Ball and Socket

— (from top-left down = Bilora, Unknown German, Bilora copy.  Second top = Velbon, Velbon. Third = Slick. Fourth = Manfrotto with fixed quick camera  mount, Cheap Manfrotto. Big white Bilora. Gitzo and the second largest ball size in the world then = Cullmann (Germany) with Manfrotto quick camera mount )

While looking for something, I noticed one of the box is very heavy.  And it turned out to be full of Ball-and-Socket Tripod-heads packed in.  For general use, I’m using two Gitzo tripod, one with a Ball-and-Socket head and the other with ordinary 3 axis adjustable head.  On top of those, I’ve been using small tripods, ball-socket to many improvised use in the dairy life.

When we connect something, bar, arm, even camera or light to the base or tripod kind, a Ball and Socket is the most useful (if not the best) system.  They can be easily adjusted of position, angle and able to fix it with a turn of one lever.  Very good for a busy photographer though, such advantage is exactly the big disadvantage in the same time. = painstakingly found, adjusted position could suddenly collapse with one miss move of the fixing lever.  And when it collapses, it dramatically collapses all XYZ direction.  Try to counter this trouble, Cullmann Ball-Socket Head using very heavy grease to prevent the sudden move of the ball though, as the ball was somewhat stuck to the socket, it is very heavy to move.  (And even worse, this heavy grease preventing the solid clamp of the ball, even when the fixing lever was tightened, ball would move slowly by its own = and after a while, the position = lens direction would have been changed by the gravity ! — with such trouble, soon it disappeared from the market, so, my one is a historical collection.   😀 ) 

And in the box, there are quite a few “Ball-Socket” kind of items.  Left is a Level Adjuster from Manfrotto  #138. 

Probably the most incredible and disturbing item in my all collection is this Manfrotto #138 = level adjusting head.   As you can see on the photos, its ball is cracked and started disintegrating.   Non of the other head etc showing the same deterioration, it must be unique to this item = the material must be hopelessly inferior or mixed with wrong additives.   To my complaint, Manfrotto said that they got the confidence in the quality of their products, and didn’t even interested in to see the photos let alone item itself = indicating it may not be new to them = don’t need even inspect, let alone investigate.  (As you can see the deterioration occurred only the ball side nothing on the socket = indicates it was not caused by the external factor such as the way how it was used or kept (heat, humidity kind) but solely in the quarity of the ball itself. = material or manufacturing process was responsible.)   Still they says that anyway its out of warranty and the product #158 has been discontinued. = No hope ! — So, this is who Manfrotto is = we may need to prepare that their product could suddenly clack and breakdown, while crushing the expensive camera on it.  Oh dear.

And the second = Action Head from the Slick — with a grip of the lever the ball will be released to move — though, it was a torture to the hand ! (This one was designed more than 45 years ago.) The third must be a kit tripod for a small camera though, I haven’t found the camera fit to this.  And the right one was in fact a base of an old wooden tripod = level adjusting base — 100 years old ? — I thought it would be useful in somewhere, one day.  😀

When I need to shoot on table top with flash light etc, I’m using a Support stand which can hold the subject, accessory etc or a light reflector etc.   Those system is having many different kind of grip, clamp, holder etc and having many articulated flexible joint to adjust the position.

For such purpose, the Ball-Socket is what we need.  But there is not such small Ball-Socket in the market.   If not there, why not make one myself.  It is only a matter of cramping a ball.  And such material could be found everywhere. (From a fixture of a furniture to a broken top of a Hasselbrad Focusing Lever. (Photo middle)   Or make a cramp using a large screw nat. (Photo right)

If we look around, the useful material we can improvise, is everywhere.   A small display base could be a small camera base. (Photo left)   And you might recognize this = looks familiar wasn’t it ? (Photo middle and right) = it was a flexible base of a radio antena. = now converted to hold something on front of a lens  on close-up shot or hold a light reflector on a side of the lens.    (Once before, I did hung a flower dipped with honey to attract the flying bee come to the front of the lens. = it’s worked !   😀 )

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Soft Option (2)

I found quite few very sharp macro lens (or the lens unit which can function as a macro lens) among the junk optics, still there wasn’t many soft macro lens so far.   So, this lens seems to be an exception.  The lens itself was yet another omunifocus toy lens though, when the lens was pushed forward and went into the close-up region, the spherical aberration seemed to be increased, hence the image become very soft.   Otheres may say it is a useless lens, still, for the sake of the soft image, I very much like this character. = So, this was yet another soft option = the special goodness this lens can offer.

And how unusual this lens IS too apparent on this photo above.   It’s fuzzy, still, we can see certain information = its mean, this is a usefull picture in the certain situation. (like for the evidence)

With the extension, close-up photo is fuzzy, still showing certain detail.

Same can be said in a distant subject = fuzzy, still, amazingly, having the details.  (did you noticed ?  The center of the enlarged photo, back-slash straight line is that crain ! )

With a normal lens, it should looks like this. (This one was by the Zeiss Distagon 18 mm lens) — that crain seems busy working !  🙂  

  Forget the theory or blurh blurh, see how “Fuzzy lens” works in practice ?

Unfortunately, situation was not ideal at all.  Under rather wet and windy days, I couldn’t find good flower.  Worse still, they were on the higher branch. —– So, this was what I managed to do with “Fun camera lens + close-up extension” and its “Fuzzy image” !

When the subject was not rich, it is the time to go to humble Zen Photography.

I’m serious.  Believe me.  😀

But these last photos here were by the other lens from Panorama toy camera, with close-up extension.  Despite the cost nothing plastic lens, the photo looks quite normal isn’t it ?    Almost religious belief that the photo has to be pin sharp, the lens got to be expensive hi-quality —– Who invented this idea ? = Only untill few dicade ago, most of the people was quite happy with a photo of the Instamatic Camera, printed on 3″ x 5″ chemist print.   Once you get rid off the idiosyncratic idea, you may find how you can be free to create “photographic image” = you don’t need to be just passive to encounter the subject neither just passive to receive (and buy) manufacture’s supply. 

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Soft option in close-up photo

The lenses of which I dubbed “Omunifocus Lens” produces quite usable images from infinity to 0.5m without having any focus control.  Yet, it has a limitation — closer than 0.5m, the image became too blurred.   Still, if the position of the lens was adjusted it can produce pretty sharp image.   So, I ordered the close-up ring for Sony E-mount and while waiting its delivery, I took a soft option of close-up technique.  = The lens was stack on the camera mount with 10 mm high soft plastic putty. (Bluetack) = As the lens was positioned further away from the image sensor it’s enables the close-up shot. 

Those homemade lenses were mounted on the OM body cap (which can be used as a Sony E-mount body cap), so that I can change each of the lens quite easily = take one out and just stick the other.   Since its humble origin from a toy camera or disposable camera, every lens are all one or two plastic, still each of them showed the different character.  Such as the one from panorama camera got quite deep depth of field = keeping omunifocus character even under the close-up shot. (Photo above left and middle)   Still the other lens showed very nice soft image. (Photo above right) — Can you believe, those images were created by the lens costed almost nothing !   And now you might be realised that the photography even with such thousands pound Hi-Tech camera may not necessary be very precise and rigid technology or art = in fact they can be very soft.  (You can see the images if the optical axis of the lens was 15° out.) 

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Winter Cherry (again) – (2)

Just take picture of mere cherry flowers, this set up must be the most swaggering one. 

Still I’m not doing this for ostentatious show off.  simply because, the lens (rear part of a video camera wide converter) has 160mm focal length, hence it need to have quite long extension (therefore, need to use a bellows).  And why I wanted to use this lens here, you will see it in those photos.  Wide converter was made by a reputed good lens maker Tokina, not a jokey Chinese crap.  — I wanted their lens component, not the function of wide converter.  So, I hacksawed it to take a front concave lens out. (which became to the front element of “Wide angle Pinhole Machine“.  And the left over converging lens became a fuzzy long focal lens as you can see it here.  😀 

Those optical devices were designed to give decent requisite function in certain quality, it’s mean, those optics has been designed to eliminate the aberration by combining the different types of lenses — in other words, if the front and rear element was separated, aberration couldn’t be corrected.  

(Photo left = despite of heavy halation, this lens gives quite sharp image.  And having a nice softness.)

So, this rear part of the lens showed quite a blur yet still, it retains the certain sharpness (= It’s a funny lens ! —– I like it though, shame, it’s so awkward to use.)

Ideally those photos should have rather dark blue sky to show white halo around the flowers though, the sky was just hopelessly gray. (Another solution would be, go back there with a flash or LED ring light when the ambient light was getting dimmer. —– I might do it. )

And, to everybody, a Happy New Year for 2017

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Winter Cherry (again !)

OMG, —– when I walked close by, I noticed that, that Cherry is flowering again. —– Since she is flowering every winter, it shouldn’t be any surprise though, when actually face it, still it was a OMG.

Though this time all the flowers are rather high on the branches.  I went back there with “Tele-photo Pinhole” = simply it was the DD Pinhole further extended by the extension rings which made it to 105mm Tele-photo.  (If it was a lens, extension ring will work as a close-up device but for a pinhole, it only makes the effective focal length longer. — in fact, as it will make the image larger, it would have a close-up effect as well though, pinhole has no focus at all, in any “focal length”, if you close to the subject, you will get larger image any way.)  So, what so ever the theory, Pinhole image is Pinhole like image.  Too fuzzy.  Still  if anybody want to see more decent sharper images of the same flowers, I got many many other shot. = please go back to them.   😀

(On the photos above, left and middle were the same flower though, the middle photo was by the Mag lens (and heavily cropped)

I may need to come back with other kind of lenses.  😀

Incidentally, soon after I wrote London weather was mild, suddenly it became cold.  And, this is my first frosty photo of this season. (by the Mag lens)

So, anybody in the cold, Please survive well.

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Lens quality — in different aspect

While watching the morning sky (8:52 AM  GMT  24-12-2016) I saw a light of an air craft.  I clicked my Nikon D810 with Zeiss Distagon 18mm (for Nikon mount) thinking if the light was captured.

—– With my amazement, not only the light but also the air craft itself was clearly captured. 

It’s difficult to see on the original photo, still on the enlarged image, not just the light but the shape of the airliner was clearly seen.  Yes, this IS what we call the resolution, the quality of the lens.  (May be, the quality reflecting its Thousand pound price, more precisely. —– still, this lens was made by the Coshina, Japan whom Zeiss entrusted.)  (By the way, those photos were taken through the dusty double grazing window, so, they were not in the optimum quality. = I’m not such keen to wide open the window or go cold outside for this kind of shooting. — sorry, lazzy me.)

I found an interest to see the comparison of the lenses.  (Photo above was the same Zeiss 18mm image and its part enlargement of the bottom right — See a crane and its red light behind the tree branches.)

Oh, how sweet !  This image was made by the homemade Mag Lens. — not much details (because of heavy Coma aberration) yet, strangely the image of the tree was somewhat retained.  That was why I love this lens !  If you know any optical filter or digital manipulation which could create same to this effect, please let me know.

This was rather surprising, what I found was some detailed images from utterly cheap (two plastic) Toy Camera lenses ! = faint though, the red light was still visible.  —– This image might impose you a question, in reality, what quality you actually need, with what price ?   Wasn’t that just a useless obsession or vanity to have 40, 50 Mp Hi-resi images = What are you going to do with it ? And after you died, who is going to keep your photos ?  (My photos are destined for a landfill, that why I’m showing them here in 700 x 300 pic size while I can, for somebody to have a fun,  Ha ha ha.   😀 )   (The quality of a photograph is not its sharpness but its context.)

For a comparison, the another thousand pound lens = Canon EF 24~70mm F2.8 was mounted on Sony A7R, fixed as a 28mm lens — though, may be with fully open F2.8 or being as a Zoom lens otherwise because of Canon = showed some details and the red light but far behind the Zeiss’ sharpness.   

So, they were some rough guide to the lens quality. — or I’m saying, toy camera or homemade lens are not too bad.    😀

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Oxford Street (and Selfridge) Xmas shot

Those photos were taken by the lenses, homemade Mag Lens or Halina wide Lens though, few of them were by the Gaudy Lens on the Tilting Bellows with Sony A7R.

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Halina Wide or its lens

Often I’ve been using a term “Junk” or “Toy Camera” quite casually, despite of a bit of guilty   conscious.    Many years ago, once I strongly complained to Nikon, when they produced a (relatively) cheap Nikon EM with its back-light compensation button in blue plastic (it really looks cheap plastic) I said to them (to the boss of Nikon UK) “Don’t make cheap camera looks cheap” “Although, it is cheap, for the young student from a poor back ground, it must be an affordable limit, and their dream and the treasured possession” “Make it looks cheap and make them feel shabby wouldn’t create the future of Nikon any good return”= so, they changed the button to chrome colored. —– Yes for some people, so-called Toy Camera was still only a camera they could afford. 

On the photo, you may see 4 of the Canon EFS 18~55 — in fact I had 2 more which I’ve completely taken down to the pieces for study or use the motor etc. for the other purpose (such as this front element or that).

People may misconceived that a kind of the work I’ve been doing, it must be done in a well equipped proper workshop. (Quite few people thought I got a Lathe machine, even a Laser Cutter.)  They were wrong, the works were done in my kitchen mostly by a hacksaw.  (if it was a very dusty work, done in a bath tub (without water of course)

Forget a political correctness kind —– the reality IS, the cheap camera which end-up in an odds-ends box as a junk was just made by an ABS plastic mold + plastic parts = nothing like each mechanical unit was assembled on the metal frame like a more expensive counterpart.    So, to disassemble a junk camera meant hacksaw the area I need to gauged out from the lest. 

Then, gauged out lens unit (in this case 2 plastic lenses) was temporally attached on the camera to see the exact position. (Photo left)   And test mount the lens unit on the camera body cap. (Photo middle)  On the end, this is the finished product. (Photo right)

While toiling with such hard work, what sort of the image could be created ?   In reality, nothing special or rather say, it’s a crap.

Not necessary the infinity, but this is a far enough distant objects.   Tree twig looks twig = seems OK.

And without having refocus (no such things here), the subjects, a meter or so looks like what we are seeing.  May be this is the point, we are amazed.  (Really ? !)

Wait a moment, think again.  A lens of 28mm (for full frame) would have rather large depth of field.  Say, fix the distance to 1.7m and set the aperture for F8, the subjects from 0.8m to somewhat 20m (almost “far”) would be (regarded to be) in focus. 

So, this IS the image made by a lens (Canon EFS 18~55) fix to 28mm, 1.7m and F8.

And this IS the close distance image made by the same lens without chang anything. (focus was still 1.7m)

It must be clear, so-called omunifocus is not necessary an amazing phenomenon. Here is a very simple common sence in photography = Stopped down wide-angle lens can shoot anything.  (But the trouble IS, it would make the photo looks messy — to express, the less is more)   🙂

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WW Party on the Boat

WW gathering (some says, it is Wireless Workshop, others say Wednesday Workshop or Wireless Wednesday ? ? ? = since it started as a group hacking into 2.4 GHz Wireless Data link) had a party in a Pub in the Westminster, and to go there we took a boat on the Thames river.

So, from Greenwich Pier we took a boat TRS (Thames River Service).    It was still 4:30 though, it was already after sunset = night voyage.    How fancy !

And we arrived to the Westminster = its mean the foot of Big-ben.

After that, not much to show.  😀

By the way, a white dot on the right end was the Super full moon ! —– though don’t ask any better picture.  The lens was a junk (£5) Canon EFS 18~55 lens on Sony A7 camera — ( it’s mean no F-aperture control = fully open.)   And the shake of the images were not because of the moving ship or I was drunk,  I purposely made them for a sake of the art = believe me.     He he he.    😀

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Robot with Leiz (?) Lens

Among my camera collection, the most peculiar one must be this Robot camera with a Leiz Xenon lens.  Leiz lens though, it was made by the Taylor Hobson.  Taylor Hobson is a British optical, precise engineering company, so why British lens was sold as Leiz Xenon Lens may have interesting story. (You may find.)  And the lens was made for Leica camera and further modified to fit this Robot camera.

  The name Robot came from its spring driven automatic shooting mechanism.  And this particular model has double length of the spring which enable the whole 50 shots in one charge of the spring.  I think this camera was designed to be used on the scientific or military front in mind.  = such as that the camera was mounted on top of a microscope or under a wing of a spying aircraft where the shutter was triggered by a remote cable.

The camera was very well designed and solidly made (= heavy).  Film was loaded to the double cassett of which the film slit will be opened for a smooth winding of the film when the back cover was closed.  36 exposure film (about 1.5 m long) can have 50 shots with its square (24 x 24) format.

80, 90 years ago, 50 mm lens with F1.5 was an exceptionally bright lens and as its optical design was protected by the Taylor Hobson, no way else, Leiz needed to buy it from them. 

Leica lens can be easily used on the Sony A7 camera with a simple and cheap (about £5) adapter. (Photo left)

There are funny mix of the British-German conflict.  The distance scale was in imperial = feet, and it goes down to the closest distance 3.5 feet.

On the test shot on A7 camera showed quite sharp image = it convinced me, that the military reconnoissance people desperately wanted this lens on a Robot !

On the photo above left, about 70% to the right, you may see faint red spot, and that part was enlarged on the right photo.

And the same shooting of the same dried Rose on 3.5 feet distance. = photo middle was F1.5 fully open and the right was F6.3. —– Whether the softness on F1.5 was caused by the aberration or internal reflection (ghost) was questionable.   Still, somewhat common with the Zeiss lens’ softness isn’t too bad.  And I’m quite happy with it.   🙂

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