kind of leg” = You still able

to shoot a last photo or two on it. 

But, disintegrated bunch of plastic is utterly useless.  

Not to have a feeling of “false security” mean, better carry an insurance

for the worst situation too = carry one Kg more for stronger tripod !

After all, the steadiness and the reliability comes from its solid weight.  🙂

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Pinhole Portrait Picture

Some one might say, they looks like the photos of the earliest (100 KP)

digital camera. —– Oh, com’n they were created by a pretty expensive DSLR  

5D, Mk-III you know how much the cost !

(Taken at the Wednesday Workshop in Greenwich) 

And the others might say  “What a waste of time” = Hours of days of work,

and created this ? —– What for ? ? ?   Oh, com’n what’s wrong with you ?

I wanted to show = to be a portrait, what’s the minimum the picture

need to have — or other words, “Enough” to describe the person.  🙂

In fact, it was the same one = Semi-Fisheye,  Diopt-Pinhole Hybrid,  

Double-density Pinhole. Very very sophisticated Posh system, you know ? 

Ha ha ha   😀

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Camera Shake / Resonance of Tripod

On the previous post, the top photo taken by 200 mm Lens which was

held against the Camera body, was inevitably shaky and couldn’t been

properly focused.  When I realized that there is Catkins, I set-up a tripod

and 500 mm lens —– but after few clicks, I discovered that the photos

were utterly fuzzy.  => I increased ISO speed hence shutter speed,  still

the situation wasn’t get any better.     

Have look the information of the photo,  left bottom under the Histogram =

O mm lens mean Non-Canon lens, ISO 1600 and Shutter speed  1/2500 Sec.  

This was not off-focused image. ( no double line, typical to Mirror lens there) 

As the photo on the tripod showed the funny shake, I resorted with

hand held.  And strangely (you say), it produced much sharper image.

This time,  ISO 400 and the Shutter speed was  1/ 320. 

It was well known only to few people = a Shake caused by the Resonating

equipment. = In here, 500 mm lens, Canon 5D, and Gitzo Reporter Tripod

almost fully extended has happened to resonated and gave very fine vibration.

(If the extension of the tripod was shortened, there may not be a vibration.

= that is the tricky part of the  [Resonance] = hard to predict though, it is

possible to test => hit the set-up of the tripod with a stick and listen the

sound = if they makes good long sound “Boom” = Resonation suspected ! )

The photo above (heavily clopped image) by the

Tamron 500 mm Mirror lens,  hand held and  

ISO 1600, the Shutter speed was  1/8000 ! = I like a glare of branches.

(Human body is a dumper = wouldn’t resonates —– thanks goodness !)

May be I should find the frequency of this resonating vibration, because

Anti-Vibration system in the lens may not have an effect to higher frequency.

(I tested it with Anti-vibration of 70~200 F2.8 lens though as it got totally

different weight and the balance, the same resonance wasn’t replicated.)

May be I should talk about the Tripod in near future.

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