Cherry in Focus-Shift blurr

Don’t panic on your eyesight. It’s not your eyes.

The picture here IS shaky !   😀

The photo above/top was the photo, made by a “Focus-Shift”

(while the shutter was open, the focus has been moved) =

hence created funny blurred image.

The lens used was a specially modified Canon EFS 18~55mm =

(modified to fit onto 5D and its focusing motor has been made

to work with external signal)

—– the photo below was a normal shot for a comparison

(same lens but without focus shift.)

This cherry IS the same tree which I nicknamed the

Perpetual Cherry, since it’s flowering even in the Autumn.

And she was photographed here by the same modified

18~55 mm lens though, this focus-shift technique doesn’t

necessary suit for this shot.  😀

(= so, it’s just a demonstration to see the effect)   

Unlike the other soft-focus lens which gives only a fixed

focal-length and it’s viewing angle, this focus-shift

technique with the zoom lens gives more freedom —–

and a fun.

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Peach flower

—— (Photo above: taken by a homemade, so-called Gaudy Lens)

Peach flower is much more appreciated in China than in Japan.

In Chinese myth, the famous Shangrila was written as 桃源郷

which mean The place where the Peach Blooming. = (neither

Cherry nor Banana.)   The reason why Chinese value Peach more

than Cherry is, not only its juicy fruits but the color of flower is

more reddish.

The color Red mean prosperity and the longevity to the Chinese.

In a stark contrast, Cherry Blossom is the symbol of the ephemeral

life, even the death to the Japanese (in the Buddhists context.)  So,

Japanese appreciate its moment of the flower falling like a snow

storm, as well as when it was fully blooming.

——- (Photo above Left : by Canon Fisheye Zoom 8~15mm —

——–Photo Right : Converging Lens from Tokina Wide converter.)

The reason why Chinese likes Red was originated from the vermilion.

Vermilion is the Mercury Oxide = deadly poison = therefore it is a

very effective preservative to the timber. So, the Chinese temple etc

has been painted with Red Vermilion = never rotten for thousand of

years.  So, Red Vermilion is the demonstration of the longevity !

And there was a fancy story of the Vermilion, whether it was a 

fabrication of the novelist or not, there said to be an Elixir of life made

from Vermilion, which was repeatedly oxidized and deoxidized 9 times,

called  九還丹 in China.  (If you found it in the Net, you may try ! )

—— (Photo above : Converging Lens from Tokina)

To the Japanese, the appreciation of Peach flower was in its

association with the girl’s festival (桃の節句) on 3rd of March

other than that not much special feeling in the Japanese mind.

So that, other than in the fruits orchard in a country side,

we don’t see as many Peach trees like Cherry in town .

—— (Photo above : by converging Lens from Tokina

Wide Converter mounted on a Bellows = Photo right

= As the lens was mounted on a bellows, it can focus

from ∞ to 1/3 close-up)

Front element of the Diverging Lens has been used somewhere

else, and the left over converging element was used here.  😀

(You may amazed, how photography can be done in such a casual manner.)

[∞]

Old Camera — Miranda S

Few days ago, one of my friend (in fact, a friend of friend) gave

me an old camera.  It was a very early model of SLR (Single Lens

Reflex Camera), Miranda S which was made around 1968~70.

After the World war 2, burnt-down country Japan was recovering

in amazing speed though, the camera such as Nikon, Canon was

producing were the old style Rangefinder Camera — still, those Nikon

which went to the Korean War with the American photographer

was highly praised (only the camera kept working under -40 degree

Korean Winter!) and started to gain good reputations world wide.

In 1962, the Asahi Kogaku produced Asahi Flex, the first 35mm SLR ! 

(Later, this company started to produce the SLR using penta-prism

— and changed their name to the Pentax.)

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The camera I was given, Miranda S was rather like an Asahi Flex, but

not in a perfect condition to work. = winding-up nob was broken — still,

I could test the function by charge-up the shutter by force rotating the

winding-up sprocket, then click the shutter.

The shutter dial was rotating while charge-up and a release moment.

(It’s an old design soon to be disappeared.)

And the mirror was not quick return, neither the iris was automatic.

To see this Design as the starting point = I can see how the later

development came such far !

 

—– the peculiar things of this camera was, that this one got a waist-level

finder = not a prism view finder. = look down the image which was

left-right reversed ! —– My guess was, that this camera was used by an

academic to take photos through microscope, telescope kind — if not

the owner lost the interchangeable prism finder.

[]

Miranda started to make their camera, called Orion Camera first. 

Then,  changed the name to Miranda, their Miranda Sensolex model was

sold well (I remember their poster.  🙂  ) —– anyhow, to encounter such

old Japanese camera, exported to the Europe was a big surprise to me.

 

I may not able to shoot a photo with this camera since its winding-up

shaft was broken, yet still, even just watching 50 years old

mechanism still working was a great joy.

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Winter Cherry 2015

Someone might say,”Same again how boring”

though, it’s not only an accustomed tradition here

but this tree is more than a friend to me.

She is an indicator of Life.

Having had a rather unusual life style = flowering in  

the winter and the last one tree left among the three,

— to see her flowering again in this year, really

gave me a sigh of relief.

By the way, they are the same flower though, right photo was taken

with a built-in flash of the Nikon D810, and I found it is rather useful.

(Though, flashlight was diffused by a white paper.)

So far, the weather in London is not cold at all.  Still it is winter.

The photos here were taken by either Zeiss 18mm F3.5 for Nikon or

Homemade single glass lens/so-called Gaudy Lens on Nikon D810.

(Strangely, the Non-CPU lens on D810 was functioning well here —

I haven’t fully tested whether D800 and D810 got different OS/setting.

The setting was for Non-CPU/Zeiss 18mm Lens = the Lens, brighter

than F5.6 may be working but may not be with Pinhole unless AI ring

was set to the proper position.)

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Selfridge Xmas Window 2015

Hand is a body parts which got second highest concentration of

the nerve after the eyes.  And especially we human got our hands

best developed among the any animal, we have best and the most

delicate control of them.    So that, not only its dexterity and the

function, its acquired the mean of expression as well. 

We can read the meaning of what the hand is telling or symbolizes,

and the eyes tend to follow what the hand is expressing.  

(I mean not only F**K or Peace sign but also more delicate mood

of its operator as well.)  🙂  

In old days, Selfridge’s decoration was based on the Children’s Tales

— though children themselves are not the shopper, and the Xmas

itself has changed its character too = Religious to Kid’ and to the

Grownup’s Shopping event.  🙂

= So, the window decorations now are,   Grownup’s fantasy !

(often, bizarre one) —– and they are fun to watch !   🙂

The lens used for those shootings were either Canon Fish-eye 8~15mm or

homemade, so-called Gaudy Lens and the Camera was Canon 5D Mk-III.

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Pinhole Machine in the Field

It’s not a Pinball Machine.  And a photo above is a Japanese maple ! 

As I explained in the Previous post, it is a combined / selectable Pinhole.

Single Pinhole, Multiple Pinholes and a Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole

were all in one panel, with or without a Wide-angle Front Lens.

Those were taken by the Concentric-DD pinhole.

They too, by the DD pinhole with the typical radiating halation.

And those images were taken by the Multiple (4) Pinholes.

If you carefully check the photo, you will find the 4 repeated images.

And DD pinhole image again. (Some years ago I made similar image !)

In the same time same subject but by the Multiple Pinholes.

Taken by a single pinhole though, with a very slow shutter speed =

camera was shaken, bird has moved = hence utterly blurry image.  🙂

Still, they were the very painterly images which I wanted.

By the DD Pinhole.

Last moment of sun hit the Single Pinhole and created

fantastic diffraction pattern.

Single Pinhole with half a second shutter speed = camera shake.   😀

And this image —– 1.6 second exposure.

(I would rather say, not too bad for a hand-held shot !)

I think, the Lens (?) worked well for the purpose to produce

impressionists like / painterly image !   🙂

(You must have seen the most unusable photos here though,

if you like to have so-called good photo, use Phone-camera.)

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Evolution of PINHOLE System

Till now, I made quite a lot of Pinhole to take pictures for my

Canon, Nikon and invented “Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole,

and Wide-angle Pinhole. 

On top of those, even Double, Triple Pinhole, Tri-Color Pinhole

— on the end, it’s a mess. = In order to rationalize, I designed a

Convertible Type = Simple Single Pinhole, up-to-4 Multiple Pinhole

and Concentric-DD Pinhole with Selecting Tab, on the Nikon Mount

(Which is easily converted to the Canon) together with Detachable

Wide-angle Lens on front. 

So, the sample images were, Top photo Left = by Single Pinhole, 

Middle = Triple Pinholes,  Right= Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole.

In this photo, Left is the Detachable Wide-angle (Diverging) Lens. 

In the Middle, Triangle-ish panel which got 3 selection of Pinholes can 

be moved to each position.      Right is a NikonAI  to  CanonEF adapter.

Photo left is my kitchen.

Or you may call my work shop.

—– you may realized, how

my work is casual.   😀

Still, it’s OK to produce

properly machined like quality ! 

And the photo here showed the effect of = with or without the

wide-angle lens.

And the photo here, right, the panel shows 4 holes — by moving

rear panel, the selected Pinhole will come to the position.

Photos from the window —

Left = Single Pinhole,   Middle = Triple Pinhole. 

Right = Concentric-DD Pinhole.

—– So, I have to go out to make worthwhile pictures !

* * *

Incidentally, a test shot of “that rose” with this DD Pinhole was:

Considering it IS mere hole, without focus or any control, still

the image was somewhat comparable to a good German lens

—– isn’t this, amazing ?

—– Or, unlike the Leiz, the Zeiss might have kept their belief

on “Natural Optical Image” like this !

—– Mind you, the Pinhole is not a “Light-bending” Lens or a

Grass, therefore neither has aberration inherent to the Lens at all.

Still, the outer (larger)  hole of Double-Density Pinhole here is

acting as a “Dispersed” Light-pass, hence showing similar effect of 

the Spherical Aberration (= effect of light coming from not only the 

center but the outer area of the lens as well which is not necessary

converges the light to the same point = make the image softer.

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Kyocera Junk Macro — in Practice

I’m well aware, making lens etc is one thing and actually use it is the other. 

Still, whether any worthwhile photo was created by it or not, is totally

different matter. —– I know, in this world, some of the people is having

a pleasure of possessing something rather than use it = just for a show-off 

(of his, her wealth or So-called Good taste) —– and the manufacturer is

well aware of this phenomenon too. So that they are producing specifically

designed outrageously expensive model for this target, with “Art” or “Opus”

kind of the name.   A camera, recently introduced from Leiz, Leica SL is one of 

the extreme case, = the camera which can takes more or less the same kind of

picture but priced whopping  $7450 for body.   Even if non of the photographer  

would buy it, still 10 of the “Leica Collector” in the world ought to buy = because,  

it was made by Leiz and listed in their catalog.  (Collection has to be complete.)

A Camera lens, I made out of junk

Kyocera-Yashica compact Zoom

Camera has been with me a

while  = waiting to encounter

good subject. ————————

Then, I found a tiny tiny dot on a Fig = it was an egg of the Green Lacewing.

Not very fashionable subject still, it is good for a macro-photography.

So, that’s how the top photo was made. ( x4 Magnification. though, quality

of the lens in comparison to my previous work, was not very impressive

—– shows chromatic aberration etc, hence,  not very sharp.)

—– still, it was a proof that the lens was in operation. 

(= I’m not feeling happy for just possessing the lens.)   🙂

*

    PS :  In order to have a bit more sharpness and the evenness of the image,

I put a hole of Black tape to reduce the effective F-Aperture to half of the

diameter (equivalent of 2 F-stops down) = the image quality was dramatically

improved ! — You might be realized that how the optics behave in simple

manner and lost a faith to worship expensive lens.   😀

(In fact, we are paying for the Brand image, not necessary for the quality, 

otherwise who pay  £3000 to a plastic camera ?)

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Junk to Macro Lens = Recycle of Kyocera Zoom Lens

You might be misunderstanding that I’m playing with cameras for the

sake of blogging. Far from it, behind the scene I’m disassembling

3 times more lenses or cameras.  I only showing them if I found a fun.

In most of the case, I’m doing it just looking for a spare parts or

particular component such as when I needed to get a mirror for an

ultra-low-angle photo-adapter.     —– I was disassembling a Yashica

compact Zoom camera, looking for a Motor and a Gear mechanism.

— Some old film cameras had auto-wind and rewind mechanism which

I could utilize in the other mechanical design.  So, from Yashica, I got

two motors with each gear mechanism, and not only that, I found an

extending Zoom lens barrel seems to be very useful. 

I had used a same kind of barrel to make a focusing helicoid.

This Kyocera-Yashica 38~115 mm zoom lens seem to have a quite 

fancy design.  Front group convex lens has a Canon like Arc-formed

motor for focusing and having aspherical lens, and rear group is pure

diverging concave lens.   And I found the front group lens works well

as a macro lens (used in reverse) = So, mount the lens into the

extending lens barrel = Here I have a x1~x3 (about) macro lens.

This front group lens had a Shutter-aperture-combined blade which

I removed therefore there is no F-Aperture = always fully open !

—– still, this sample photos showed rather good quality and giving

beautiful out of focus bokeh.

But with further test, lens showed strong curvature of the image =

image is not flat = good for 3D subject but not good for a flat object.

(When lens was designed, the aberrations, inherent to any single lens

were corrected by the combination of the other lens.  Yet, in this case, 

such strong curvature of the image needed to be corrected by the 

strong diverging lens of the rear group.  But, as only front group lens 

was used here, the uncorrected aberration became too apparent.

—– Photo above Left showed x3 image.  Its coloring was caused by the

Chromatic aberration.  Photo Middle (x1 size), the best focus was made

to peripheral.  And the Right, best focus was made to center.   The focus

to the center is 4mm different ! = If the subject was 4mm deep shallow

dish, this lens will make a good focus from center to the corner.)

I need to find a good subject. = Ideally, Halloween Costumed insect.   🙂

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Focus-Shift Flower image

Somebody in the USA contacted me to use one of my old photo which was

taken by a technique of Focus Shift, hence the image has big off-focus

bokeh superimposed on it.  In fact I’ve published such photo many times

like this or this. (though, the gear used or the lens may not be the same)

And even there was such drastic approach.   🙂     But this time, focus ring

was moved manually, and in order to have a slower shutter speed, shooting

took place in the evening, under rather dim light.

And to make off-focus, shift to near or far, or the setting of F-aperture etc,

above all, how far the subject, will make the picture looks quite different.

(still, there is no fixed manner = it’s just case by case.   🙂  )

Funny things of Focus Shift is, first moment, it was focused to the main

subject, then move the focus, generally till completely out of focus though,

why not focused here and there.  = Two subjects will have each clear focus

(and bit of bokeh)  🙂

Camera used here was the Nikon D810 — having had 37Mp image-censor,

there are ample of space to crop the image.

A radio DJ mentioned Xmas —– Oh no, soon it will be the November

—– still, flower patch has few flowers left.    Thanks Goodness.

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