Xmas pressies from Santa 2015

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Ady1 on 27/12/2015 12:08:46:

Have drawn off the first few pints for cooling and will sample with dinner tonight, it looks like rough scrumpy without the lumpy bits

You forgot to put the dead rat in.

Neil

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 26/12/2015 17:53:42:

A low-shutter count Canon 450D, now safely 'astro-modded' it's ideal for when this bloomin' cloud parts…

Neil

Are you going to get your angle grinder out and de de bayer it and add cooling etc Neil?

John

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[NJHParticipant @njh]

Oh dear !

I realise that I will need a focusing rail to go with the macro lens so that is now ordered…………

…….. whilst there I came across a light tent …… hmmmm – looks like ( another ) essential accessory to me – then, of course, there are some lights. What have I done!

Norman

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by NJH on 27/12/2015 16:23:43:

Oh dear !

I realise that I will need a focusing rail to go with the macro lens so that is now ordered…………

…….. whilst there I came across a light tent …… hmmmm – looks like ( another ) essential accessory to me – then, of course, there are some lights. What have I done!

Norman

I got the bug – insect macro photography. This is what I have knocked up to make it easy to hand hold and carry around

I dismantled a small flash and added the lead between the gun and it's shoe. The telescopic aerial is for another configuration that I haven't tried yet.

Zero insects this year. I had to use a serious amount of weed killer tail end of last year and again early on this year.

John

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[NJHParticipant @njh]

Looks good John but what is the telescopic aerial for?

Norman

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by NJH on 27/12/2015 22:55:45:

Looks good John but what is the telescopic aerial for?

.

Presettable focus distance, for those hand-held shots [I presume]

MichaelG.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

No – the idea was to mount the flash on the end of it for a fixed focal length macro lens. The problem with that is Olympus only do a 60mm focal length macro lens which means at 1:1 the insect is less distance than that away from the subject so often they buzz off or what ever else the do. The lens on the camera is an 75-300mm zoom lens fitted with an achromatic close up lens. It works well with the zoom up to around 200mm which gives a lot more working distance. Past 200mm the resolution of the lens isn't so good.

Micro 4/3 has it's problems with macro work because of the electronic viewfinder. Things can look in focus as there is a lot less pixels in the view than on the sensor. With a normal dlsr people general set a magnification ratio and then focus visually be moving the camera. I do the same but have to rely on the auto focus to crisp it up. There isn't much depth of field so it can easily decide to focus on whatever the insect is on rather than the insect itself. I initially I only had a few good shots out of a dozen. Now if I can take 2 at least one of them is usually ok. Often I can take more just in case. I still haven't figured out depth of field needed that well. That comes with practice. There isn't enough time to start measuring distance and looking at charts etc. I'm getting the hang of making it easier by using the lest magnification that I can. Judged by the amount of detail that I can see in the viewfinder. The dedicated macro people think I'm mad doing that but using only the mag that is really needed is good practice when using microscope and I think the problems are similar.

There are some shots taken with the set up are here

**LINK**

Some of the other albums contain all shots I might have taken even bad ones or a light and dark so that I can merge them later if needed.

John

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[FatgadgiParticipant @fatgadgi]

Wow, John, those photos are truly wonderful.

Now, where's my Brownie and a magnifying glass ……

Cheers, Will..

[FatgadgiParticipant @fatgadgi]

My Daughter gave me an Arduino for Christmas (good girl)……. I thought programming it looked straight forward enough, but I tried to play with it tonight and I'm damned if I can get Windows 7 to talk to it. So cannot even get to first base.

Could possibly be something to do with the fine cognac I guzzled, but regardless, I will trying Linux tomorrow instead !!!

Cheers Will

[Michael BriggsParticipant @michaelbriggs82422]

Hello Will,

I bought an Arduino which is a clone, the comms chip is non standard. It is difficult to read the marking on the chip because it is very small, mine is inscribed CH340G. Googled and downloaded the correct driver and it works a treat.

I also have a genuine Arduino and that works fine on Win 7 too.

Please do not be offended by my suggestion that you may have a clone, just trying to help.

Regards, Michael.

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

It's a bit OT, but it is a bit festive and it's about cider, not your girlie stuff that you can see through, but proper stuff……….

I used to have the pleasure of working in Bath. One weekend whilst out having a ride on my Norton I went by a farm gate which had a sign roughly nailed to it. The sign read……"Farmhouse cider, 50p a gallon, bring your own bucket"

I nearly fell off laughing!

cheers

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by John W1 on 28/12/2015 00:26:20:

No –

.

[ I'm wrong again ]

MichaelG.

[FatgadgiParticipant @fatgadgi]

Hi Michael B – certainly not offended – I'll get the magnifying glass out tonight and see what the chip is. I suspect it's just me not pointing the tin brain to the right driver.

Cheers – Will

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by John W1 on 28/12/2015 00:26:20:

There are some shots taken with the set up are here

**LINK**

You might want to share some of those with this lot: Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Will Bells on 28/12/2015 09:11:49:

Hi Michael B – certainly not offended – I'll get the magnifying glass out tonight and see what the chip is. I suspect it's just me not pointing the tin brain to the right driver.

Cheers – Will

Make sure you are using the right com port – check the number in device manager and make sure the one in the sketch editor matches.

Neil

[Andy HoldawayParticipant @andyholdaway]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 28/12/2015 16:43:21:

Posted by Will Bells on 28/12/2015 09:11:49:

Hi Michael B – certainly not offended – I'll get the magnifying glass out tonight and see what the chip is. I suspect it's just me not pointing the tin brain to the right driver.

Cheers – Will

Make sure you are using the right com port – check the number in device manager and make sure the one in the sketch editor matches.

Neil

I've also found that I occasionally have to use a different com port so that the system will have to 're-find' the new device. It usually works fine afterwards. As long as you have the correct drivers in the first place, that is!

[NJHParticipant @njh]

As a present from my Daughter, Son – in – Law and the Grand brats I had a piece of 20mm plywood …………………. that had been changed a bit by one of their friends !

An object of great beauty – it will sit on the mantle shelf .

I'm amazed by the skills some folk have.

Norman

Edited By NJH on 28/12/2015 17:54:28

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 28/12/2015 16:39:50:

Posted by John W1 on 28/12/2015 00:26:20:

There are some shots taken with the set up are here

**LINK**

You might want to share some of those with this lot: Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust

Neil

Sadly only 2 out of the garden in B'ham, the little green spider and the black and orange thing. Dragon fly might be from Leesowes, the rest from a garden in Pembrokeshire. I'm still trying to find a decent area nearby. I suspect as i have been warned that any sort of local use of weed killer and they tend to disappear. The general lack of wild flowers doesn't help either especially in country park type areas. There are several in easy reach. Silly really because they would only need to mow once a year in areas seeded with them. This would also increase the species of birds that are around. Moseley Bog for instance hasn't much in the line of birds or insects, tempted to say none at all really. Pretty typical of several. It's nice to have plenty of open spaces about but their management is awful.

John

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