EFS Junk Macro for Scarlet Pimpernel

This Scarlet Pimpernel photo was taken by a broken Canon

EFS 18~55mm lens.   How it was made broken, I don’t know, neither

the shop staff who gave it to me did.     Despite its front element was

missing, I had a hunch, this lens works. (Above photo / at 55mm, F4)

In order to mount the lens onto 5D body and test, I needed to

cut off the protruded lens tail. (photo right)

Amazingly, the lens worked —(obviously except autofocus.)

(Still able to give a focus confirmation on manual setting !)

And on AV setting, F-aperture worked perfect and the

exposure was correct !    Without front element, the lens can still

give pretty good macro image from 1/1 at 24mm to x1.7 at 55mm.

(Though, with dreadful distortion — Don’t ask too much.  😀 )

This image was made on 55mm setting with F-11 /AV.

And this one was, at 23mm setting, F-11 / AV on Canon 5D Mk-III.

—– considering it was a cheap kit lens, broken and came free,

= it wasn’t too bad was it ?    Canon is making pretty good product.

.

* * * * *

(Above is the original size and its part enlargement of the top photo)

(Showed sharp detail though the depth of field is very shallow)

PS :  To the untrained eyes, the photos above seems to be unsharp.

So, I show you a photo of a Butterfly Wing and its cropped,

enlarged images, taken by this broken EFS Zoom lens at 55mm F11.

(Photo above = at 55mm setting, F11 — X1.7 magnification)

(Center part enlarged photo of above picture)

— is it sharp enough ? 

(don’t forget, this is not even a macro lens.)   😀

(Of course, if a junk lens could show the same quality, how

the Leica’s Macro Elmar or Zeiss’ Macro Sonner could

justify their price !

—– and, we can’t talk the price of the mass-produced kit

lens and the lens hand-made for few hundred scientists

on the same basis.)

.

 

Bang bad

Since couple of months ago, the AD / Banner of this company

started to appear in my screen.  I only guess how they were

directed here and showing what.  

The choice / direction was uncomfortably spot on to my taste /

interest. —– The space was provided by the Fire Fox though,

the info’ such as what I Googled etc must came from Google.

Yet still, in what extent they do know about what I’m doing and

would buy what is a private matter.      While ago, after I Wiki

a flower Jacaranda, those AD showed me a cushion printed a

Jacaranda flower.   How nice.  What a hell.

Because of they showed me such and such interesting / useful

product in such a price  (I didn’t know still, eBay was heving

the identical item), I ordered them 4 items in rapid sequence. 

The first one = geared motor was delivered in a week

— with my surprise, it came from the Laos, not from the China.

(But the other 3 items, posted same address, took exactry 3 weeks.) 

Other than the normal circulation in the formal trade, a kind of the

industrial components / parts appearing in an open market with a

knock-down price was — either by rejected (faulty or out of the

spec) or end-of-the-line = dead stock, if not of a bankrupted

/ liquidated goods. 

(A motor and its fixing in the photo above is a typical sample of the

unsalable product = hence sold to this dealer = may be a price of the

scrap  — (Photo left) The bracket, the motor should be mounted,

couldn’t take the motor since the hole was too small.

(2nd Photo) The coupler which should connect the motor shaft to 

the drill bit holder was not in the correct size.

(3rd Photo) The motor shaft was 3.17 mm diameter = in fact, it

was 1/8″ not a metric 3mm. 

(4th Photo)  Still, the coupler was made for the 3mm motor shaft.

.

Economical / industrial situation in China is so bad, so that the

mountain of dead-stock component / bits of the electronic circuit

are no-where to go = So, this dealer is trying to make a money out

of those scrap though, as they are not the manufacturer, they

don’t know the meaning of the technical specification.   Hence,

the motor arrived here no instruction of how to use. = How many

people can use this while giving modifications ?  (One suggestion 

was “Heat the coupler and hummer in to the motor shaft” )  😀

.

While checking the detail of the other products, I found a lots of 

them are out of standard = useless to non-professional engineer. 

Just use a common sense, “Why it’s price was so cheap ?”

The situation is Bang bad.

* * * * * 

PS :  (I found a custommer’s comment to their product)

• Poor quality control

  Durch:Raymond 2016-06-21 04:30:40

• Ordered 3 but none worked, missing components due to poor soldering. tried to return but Bang good link does not allow a complaint without posting a you tube video, and who has time for that. I ordered replacements through eBay and will throw these out.

 

—– It’s puzzling, why Bang ** is showing those negative

comments = may be their tactical way to tell That ther is no

way to return and implying that the products may not work.

* * * * *

PPS : ( The 1/8″ shaft of the motor above has been reduced by

a sharpning stone and the drilling head was installed to what

it should be. )

.

 

Poltergeist

While checking the Net, I heard a sudden banging noise from the

kitchen.= Bang, gang kind.  What ?   Is it a Poltergeist ? ? ?   

The sound was  nothing like a sound-effect =  very real and I never

imagined that there could be any supernatural phonomenon here.

I looked arround and located the cause to the inside of the cupboard, 

and found a tin of beans was fallen and hitting a glass next.  It seems

the tin has been swollen by its internal pressure, so that the bottom

of the tin was popped up, and the tin jumped. —– The reason why

the tin has been expanded so much was that the beans inside has been

rotten (I guess) and the pressure of the gas produced by the bacteria

came to the explosive level.

= It’s mean, the beanz has not been properly heated up or the content

has been contaminated by a dirt during the process in the Heinz factory.

.

I don’t normally eat the beans, neither potato (baked, chips even crisps

except Spanish omelets) — so, the reason why I bought this tin was a joke

= I used the beans to make a sweet.    Then the other tin bought together

stayed in the cupboard for many years left  forgotten. 

Now I learned, a tinned food could still get rotten. (or am I too lazy ?) 

😀

* * *

 You might be noticed, the popping noise of the can was throughly

explained through the rational causation here. = No supernatural

mambo jumbo or dubious fantasy at all. —– This was the way how

Lord Buddha taught the people, and a kind of the matter he couldn’t

see any rationality neither find a rational explanation, he completely

ignore the question itself (such as the matter related to the Atoman /

Self or the matter about abstract notion like an infinity or universe =

since, such as the Atoman / Self which is not exists in the first place

couldn’t be seen as a subject = We can not talk about the subject which

is not exists.  Neither the subject which couldn’t be definable = such as

a subject we only imagining and nobody know what really it is, couldn’t

be a subject of discussion.) —– It’s mean, all the glorious fantasy in

the Mahayana scripture is just a decoration for the sale. 

.

 

 

 

 

 

Zen or just a Miser ?

Have you guessed it ?   This is nothing but a washing-up Sponge. 

Still, why it is here – was – did you noticed, it has been stitched up. 

I think, it came from a Pound-shop = four of them for a pound.

It has been used to wipe water arround kitchen sink or wipe the

bottom of a pan after washed etc.  (Inside will be left dry itself.)

Still after while it has been teared and broken.  So, I stitched up

its tear and kept using it. = It is not bad enough to bin.  (Even

though, I have new one left in stock.)

— it is a normal practice on my life. But, I never preached others to 

do the same or even suggested (it’s their business.) – Is it too stingy ?   

Or is this an attachment to a possession?   Kind of greed for 25 pence ?

If I may say, this IS my Mindfulness to the humble sponge.

And as I do, this IS Zen. 

If you think otherwise, your understanding of Zen IS wrong.

___/\___

.

PS :

There could be two completely opposing views here.

* The mind, stack to the sponge could talk about Zen ?

* Or, the mind which couldn’t even pay attention to a sponge

could talk about Zen ? —– the answer IS, — What is Zen ? 

(Clinging the imaginary idea of Zen is remotest to the Zen.)   

Don’t talk, don’t think, just do.  = (that was, what

Lord Buddha taught.)

.

Beaulieu 8mm Cine Camera

— (Beaulieu 2008s / my Homemade lens on a Nikon to C adapter attached. 

— And the contact pin of the battery was connected to the 4AA cell battery)

One of the regular attendance of the WW Greenwich (SPC.org),

Gordon used be a busy cinematographer, even worked for Japanese

NHK before.    Naturally, he got many  professional cine camera but

all of them are film camera. —– and, he got stock-pile of such

as the Kodak Super 8mm Film even now. 

So, he wanted to create something fancy footage using even fancier

100 years old Lens. 

A French Beaulieu was a well-known cine camera manufacturer

together with, Arriflex, Bolex, Michell etc.    And one of his camera

Beaulieu 2008s is a servo-controled Super 8 cine camera —– though,

electric camera needs a power, but this camera’s (made 1968) special

battery is dead. —– So, he needed my help. 

The information through the Net, < say yes to analog ! >,

I found this camera’s motor has a feed-back generator and

a symmetrically powered Servo-amp = It’s needs + 0 – power,

hence 3 contacts in the battery chamber. (photo above left) 

I tested the camera while connecting the battery just by the

3 crocodile cables. = It’s worked perfect. (after 20~30 years ? !) 

When we deal with this kind of project, we need to see what IS

the main priority ? — To maintain the originality of the “antique”

— or just get a function. 

Neither Gordon or me got a romantic dream to the antic camera

but see it just as a tool. = So, I told him “Just have a 4AA cell

external battery case and connect it by 3 cables soldered to the

contact in the battery chamber”. (forget the nice appearance.  😀 )

So, the battery (as they can be accommodated in the camera’s

battery chamber = Photo above middle) was half sticking out

of the camera, — still, this was the easiest adaptation.

= As long as it is fit to the purpose, just use it. Why not ?

So, Gordon is going to have a test shoot with 100 years old

Ensign Anastigmat Lens ! — Though, now-a-day, to have

a 8mm cine film processed and digitized etc is an awkward,

expensive and time-consuming business = I can not promise

when I can report and show the results here.

Good luck Gordon.

.

 

Funki Porcini @ NFT

Last night my friend, multi talented (video, music) artist,

Funki Porcini showed his new works at the National Film

Theater, Southbank, London.

First, B/W film was shown, which was a re-discovered, revived silent

Soviet-Russian film titled “My Grandmother” —–Funki put the

sound (today’s housy sounds) and made the film even more crazy.  😀

And showed some of his work, then the latest one

“Conservative Apocalypse”  (you better watch it)

He reviled some secrets behind, on frame by frame.

The end of the show, with a big applause, he was surrounded

by the audiences, or the questions, then we moved to the bar.

—– then I realized it was almost midnight.   Still it was quite

a worthwhile mind-boggling evening.

.

Ox’cart and the Fate

I found a Buddhist story in a Japanese website, a collection of small episode which was said to be told by Lord Buddha = “There was an ox’cart carrying heavy goods. The ox, who draw the cart everyday fed up the work, got an idea, if there was no cart there couldn’t be any work.

So, on a bend of the road, ox sped-up and the last moment,he sway and made the cart smashed onto a rock.   As the cart was smashed broken, no more work on that day.  Then few days later, the owner brought a new cart made by heavy iron. So that, the ox had to draw even heavier lord”— in this episode

Lord Buddha taught that if anybody does silly things, it would boomerang back onto the next life. —– interesting story though,I don’t think this story was genuine at all even if it was in the Mahayana scripture.

—— The reason was

1) Lord Buddha wouldn’t have said “Next Life” since his stance was Anatoman (No- Atoman = No perpetual soul/self) therefore there couldn’t be Next Life.

2) I don’t believe that there could be a cart made-up by iron exists which was affordable to a man of ox’cart in India, 2500 years ago.

3) Of cause, ox isn’t such clever. (Sorry, Mr Ox.   😀 ) This story must be a fake by a script-writer of much much later period when the idea of Hindu = Atoman and their belief of Reincarnation was mixed up into Buddhism. Obviously, as the Buddhist’s Sanga (follower’s community) had

NO CAST system, the idea of Reincarnation was not existed there.

How do you think ?

Ensign Lens Portraits

At WW gathering in Greenwich, while testing Ensign’s Anastigmat

lens on Gordon’s 8mm cine camera, I did some portraits shots

of the people there.

100-year-old lens was stuck on a bellows, on Canon 5D Mk-III.

(150mm F7.7 lens, focusing on a bellows wasn’t very easy)

— still, the camera like this makes the people smile.

Mike and John

James, Gordon and Paul

Mike, Albert and Roman

The hands (what else ?) 

Those pictures were the clopped cemter image of the 3″x4″ of

the image size, the quality was good. (Just like most of the lens)

(But as the image of this lens was too ordinary, it has no point to

chose this lens while an ordinary lens gives full auto and F2.8. 

😀 )

.

Climbing a mountain

Sing Lee has been a great blogger and one of two friend in China.
So that,time to time, he has been appeared/mentioned in my blog.

singlee18

How time flies! When I make a change to come back here again, it is been 4 years later since last time, I wish all of my friends and yours families are happy, healthy and always good luck.

I finally had a opportunity to visit the Shengtang Mountain in almost two years ago. I just cannot find a word to express my feelings, so let the photos talk for themselves and myself.

We drove a car to get to the foot of the mountain in the morning, the weather was very good.

Half an hour later, we arrived in the foot.

After a short rest we started our trip and encountered a set of attractive views around the way (some of the pictures were taken when we climbed down the mountain in the evening).

The azalea trees and a very important tree of Podocarpus macrophyllus (I am not sure if this is…

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Ensign !

Oh my goodness, after 43 years, Britten leave the bunch of Europe.

—– After 43 years mean, a year before I came here, Brit joined EC.

It was just after the oil shock and the time Britten was in a doldrums. 

(Before North-sea Oil boom)

Still, something amazed me of this country then was that as the law 

was changed, the gay couple became eligible to have a council housing

like a married couple. (otherwise, single man was almost impossible

to get it in the priority queue = single mother, disabled, married with

children —- has higher priority) (Though, I didn’t know whether it

was due to the European regulation or trend of the human right issue)

.

Ensign is a national flag on the (battle) ship, so it symbolize somewhat

patriotic though I’m not talking about the politics here —– but

an old camera called Ensign made by the Houghtons, England.

Ensign Anastigmat Lens 6″ (?) F7.7

( A fog on the photo above was caused by a fungi and no coated lens)

Yet this is just a mediocre old camera made around 1910s and the

lens was a common anastigmat lens.  Nothing special or remarkable.

(If the lens was giving visibly too distinctive image, no one would

buy such camera.   😀 )

My friend Gordon wanted to use this lens to shoot on his

8mm cine camera. (so, I was asked to modify it to C-mount fitting)

The camera got the same design of the then trendy (!) folding camera

of a quarter plate size (4″x3″ = its contact print would make a post card).

The photo above left showed yet another old camera of the same era,

which I have talked about before.

The name of the lens Anastigmat mean, Ana (non) Stigmat (optical

aberration showing  cross-shaped ghost image) and designed to

eliminate not only Stigmat but also the other aberrations as well.

 (only in the certain level — just able to produce good enough

image = like the photo on top)

Strangely this lens doesn’t say what focal length — still, the maximum

F-aperture seemed to be F7.7 and the diameter of the lens is about

19~20mm —> 20 x 7.7 = 150mm —– and the 150mm lens for 4″x3″ 

size will make about 45° angle of view = good for full length portrait shot

on 2m distance.

.

To dismount the lens (together with shutter unit) it needs to use

caliper like tool from the back of the lens. (Photo above right)

Lens (and shutter together) was stacked on front of the bellows,

and 150mm lens for 35mm camera is a good telephoto lens.

—– but mind you, here only the center of the lens

= best part was used.

So, the image quality is not too bad other than the foggy halation

caused by the fungi.   But, neither the pleasing softness was there

— just an ordinary image.

.

People might have a false dream toward the old lens which could

create an archaic nostalgic image though, most of them would

make just ordinary image  only with foggy halation, caused by the

non-coated surface reflection if not a fungi. 

Because the visible difference on the image was created by the

uncorrected aberration which has to be (more or less) corrected 

except the very old primitive design such as the Petzbarl lens of

the Dageleo type era.     And, even if the lens happen to have an

aberration, it’s not apparent on the cropped center of the image. 

In fact, the false impression of the nostalgic image was made by 

the low resolution of the old film / plate, it may not be replicated

on a modern DSLR.

(Old film’s latitude was much narrower = shadow details lost but

with the halation inside of film emulsion, edge of the dark part

was eaten and together with the halation on the lens surface

made the image looks rather soft = created the image like a copy

of an old cinema frame = this is the reality of nostalgic image.)

c.