Yeah, I think this is a neat thread. A couple of things I remember were a mask to make it possible to have a portrait image three times in one piece of film. This was of course shot on 4x5, using a Calumet view camera with Schneider lens, 210mm I think. One cuts very carefully a mask with three drop down "tabs" which cover different areas of the scene. It is black of course. The mask is suspended a few inches in front of the lens by a very stable mount. By opening one tab and having the subject in the corresponding area, then exposing each area individually with the subject in it, one creates a single negative with the subject three times. Because of the long lens, at maybe f/8 or 11, and the studio being black except for he lighting on the subject, the lines on the tabs cancel out and are seamless.

OK, another simple item is using the boxes from my new Elinchromes to make light baffles. By cutting the boxes on the long side and using contact cement, one can make 18" x 35" baffles by folding the box once. Nice, lift weight, inexpensive. Paint one side black. Use Velcro on this and the other side of the Velcro on the arm of a light stand accessory, a bit of money here, and you have a nice light modifier panel.

This is a cool topic I think and definately one for brave people! :) The only thing I guess I have done over the years is fiddle with lens coating so that they cover different lenses. I bought various sizes from lens coat and then then put them on lenses that they weren't intended for originally. Not a big deal I guess. I enjoyed the pictures and responses of others so far with this link!

Is this tractable on f-mount?

http://maciekpp.blogspot.com/2012/01/shower-head-rubber-glove-50mmtilted.html

I have been looking at my 50mm f/1.8D with bad intentions.

i made a cam caddie/opteka x-grip type handle by myself for under 20$

@Drab

Good point, perhaps I got a little excited, I just finished it rather recently.

I have not noticed any real link drops over time.
The range is about 20 feet indoors, that equals across the house for me through walls.
I haven't tried it outside yet.
I have noticed it is important to keep the adapters somewhat pointed at each other, they are omni-directional, but they are more stable if they can see each other easily.

Bandwidth is pretty good, if I take a RAW photo I see the output on the PC within seconds.
I do notice the farther away the camera is from the pc adapter the bandwidth slows.

Thanks for the fair warning and I will try to not cross post as much

I once played with some off-the-shelf wireless-USB hardware. This was a few years ago when the spec (such as it is) had just been formalized. I found the range and bandwidth both less than I needed for the application at the time.

Not to take away at all from your beautiful integration (and power solution!), but what has been your experience re: range, bandwidth, and link stability?

EDIT:
And you'd likely be best served to not post your blog link in three separate threads. Reeks of spam and is asking for post binning.

I have created a wireless usb tether for my D5000. The transmitter/receiver is housed in a third party battery grip with the two en-el9a batteries powering both the wireless usb and the D5000. I have a weather resistant plug that connects the battery grip shutter release plug and the Nikon miniB 8-pin usb connector. This system is all contained in the battery grip and not a giant plug or battery box dongle.

I typically use this setup with camera control pro or onOne Software's DSLR Remote Control pro.

Tons more pictures here:
*Link Removed*

Mike/Jonny:

Whitworth is an old coarse british standard thread (BSW). I know them because I have always had a british bike or two around that I built from scratch or renovated. The UNC thread you are talking about has a 60° thread angle whereas the Whitworth has a 55°. There will not be a catastrophic failure with that amount of mismatch but as soon as I found out about it I changed my home made photography stuff to BSW.

To buy any of that stuff you need to look on Ebay for 1/4" BSW or places like MAP Cycle in Florida will have some. I use Ebay UK.

HTH!

@sprayandpray,

You could be 100% right, I don't know.

I screw on my Manfrotto heads, usually a pan/tilt, regularly and they seem stable and secure. Same on the tripod it goes back to.

I've had the contraption for about 10 years and have used it for dozens of shots, a few each year. It doesn't get daily use.

I'll watch for any looseness in the future.

Thanks for the heads up.

My best,

Mike

Hi all,

I just took the head into our local hardward store and got a bolt out of a bin that fit. ;-)

I'm in a rural area where cattle feeders are on sale next to combines. Finding bolts posed no problems - with one exception. There was an 18-yard long aisle of bulk bins of bolts. One of the clerks helped (thank God), they are sold by the pound.

It shouldn't be a problem. If it is, let me know and I'll send you one.

My best,

Mike

Sorry for the stupid question, but would bolts with that type of thread be available at a local hardware store where I am (in the US) or will they be something I need to look for online? Thanks for the info.

jonnyapple said:
I'm going to make one of those tripod head supports, Mike. Thanks for the great idea. 3/8"-20 threaded bolt in the center, then, right?

I think you will find that the thread is the old Whitworth Jonny not UNC - there is a difference in the thread angle. UNC will work, but every time you use it, you will damage your camera or whatever.

I'm going to make one of those tripod head supports, Mike. Thanks for the great idea. 3/8"-20 threaded bolt in the center, then, right?

Hi Casperwb,

It's much lighter than that.

The large panel is 1/2" inch white/black 20x30 foam core and the sides are 3/8" 10x30 and 20x30 inch white/black. There is a metal rod running up the 'spine' to attach to a light stand.

The lights are in place with 'contractor's' light fixtures, cheap fixtures that are glued to place with hot glue - the thing doesn't get hot enough to worry about too much heat.

The black is covered with a 3/8" foam core.

While not very elegant, the sides are taped with duct tape where permanently secured, and gaffer's tape when I use the sides for barn doors - bhoveyga couldn't see that in the photos. Foam core is tender, so I've glued some spots for the tape to cling to.

Controlling the light is 'old school'. If you need less, unscrew a bulb or move them out a bit. Light ratios are controlled with a meter. Mine is still an analog. Works like a champ, although I do have a digital meter on my shopping list.

=========

This support for a tripod head was originally made for skiing and snowboarding videos done for our clients at a local ski resort as a 'snowboard cam', but with the eye-lets, you can bungee cord it to a car or practically anything for support.

We've taped drivers of cars trucks for commercials and wrapped the support around trees and fences, too.

Easy to make and it comes in handy for both film, video, and stills.

My best.

Mike

>> very nice Mike, is it painted plywood?

Looks like foamcore.

very nice Mike, is it painted plywood?

I see the BJP online web site (I am an ex-pat in the US now), has an interesting article about home made photo gear. I really like the Jeep with the flash array on the roof rack.

Imagine the confusion I could generate on a crowded Freeway with THAT.....

<EVIL LAUGH>....

>> That is a million orders of magnitude more complicated that my sad pano head - WOW!

Hey, you get beaucoup macho points for working with stainless steel instead of aluminum or plexiglass. ;-)

>> Hey Jonny, I'd give you mine, but you know how it goes, the pleasure is making it yourself and I'd hate to deprive you of that pleasure.....

Attaboy, S'nP, toughlove is the only way to go. There is some serious satisfaction to be had from building something like this ... and you enjoy it a heckofa lot more every time you use it.

Very nice light, Mike! You might consider cutting the corners so you can swing the sides like barn doors, it would increase the light output if they were angled out at 45 degrees.

Hi guys/gals,

Over the years I'm made a lot of stuff, here is something you might find useful.

I do a lot of video and have a couple of these lights on stands for broadcasting live tutorials to some of my students remotely. It works out well.

The lights are also great for static product shots and since they use daylight florescent blubs, the don't get hot and are economical. Great for video and stills with a fairly consistent output.

My best to all,

Mike

peterd said:
I have drawn grid lines with a pencil, dividing the focusing screen into thirds both vertically and horizontally on all my cameras. Allows me to keep basic composition while shooting without having to think much about it.

Anyone think that nikon monitors this forum and add features based on the suggestions or modifications done here.

example : the D7000 now has this feature .

That is a million orders of magnetude more complicated that my sad pano head - WOW!

I think those astronomy guys were the original geeks. Cool.

Hey Jonny, I'd give you mine, but you know how it goes, the pleasure is making it yourself and I'd hate to deprive you of that pleasure.....

>> Do you know what he spent for each of those binocular sets he built?

No clue. But the site says he built five of them so I assume it was a profitmaking venture... or maybe not, the guy's retired, maybe he just likes to stay busy ;-). I expect the mirrors were probably $3000 or more each (some guys grind and polish their own mirrors but I don't think that was the case here). Nagler eyepices are $300 or so, then there's all the other stuff... secondary mirrors, focusers, drive mechanism, and all the metal fabrication.

Most ATM's (Amateur Telescope Makers) build for the enjoyment or because it is the only way they can get the size/power they need/want on their budget. So different from us, huh? I mean how many photogs you know who say, "Dang, I ain't gonna pay $10,000 for a 600mm telephoto," and then just mosey on out to the garage and build their own? ;-)

You know, there are some pretty nice short-tube refracting telescopes out there for pretty cheap (compared to photo lenses anyway). For example, you can get a 600mm f5 for $500-1000 or so. Granted, it doesn't have an iris and it's manual focus... but still, for that price, it's very tempting.

That is seriously sweet, bhovey. I like the the big reflecting binoculars, too, but didn't see a mention of a price. Do you know what he spent for each of those binocular sets he built?

>> Am I mistaken or do I see tapped set screws in your PCV joints?

Yes. I did want to be able disassemble it so I didn't use glue for the PVC-to-PVC joints. And it seemed like the best way to hold the lenses in and still allow some adjustment. They've held together for 25 years so far...

>> Is such a chimera common amongst the astronomy community?

Oh man, you would not BELIEVE some of the stuff built by amateur astronomers. Check out this binocular telescope... two 22" reflectors side by side"

http://web.me.com/b.d.sayre/Binoculars/