愛用メインカメラ、SIGMA DP1。
姿カタチはコンデジ風だけど、Foveon X3というSIGMAだけの特殊な撮像素子と、それに最適化設計されたレンズを心臓部に持つ。　ただし、あらゆる動作が呆れるほど遅く、AF性能は悪く、手ブレ補正機能すらない。ズーム機能のない暗い28mm単焦点レンズで最小撮影距離は30cm、単体ではマクロ撮影すらもできない。液晶モニターは極めて見辛く、晴天下では役立たず。

シャッターチャンスに極めて弱く、その使い勝手は現在市販されているデジカメの中では最低最悪といって間違いない。それでも、ツボにハマると一眼レフすら凌ぐ鳥肌モノの高画質の絵を吐くので手放せずにいるけど、まあ、どう考えても変人向け、だな。（笑）

普段はこんな感じで持ち歩いている。

・リチャードフラニエック　カスタムグリップ
・Manfrotto #797 コンパクトスタンド
・Canon WS-30ストラップ（非売品）
・Panasonic RPシリーズ SDメモリーカード

DP1より少しだけ軽快になった焦点距離4１ｍｍの兄弟機、DP2を加えて2台体制にしたいところだけど、安いカメラではないのでなかなか買えないでいる。

Video Overview to go along with original review. Original Review located here: photography-on-the.net … Canon Manfrotto 055XPROB 488RC2 Tripod Camera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF38sOYWqTE&hl=en

Thanks To : Koh Chang Lagoon Resort Bungalow Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Canon Rebel T1i Reviews Canon EOS Rebel T1i w /18-55mm

Leigh and I drove out to Denmark to capture a few blue wrens. It was rather windy and the little birds were not to be seen. So a couple of beers later and as the sun dropped down a few females arrived, the at last this little fellow. The 600 was getting rather heavy by now and it was a bit dark but he came up OK.

Next time there might be more!

Thanks to the Sara family for their hospitality.

Take it easy!

David

  Måneskinn over Ladehammer’n i går kveld. Bildet er tatt kl. 21.00 med 105mm linsa, fokuset er på bebyggelsen og innstillinga var 3.5, 2sek,  800 ISO. Med stativet og selvutløseren brukt for ikke å få bevegelse i kameraet og søkeren blendet for ikke å få baklys…. God lørdagskveld til dere alle!!

Dust Country – An Excerpt

I’ve spent almost two years working on my second novel. It’s been a long haul, this process. The first one came naturally, and the process was generally fluid. This one has been different for a number of reasons. First, I’ve never attempted anything this ambitious. The project is way out of my comfort zone, but I went in knowingly. Second, photography and some screenwriting commitments have dominated my time in the last year. My writing has certainly influenced the photos I’ve taken, but I wonder just how much the opposite is true…

I digress. To celebrate the completion of draft two and the start of the onerous editing phase, I went out into the hills to make a few frames. I don’t have a giant stone hammer, but I do have a monopod.

Finally, here is an excerpt from the novel.

———————

The air is heavy. The air is full of dust.

There’s a fire in the farmer’s eyes. He can’t wipe them, his hands too dirty. He knows. This is something he does with unmitigated frequency.

The only cover on the lane is the oak tree and it could fall any moment. He’s in the open, the barrow and his cargo at the mercy of the dust, the wind. The tree is a hundred years old, maybe more. It was tall when the farmer was a boy. Tall and strong and he climbed it with the miller’s children, his friends, children from their neighbourhood. When the others were scared he was brave. Always the bravest. His father taught him well. Brought him up strong, sure, kind. His father was there that day, watching, watching from the house with the miller, proud. He climbed the tree and tied the rope to the strongest branch. He did it when all the others were afraid. They begged him not to. He’d fall, he’d die. That’s what they said. Half way up they were still afraid.

Now they’re gone. All of them like the rope, gone. Two meters of it cut away. As high as someone could climb. Frayed, three strands from one. The tire is gone. The rope swings in the wind, a whip as thick as a man’s wrist. The farmer drives the barrow to the tree. The wind howls. The sky is so many grays. Lightning. He stops. He can’t breathe. Bent double, coughs into his cotton mask. Blood and phlegm, mucous. Three days now, it’s been the same. No clean water. The dust in the air moves fast. Too fast. Razors in his lungs. His face is bleeding. His neck, his hands. He looks to the sky. Rain? Rain will bring grenades. There’s no water left in the rain. When the rain falls it’s tar.

The house is close. He checks his cargo, lifts the blanket. The wind kicks off the lane, swirls, pulls the blanket from his hands. He needs it. Chases it, catches it. Covers his cargo, the face and the torso. The legs he can do nothing about. They hang out of the barrow and dangle over the ground. Skinny, a scarecrow. At least his cargo still has shoes. Worn, old. They’ll have to last. There will never be new shoes again. The wind changes. Not much time but the house isn’t far. He can make it. They’ve come far, they can make it. Their closest neighbour not so far at all. The freedom of the country, the doom of the distance. Barrow is heavier now, but he can make it. He pushes up the hill, past the oak tree and into the open. The grass is still green in spots, mostly yellow. Some grey. It’s happening faster than they said it would. On the TV and the radio. TV doesn’t work. Radio picks up a channel or two, but it’s always the same. They’re liars.

His cotton mask is blown away. He can’t stop. Won’t stop. Lets it go. Catches on a rose-bush in the garden. The thorns are sharp, the petals dry and dying. No more moisture in the air. The rain will kill them all. The wind blows mighty, dust burns his throat, his eyes. There’s one step at the door, concrete and strong. The barrow bounces and strikes the door. Door swings open, farmer drives the barrow inside. He knows the house well, knows the miller and his wife are in the sitting room. He hears footsteps. They appear in the hall. The miller in front, shotgun in his arms. He’s seen him use it, hopes against home. The miller’s wife recognizes the farmer. She’s thinner. Older. Old as the oak tree, but stronger. It’s only been a few months. He stares for a moment. She’s tough. She’ll be the last one of them all. The miller takes him by the arm, just above the elbow. The miller’s face is thinner, the rest the same. His beard is long, thick, wild, eyes heavy, red. So old. Crooked hands, claws. A gnarled spine.

“Jesus,” the miller says. He doesn’t realize it. It’s just a thing to say.

The farmer coughs into his fist, doesn’t look at the mess, wipes it on his pants. Pulls the blanket off his cargo, lays it on the floor. The miller’s wife’s hand goes to her mouth, her eyes go wide, red. The old man in the barrow looks dead. He’s not. He coughs violently. Too weak to cover his mouth. Blood on his shirt. Crimson at it’s deepest. A bib of haemoglobin. His eyes are open but he’s not seeing. He’s covered in dust. The blanket was good for nothing at all.

“They say on the radio the hospital is full,” the farmer says. “Said so on the TV, before she went. And there aint no money for fuel.”

“How long has he been like this?” the miller’s wife asks.

She brushes past her husband. He doesn’t move. No expression on his face. He stares at the old man. The farmer stares at the miller. The miller looks up, past the farmer.

“Few days. Worse now. He aint said nothing since he started coughing.” The farmer’s eyes fill up quickly. He wipes at them, smears blood across his face. He doesn’t notice. He doesn’t care. “Can’t get a thing from the tap and the store in town been all torn to shit. Couldn’t afford no water even if we could find it anyway.”

The miller’s wife looks at her husband, he won’t look back. “Get him out of there and into the sitting room,” she says, taking hold of the skinny legs. They set the old man on the sofa. It’s just long enough, he’s stretched out. Still coughing, blood everywhere. The miller’s wife sets a pillow under his head, another under his knees. She whispers to him. The farmer doesn’t wipe the tears from his face. Not this time. They flow freely now. He looks at the miller. Older by the second, staring out the window. The wind howls, the dust crackles against the windows. The air is full of sound now. It’s dark. The miller’s wife disappears, comes back with a candle and a towel and a bottle of water.

“They can’t afford no fuel they can’t afford no water,” the miller says. He never once looks at the farmer, keeps his eyes on the old man.

The farmer squeezes the wetness out of his eyes. “Please,” he says, the word so dry it’s barely there. The tears race down his cheeks, mix with the dust, become mud, fall to the floor.

The miller’s wife kneels next to the old man. Another fit. She puts her hand on his chest, whispers to him. It’ll be alright. She lies. That’s all they can do. The truth is there, on the other side of the glass for all of them, plain. The coughing subsides, a momentary reprieve. The miller’s wife wets the towel, wipes at the old man’s face. The blood is dried, caked hard. She scrubs. About to use the water again the miller grabs her by the wrist.

“Damnit, you know there’s not enough to spare,” he says. She spins up from the floor, fast, slaps her husband on the face. He looks at the farmer’s eyes for the first time. Walks away,  curses, slams a door somewhere in the house. The old man coughs, she kneels again, washes his face. The farmer pulls up his trousers, leans in, hands on her shoulders.

“Thank you,” he says.

The miller’s wife doesn’t answer. Her husband’s words in her mind. He’s wrong. There’s always a little more to spare. Something extra to give. Even when it seems the opposite. Especially. She sets to ordering the farmer, eases both of them, something to do. No idle hands. Remove his shoes, check how swollen his ankles are. Pull him down a bit that way, get his feet up. Stop the blood from pooling. Send it back towards his heart. Listen to the chest, tell me what you hear. She sets the bottle to the old man’s lips. Won’t drink. Can’t. She offers it instead to the farmer. He takes it, lips touch the plastic. He tastes it. Allows himself a mouthful, no more. Spins the cap back on, sets it between his knees.

“You need more,” the miller’s wife says. She takes the bottle, starts to remove the cap. The farmer puts his hand on hers, stops her. Looks at his father.

“No. That’s enough,” he says.

“When’s the last time you drank something?” she asks. Angry.

“I ate this morning,” the farmer says.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I’ve had more than my share.”

Tears stream down her face. She pulls the bottle away, throws the cap on the floor, shoves the bottle at the farmer. “Now you take this and you drink,” she says, shaking her head. It’s easier to be mad. Like any good neighbour. Mother. “We’ve got the well and there’s plenty of water for us and then some. No one near to come and take it from us and this storm can’t last forever. You’ll see,” she says. Her hands bite into the farmer’s flesh while she speaks. Her talons. Her tears run while he drinks. Her tears are clear, clean. He’s never seen her cry before. Never in his life. Her own children, gone a month now. Not a word. She didn’t cry. Now she does. The farmer finishes what’s in the bottle. He does it for her as much as anything. The old man coughs, gasps. Can’t breathe. They fuss as much as they can, do as much as they can. They don’t hear the miller. He tosses the bucket on the floor between them. It splashes on the floor, on the sofa, on the farmer. It’s not water. Couldn’t be. Thick, black, engine oil. Dirty. The miller’s covered in dust. His surgical mask is supposed to be white. They didn’t know he went outside.

“That’s what’s left in the well,” he says.

  I often wonder why do I have tripods for my cameras? well as some scoff at the idea of useing a tripod, I actually like useing them. Some times you just have no choice at all, I have yet to see any one hand hold a two second or longer exposure and have it perfectly exposed, with out any blur. So I have a few tripods at my disposal, One that usually stays at the house for shots done on the table, and one in the car at all times, I have learned that if you have one in the car you will not miss that shot you were looking to get at that magic moment.

  The “house” tripod, I have had for at least 15 years now, the Bogen 3221 with a 15 year Bogen ball head, as well as a Really Right Stuff clamp on top or the whole kit. As I said this setup has been in servise as it is for the better part of 15 years, and is still going strong. Yes it looks a little old and tired but it still locks down solid as can be. I really can not say enough good thing about RRS (Really Right Stuff) Products. Thay are made exceptionally well and last forever.

  What is in the car? Well alot actually. A carbon fiber Manfrotto 055MF3 tripod. On top of that is a Acratech GV2 Ballhead. Let me just say that for a carry around in your car setup, I find that this combination of equipment cannot be beat at all. Light tripod, easy to work with ball head and a RRS camera plate and all is good. Also there is the venerable monopod in the car as well, attached to the top is a simple Manfrotto tilt head with a RRS clamp on top of that. All a great combinaton for a monopod. Also for those times when I may need a small, and I meen tiny tripod for a friends point and shoot, I have a six inch with extendable legs tripod. I don’t even remember where or when I got it but it has come in handy more times then I can remember, nicely tucked away in a cubb in the car.

I tried (and bought) the latest 405 Pro Digital Geared Head. The head provides ideal support and fast, pinpoint positioning for professional medium format cameras with conventional or digital backs. The 405 Pro Digital Geared Head was designed specifically to meet the more exacting, time-sensitive needs of busy professional digital photographers who shoot with medium format or 35 mm camera/back with payloads up to 7.5 Kg. It utilizes large, easy-to-grip knobs that provide smooth, positive, geared control through 360° pan and +90° -30° frontal and lateral tilt. In addition to its 3-D geared functions, the 405 also incorporates a unique feature that allows you to instantly disengage the gears and rough position the camera by hand, then instantly re-engage them for ultra-precise final alignment. Most impressive I must say.

As mentioned yesterday, camera lewt arrived today!  A buncha stuff I’ve been needing – B+W 58mm mc clear filter, a giottos rocket air blaster, 70W 5500K fluorescent bulb, and to top it off, a new tripod!

Went with a Manfrotto 190XPROB & 322RC2 grip action ball head.

Some of the major improvements over my old tripod:

• Supports 11lbs (both legs & head)!  I’d be surprised if my old one was rated for more than 2 or 3 -_-
• Minimum height of 8.5cm!
• Super easy to adjust!  Simply squeeze the grip, adjust, and release.  No more screwing and unscrewing to get the shot I want.

Cost quite a pretty penny but I’m (dangerously) acclimated to the high cost of photography gear ^^;

Went with the 190XPROB over the 190XB and 190XDB to get the repositionable center column – basically you can flip it horizontal to get extremely low or do overhead shots, etc.  Figured if I was going to drop over $100 on a tripod I might as well get one with all the features I wanted.

The grip ball head is really amazing.  Adjustments are now a few seconds rather than 10 or more.

What I upgraded from:

As for the other stuff… figured I’d get a higher quality UV filter (if you’re not familiar, this type of filter doesn’t actually change the image, but rather acts as protective glass).  Reading around seemed like B+W and Hoya were the best ones, went with B+W.  Next up is a circular polarizer but those cost like $100 ;_;

Air blaster is pretty self explanatory… cheaper than buying canned air to clean my lenses ^^;  As a bonus, should double as a figure duster ^^

And finally, why would I buy a 70W 5500K fluorescent bulb?

mufufufufu, why that’s a backup for my new softbox ^___^  … … which won’t ship for another week or two.  Was on back order ;_;  I can wait though… it was only $40!  Doesn’t come with a light stand, but given that the bulb costs half that much, still pretty nice ^^

Comparison to my current bulbs:

I think everything should be here by the time fate arrives…  Can you tell my interest in photography has been steadily increasing? ^^;;

bleh, was gonna take some figure pictures but I’ve run out of time.  Early meeting tomorrow.

Update: some pics of low height mode of the tripod for wolfheinrich:

以上！

I went and bought the parts to create a video slider. You can find the parts at igus
After adapting my bogen 501 release plate (thanks to Michael Spencer) to attach under the rails to give me a quick release from the fluid head we drilled and tapped a hole through the carriage. This allowed me to attach a cheap rotating head to the carriage which gives me the ability to pan while sliding. Here are a few pictures of the setup I used.

The event I shot yesterday was called Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon in San Jose, Ca. There was an estimated 12,000 runners of all types who joined this 13 mile run. At times the packs of runners were so many that the sound of their feet was like a loud roar. Really an awesome event.

مانفرتو شرکتی ایتالیاییست که سال هاست به ساخت سه پایه برای انواع دوربین های عکاسی و فیلمبرداری مشغول است. جالب  ترین وجه کار آنها- صرف نظر از کیفیت و تنوع محصولات-  به  نحوه معرفی و تبلیغ محصولاتشان  بر می گردد:  در بیشتر تبلیغ ها و آگهی های مانفرتو هیچ تصویری از محصولاتشان نیست ؛ در این تبلیغ ها تصویر  شخصی را می بینید که در حال عکاسی بدون  استفاده از سه پایه  است و شخص عکاس  بجای دوپا ، سه پا دارد. تصویری غریب و یا شاید از دید برخی مشمئز کننده.

 آگهی جدیدترشان هم جالب توجه هست: مردی در حال عکاسی  با دوربینی که در هوا معلق مانده است. در هیچ کدام از این تصاویر توضیحی درباره اینکه مثلاً مانفرتو جادوی هزاره سوم است یا  نقش خاطره می زند و فلان و بهمان (همین فلان و بهمانش از همه مهمتره) مشاهده نمی کنید. فقط در گوشه ای از تصویر و با فونتی کوچک  نوشته شده است مانفرتو. و در دیگری با فونتی کوچک تر نوشته شده: “ساخته شده برای بودن نه دیده شدن” !

بهای محصولات این شرکت در مقایسه با نمونه های مشابه پنج یا شش برابر گرانتر است. اما امروزه در دنیا بعنوان بهترین سازنده سه پایه برای تمام رده ها(آماتور، نیمه حرفه ای و حرفه ای) شناخته می شود. و آرزوی هرعکاسی داشتن یکی از آنها.

فکر می کنم  این آگهی ها الگوی خوبی برای آرتیست ها و به خصوص گرافیست ها  باشد.

میدونم این مطلب پست بی ربطی بود.  اما فکر می کنم در کنار این همه پرت و پلا که اینجا می نویسم بد نیست  اینم کنارشون باشه. شاید در فردای آخرت به کارم اومد.

My new tripod is big and heavy! And alot better than my old one.

Manfrotto 055 XPRO B + 488RC2 bought from cyberphoto.se.

Manfrotto tripod 190XDB with Manfrotto 486RC2 Head, originally uploaded by Music Man5.

]]> http://monomaniacgarage.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/manfrotto-484-mini-ball-head/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:06:22 +0000 monomaniacgarage http://monomaniacgarage.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/manfrotto-484-mini-ball-head/ http://monomaniacgarage.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/manfrotto-190cx3/ Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:36:43 +0000 monomaniacgarage http://monomaniacgarage.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/manfrotto-190cx3/ http://flickrfanstan.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/flickrfan-bike-riding-carry/ Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:19:21 +0000 sgarrett6 http://flickrfanstan.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/flickrfan-bike-riding-carry/

Photographed by ©h@n

Stuff carried when out on my bike, forgot to include my other jacket, it was drying off.

Also not included is the compact camera i took the photo with, Panasonic LZ10.

– License

Hi all!

I’ve been asked about the lighting set up in my painting studio, so I thought I would post some pics and a brief description.

My studio is quite small as I’m using the second bedroom in my 2 bedroom apt as my painting studio, the first being used as my digital studio (I sleep in the main room!), so space is limited. The room has built in robes with mirrored doors. This is a bonus as it allows me the ability to not only view my paintings from a longer distance, but also back to front. So what I lack in distance to the painting front on, I gain in reflected distance.

The obvious thing in the photo is my lighting set up. I wanted to be able to paint day or night and not have to worry about exterior light variations. My experience as a studio photographer kicked in and I bought a pair of Manfrotto Auto-poles. They basically telescope up and clamp against the ceiling. This allows me to clamp lights onto them and reduces the footprint at the floor saving more space. I’d have to use stands with legs otherwise and they would get in the way.

The light source is supplied by two compact flouro’s, daylight balanced at 5000 – 5500k. Equivalent power output is supposed to be that of a 120W incandescent bulb. They run cool which means I dont cook in the summer months and they use much less power than a standard tungsten bulb. Total cost of that set up was approx A$500. That was the two poles, three light heads (one is in the cupboard and could be used as a modeling light), the bulbs, two Manfrotto Superclamps (to hold the lights). The light heads were el cheapo units and I have no idea what brand they are! You could probably get all of this cheaper if you bought 2nd hand too.

You could save some money and run one pole across horizontally from wall to wall and suspend the lights too..

Anyway, I hope that was informative..

Ciao!