Camera balancing

 

Having arranaged to take a set of photos of Life in Longmorn, I packed all my gear up, for what was to be an early start. We might only live 15 minutes drive away, but it's still an early start. 

Getting to the layout, I opened my bag, and realised that I'd brought eventhing, except my Splat tripod. For most of the work, I could use a normal tripod, leaning over the baseboard edge, or beanbags. But, as ever, there were times I really missed it. 

Not to be beaten, I made use of amy tiny tripod, beanbags, and a nicely solidly built cottage, to prop the camera (thank goodness it's a small one!) to get one of the owners favourite shots with a 48DS in front of the distilery. 

The results look great, but it's not always easy. 

However, for my pains, I was presented with some shortbread, made very close to both the prototype, and the owners house. Now, I love shortbread, but even I can't eat this much in a weekend (OK, I could, but even I know it wouldn't be good for me) so forced it on my visitors to my stand. See, cake goes both ways!

Knowing when you are beaten

  

This is my photo booth for small models. It sits in the chaos of the corner of my office.

A portable booth with a couple of photo lights above it, it's been used many hundreds of times for some pictures of models I've generally been very happy with. Over the years, I've become expert at long exposures and bouncing light around, then processing the image to have just the right amount of shadow under the model. A flat base is assured thanks to a bit of melamine faced chipboard, and the background is a mix of plastic sheet with paper on top.

All that junk in front is a collection of things I support my Splat on while shooting. That or a beanbag. There's even a monopod that can be jammed in position if required. Basically, I'm creative enough to get the results I want. 

However, last week I started on a project to replace the booth with something bigger and better. 

The key would be a pair of LED panels. The subject would sit on one, another would be over the top. The photo lights would still be available too. 

A white wall would surround the photo area. Simple huh? 

Well, the booth is still there. Admittedly, I've tidied up a bit, but it's not been replaced. 

The new booth turned out to be one of those project that was a disaster from start to throwing the materials in the bin. Every single step went wrong: 

• Ordered two panels. One arrived broken. 
• The replacement was also broken.It took three days to get a pair of working ones. 
• My measurements for the MDF to make the box were wrong and had to be altered at the wood shop. 
• Painting the white walls turned into a nightmare. MDF is smooth, but not once you inflict trade silk emulsion on it. 
• I had planned to use the emulsion as a primer and spray the MDF white The (admitedly old) can was faulty, paint dribbled out. 
• More sanding and rollering gave me a surface that could in no way be described as smooth, but eventually I decided I could live with it. At worst, the booth could have another lining of foamboard. 
• Screwing the panels together, I managed to get the first corner wrong twice. Then realised I was screwing the sides together and not the back. 
• When I eventually fixed all three sides together, not easy as this thing is 60cm wide and floppy until complete, the corners weren't as perfect as I'd hoped machine cut MDF would be. 
• Sliding the panel in the bottom, it left a gap in one corner, the thing wasn't flat. Not a problem in a ceiling, but hopeless here. I did try screwing it to the nice, flat MDF, but the gap, while better was still rubbish. 

At this point I gave up, put the panels and their transformers in the box, put the boxes into store and threw the MDF bits away. 

Lesson learned. When a project fights you at every stage, give up. I didn't have the skills to make this thing work. What I do have, is the skills to make the existing setup produce results. OK, it takes a little longer on the processing, but it works. 

Still, a day and best part of £100 wasted. I need to know when I'm beaten.

A new (Olympus) pen

A few weeks ago, I was looking at my poorly Nikon DSLR and wondering if I really needed to replace it based on the sort of photos I take. 

In the comments, a couple of people suggested I ought to look at an Olympus Pen. Reading reviews, the range appeared to score well for image quality and flexibility. The suggestion in the reviews was that this is a DSLR for compact camera user. I don't have a problem with that. As I said in my original post, I'm no specialist photographer, I just like taking photos. 

I also like interesting things that are a little under the radar. A Citroen Berlingo (2nd series) is a fantastic car for example, but you never see it advertised. They are just popular with those who know how good they are, and when you learn, you understand. 

An SLR for compact users will be an anathema to many "proper" photographers, but I had a look on eBay and found a few to chose from. In the end, £60 bought me an E-PL1 that had taken 572 photos and seemed in perfect nick, along with charger and lens.

Another look and the PL1 is the noddy camera of the range, but if this ever bothers me, bodies can be picked up for under £40, including a red one which appeals quite a bit. 

Anyway, first impressions are good. The camera feels solid. The shutter makes a nice noise. The lens has to be unlocked and extended before use, and it's a bit ugly when not shut up. That's as bad as it gets so far. 

Of course I've taken some photos. You can click on these for the full-size version. 

My railcar in the garden. 

While I was out there, a dragon in need of a repaint:

 

A home-grown pomegranate: 

An aeroplane at Bekonscot on a sunny day:

And a few minutes later, a couple of trains:

All of these were taken with the camera on auto. I had tried some model shots in the booth, but the results weren't impressive. Not bad, just not what I needed. However, stick the camera in aperture mode and the dial on F22, read the instructions to set the ISO to 100 and things look a lot better. 

The Lego train is 12cm long, not that dissimilar in size to this:

No need for stacking there for most uses.The focus lock seemed to work well too. 

At the moment, this feels good. OK, the lens is ugly and composing on the back LCD screen isn't ideal in bright light - but then that's an issue with a compact and trying to gawp through a viewfinder too. The video mode is going to take some figuring out as efforts so far have seen it record when I didn't want it to and not when I do. That's just pressing buttons in the right order. I'm sure if I read the manual again, I'll get it. 

Thanks to those who suggested the Pen. It seems like a good move. The Nikon is currently with them for investigation, but I've hung on to the lens in case I don't have the body back. It's sale will then go towards a zoom for the Olympus.

Splat autopsy

My Migo Splat has a broken leg. It was fine and then suddenly things went wonky and useless. 

This flexible tripod is invaluable, as I explained back in February, so a replacement has been purchased. £18 for something I use a lot isn't a bad buy, or at least I've spent more money for less useful stuff in the past. And so have you, so stop sniggering. 

I couldn't throw the Splat away without doing a bit of digging though. What's inside? 

Cutting carefully down each leg allowed me to peel the rubber away and reveal a flexible steel (I think) set of legs. One of these had fractured, hence the problem. At least I know now.

Do I need a DSLR?

  

My Nikon D5000 has died. 

When I switch it on, the lights in the viewfinder flash on and then there is nothing. My first thought was a faulty battery, but the replacement works no better. 

Now, this might be a known problem. The D5000 was offered a free repair by Nikon, but this expired 2 years ago. The problem this was to fix involved not powering up, so an e-mail has been sent to the company to find out if they can suggest anything. 

In the meantime, I've been thinking.

Let's assume the camera is dead. Should I replace it? 

The more I think about it, the more the answer is no. Quite simply, the photos I take can be taken on a quality compact. 

My magazine work is carried out with the Canon G12. With suitable software, it offers variable focusing for stacking. It feels great and although obsolete, good second hand examples can still be found. I have three - two workhorses and a spare I bought NOS. It does everything I need. 

For other shots, I have three compacts - Fujifilm AX650, Panasonic DMC-TZ8 and Olympus SZ-17. None is exciting and all are old, but they do the job. Plenty of pixels and the Olympus has a breathtaking zoom. All also do a decent job of video work. With 12-16 megapixels on offer from each, unless I want to shoot for a billboard, they are fine. And they fit in my pocket. 

On that basis, the case for a replacement DSLR isn't great. I enjoy using the Nikon but it's far from perfect. The flip out screen slows the autofocus from plodding to glacial. It's not great in low light, far worse than any of the compacts. Don't try to freeze loco on the move, sport mode is hopeless.

The standard 50mm zoom isn't as impressive as the smaller brethren. I know I can buy more lenses, but that's more cost and more stuff to lug around. 

The biggest problem is my photography. I tend to leave the camera on auto and let it get on with things. I like composing an image, I can't be arsed with the fiddly technical bits and for 99% of the time, I don't need to for any of the cameras. 

I use photos in print, but even a mobile phone camera used correctly can be good enough for that. Many of my pictures are shared online and every camera has been producing high enough resolutions for that for decades. 

"But proper photographers have a DSLR" I hear people cry. Well, I've had to work with the results from people with "proper" cameras and you know what? Some of them aren't impressive. Boast about editing in raw all you like, but when the photos have buffers or half a signal arm cropped off because you didn't point it in the right direction, then shut up. 

Likewise, if you have a camera that costs well into four figures but I end up with photos with soft-focus loco faces, then it's time you learnt to point, half-squeeze and then frame the shot. Yes, the middle of the loco is in focus, but that doesn't look right does it? 

There is a phrase that covers it - All the gear and no idea. 

There is one reason, and one reason only I can see to replace the Nikon. Using it makes me feel like a "proper photographer".

I've used SLRs since my early Zeniths and enjoy handling them, but do I enjoy handling them enough to shell out for another?

Upgrading the photo studio

For the last few months, my photo setup has included a roll of printer paper acting as a background. Since adding this, I've saved ages over previous attempts at providing this - to remove all the background for construction shots often involves nothing more than a tweak of the brightness and contrast settings.

When the paper gets dirty, I just unroll a bit. Cut off the old stuff and am ready to go again.

The only problem is that the roll is only 61cm wide and I now have a small layout project in prospect. Worse, that's going to require video and you don't get to do cut-outs on moving images. I need a white background.

So, needing to upgrade to a much wider paper roll in a hurry, I rang around a few places. One said it was delivering on the website, but when I spoke to them, the warehouse is locked down. Another was going to call me back, and didn't.

The winner was Graphic Design Supplies Ltd in Macclesfield. A very helpful chat resulted in a 5ft wide roll being delivered the next day. All I have to do is work out how to support it. Bits of string won't do the job!

The Splat

When I'm taking photos and people are watching, the question I'm asked the most is "What's that blue tripod thing?"

An invaluable part of my kit, the Miggo Splat is a flexible set of legs that can be bent to shape to suit the job in hand. I bought it to replace a Gorillapod as I was wearing these out in 6 months. I hadn't intended to go Splat, but the camera shop I visited had one, I like it and have never changed my opinion.

The device has enjoyed at least 3 years use now and is still as good as new. Its flexibility is incredibly handy as you can see from this shot by John Gray of me photographing his layout Byway MPD last weekend.

Each rubber-coated metal leg is 16cm long, measured from the centre and the thing can be flattened for transporting a bag or tucked into your back pocket when working. I suspect that while you could hang a DSLR on the top (I have) the centre of gravity would demand a little more thinking than with a compact. Not much though.

Recommended. 

You can buy a Splat from Amazon.

Who needs a "proper" camera?

You know what's special about this photo?

Or this one?

Both were taken at Pendon, on my mobile 'phone. And both are really good. 

Unlike my "proper" camera, the phone has made a good job of the white balance. There's depth of field too thanks to the small sensor. 

It's not even a really good camera phone either, a Samsung whose model number I can't remember. No fancy iPhone or Hauewawi (I can't even pronounce it) for me. I know I have used 'phone photos in Garden Rail in the past, but how long before this becomes the norm? 

What happens to all those "proper" cameras? When do they become obsolete? And when will people lugging DSLRs fitted with wopper lenses at shows realise they are wasting their time?

Photo tent review

I've mentioned in the past that I have to take photos in odd places, and don't really want to be dragging a great big booth with me. Well, a few weeks ago, I spotted an interesting advert for something that looked like it would be perfect a few weeks ago on Facebook.

It wasn't cheap, but I could just about persuade myself the £60 was worth it.

Then I did a bit of searching and found the same photo studio tent on Amazon for under 20. Sold!

It seems there are a few versions of this device. Size matters most, the cheaper ones are 20cm wide, OK for some stuff, but as you see, not for the larger model.

Then there are different fixings to hold the thing together. Magnets sound good, but according to the reviews, are rubbish. Mine has old-fashioned massive press-studs and works a treat. OK.

The LED lights run for a long while on my pound shop mobile phone battery. I'm guessing hours, although I tend to turn them off when not in use.

The foam backgrounds supplied are good, but mark when you plonk oily wheels on them so I need to sort out replacements to save post-processing work.

Overall though, I'm very happy. It folds up small, weighs very little and is properly portable.

Recommended. 

Photo from the above shot before clean-up

Judging photos for Bachmann

A couple of months ago, I spent a few hours at Bachmann's Leicestershire HQ.

My first job was to return the G scale Thomas train set I'd borrowed for the Peterborough show, but it wasn't the main reason for my visit.

I'd been invited to judge the annual Collectors Club photography competition.

Sat in a darkened room with club supremo Richard Proudman, we looked at the entries for each category projected on a big screen.

The process was a little like going for an eye test. The bit where they try two lenses and you have to decide between the results. The differences are subtle, and I always wonder if I've given the right answer.

Here, we had some really excellent photographs and needed to chose between them.

Each class was reduced to 3 images and then we looked more critically to decide a winner. Every time, any of these, and often some of the others already passed over, would have been a worthy winner.

Looking at the results in the Spring 2019 issue of the excellent club magazine, I'm happy with the choices - but kudos to every entrant. You certainly made me work for my lunch!

Portable photography

This time last week, I attended the London Toy Fair. My plan each year is to see what both Hornby and Oxford have announced at the show. This time, I knew what Hornby's plans were - well most of them anyway, but more of that on Sunday.

Oxford can always be relied on to bring out several new diecast vehicles plus new samples from the railway range. I'll usually spend an hour or so photographing things.

My trip down involves a train, tube and overground trip. The way back usually takes in a bus and perhaps some tube followed by the train. On all this, I really don't want to be lugging masses of gear. If the cloakroom system at Olympia moved at something more than a glacial pace, this might be easier, but it doesn't.

Anyway, in my bag is a tripod, small tripod, G12 camera, video camera and microphone system. I have a portable booth, but it really needs it's white melamine base so models sit will all wheels on the deck, and that definitely isn't going along.

Instead, I bodge things with an A3(ish) size bit of plastic, clipboard and loads of paper. Using tape, clips and Blu-tack, I can construct enough background for the models, even the whopping big railgun. I use long exposures, photo stacking and available light rather than taking extra illumination. It's not pretty, but it is effective.

Once back home, I can stack the images, clean up the backgrounds and the results look pretty good.

You might think this seems a bit amateurish, but it's better than the mag photographer who was sitting the models on the black chair until being loaned my plastic for the background...

Getting close with a Infinoptix digital microscope

Placing an order on the HobbyKing website, once I'd found the stuff I wanted, I had a look at some of the other goodies on offer.

By the time I'd finished, the £15 order was going to cost me the best part of 50 quid, and on it (amoung other things) was this Infinoptix digital microscope.

While I'm no scientist, I do need to take photos of small things regularly, and for £16, I thought this might be a bit of fun, and possibly have practical applications.

Basically, this is a digital camera mounted on the end of a flexible arm. Around the lens are 4 bright LEDs. Focusing is manual, using the grey ring on the body of the device.

Plugged into the USB socket on my computer, I can see the camera view on the screen using the supplied (on CD) software.

Focusing is a little fiddly, there seems to be a tiny lag between moving the focus ring and the results appearing on screen. Compounded by a very limited depth of field, it calls for a delicate touch.

First results look interesting.

This is the edge of a 247 Developments 16mm scale FR coach plate. The photo covers a width of 10mm in real life. Bringing the camera closer, I can blow the No.2 bit up to fill the view - about 4mm. Messing around with a printed notepad, I could easily see the individual dots of the print and on my mobile phone screen, the pixels making up the image.

Resolution is 1600 X 1200 pixels, not massive, but useful for a small image on a page. If I need to blow something up that much, I'll accept the limitations.

Shooting both stills and video, for the price, this is worth further experiments. Look out for more macro pictures in the future!

Flexview Digital Microscope at Hobbyking.

Level camerawork

Recently, I've been taking a fair bit of video on our Olympus SZ-17. It's an excellent camera with an amazing zoom and the ability to take HD quality footage.

Quality requires both equipment and technique though and all the pixels in the world don't make up for a wonky horizon. Keeping this level isn't easy when you are peering at the back on a sunny day.

The solution is to rob a spirit level bubble from something cheap, and epoxy it to the top of the camera - making sure it goes on level of course.

As well as curing wonkiness, watching the sensitive bubble encourages holding the camera very still so the resulting video is twice as good!

The impossible photo challenge

Sometimes it's good to have a bit of a challenge. When Paul Martin of EDM models put a request on his newsletter for people to take photos of his new NBW range of cosmetic bolt heads, I thought I'd have a go.

A few days later a box arrives containing packed of really tiny plastic bolts. It took me a couple of weeks to have a go and the results are getting there. See what you think:

1/2" stud, 3/4" Square Nut & 1" Washer

 1" bolt, ¹/₂" nut & 3" washer

  5" bolt, 1¹/₂" nut & 2" washer

All were taken with my Canon G12 and are shown here smaller than full size. To get an idea, this is the last photo straight from the camera with only a crop and touch of lightening up. 

Not bad. I think that light matters as much as focus. The really tiny bolts are translucent making them harder to shoot. 

Best of all, I get to keep the bolts for use on future projects. All I have to do is take pictures of many packets. Looking at them, I already have some ideas for their use.

All the gear, no idea

 

At a recent show, I suddenly noticed that  the hall had got a loot brighter, and the "sun" was coming from behind me. Turning around, I was momentarily blinded by an mass of LEDs while someone took photographs of a layout. 

This struck me as odd. I've been on plenty of magazine layout shoots and never seen a light as bright as the one being used. Even in the days of photo floods, there was less illumination. They weren't pointed across the hall at about 5ft above the ground either. 

I'm not an expert photographer, but I manage all right, and I have had the benefit of meeting plenty of people who are experts. As a general rule, if the layout's own lighting is OK, they use that. Quite a lot of the time, a long exposure will sort things, no need to bring in a portable sun. 

If you are using an SLR mounted on a tripod, there is even less excuse, although, as I've pointed out recently, something more modest is often more than adequate unless you feel the need to impress your mates at the camera club by boasting about the size of your lenses.

Here's the setup I used for photographing the DOGA competition entries. 

The background is a sheet of white card fixed to a handy bin to form a curve. At one end, paper blocks any stray direct light from a window. At the other, white card bounces light into the "face" of the locos. 

Light comes from above, fluorescent strips, and from one side through the windows. 

Camera is a Nikon D5000 sat on a beanbag. I'd have preferred a G12 but on balance I decided that although it cost more, if the SLR was nicked or damaged, I'd be less worried that the same happening to my only G12. 

Several exposures were taken each time and the results stacked for full depth-of -field. It's time consuming but the results are worth it. Or at least I'm happy: 

Dead G12

Model railway magazine nerds will know that the camera de jour for toy train snappers is the Canon G12. A high end compact, it produces excellent quality 10mp photos plenty big enough for a double page spread, yet is small enough to slot into odd corners of a layout so you can get more interesting angles. 

Sadly, my G12 suffered a not uncommon problem last weekend. The lens extended all the way out and then jammed. No idea why it did this but once out, switching on the camera resulted in an error message on the screen and some painful gear noises from inside. Repeatedly trying the power just made these get more and more painful - eventually a high pitched whine (scream) was emitted. 

The Interweb came up with a few suggestions. Initially some paper is slipped between the tubes to try and remove any grit. Then you look at the lens, try to work out where it's not central in the hole and push/wobble it back to re-locate some invisible pins. 

I tried all this and there was a clicking noise (good according to the instructions) and the lens came off in my hand. 

This makes me sad. I've used the camera a lot for nearly 3 years and it's given excellent service. My old workmate is now dead and only worth keeping for spare parts. 

To make matters worse, although I have a spare G12, despite being a long obsolete camera, prices on the second hand market are going up rather than down. What's that all about? I know the model that replaced it wasn't a good, but it's not a classic car. Why won't people stop buying these things so I can bag one cheap? As it is, I'm going to have to shell out something near £200 for a second hand camera. How can that be right?

What a difference 19 years makes

 

Lead photo in the Melbridge Dock article in the current BRM is this shot by Andy York showing the Y7 shunting behind Dougie and a seagull. 

Back in 1997, Tony  Wright took a very similar photo.

 

Andy's pic was taken on a digital camera. He's post-processed it to make sure everything is in focus and then delivered it to the editor via the Internet. 

Tony took his on a medium format camera which had an adjustable back to improve the depth of field - the first model railway photographer to use this sort of kit. Photos were taken on transparency, 72 by 60mm. He would take three of each shot - one for the mag, one for his records and the third for the layout owner. Transparencies had to be scanned in for use. All the work had to be done "in camera".

Andy does take more than one shot, or at least his camera does. Most photos are now made up of multiple images taken with different focus points - and staked to produce the infinite depth of field required by today's mags. Fiddling with images to remove dust or unwanted backgrounds is standard practise.

Digital has certainly accelerated the work though. Tony produced 12 images in half a day at my house. Andy shot 34 in about an hour at the show.

I wonder how things will change in the next 19 years?

Pretty good photos

Cameras are over-rated. What you see above is my aged Fuji AX650. I took yesterdays blog photo on it and the results, in low light, weren't half bad. Maybe not suitable for blowing up huge in a magazine, but pretty good all the same.

Last weekend I found myself having to take new product photos with it. Not realising there would be so much good stuff to see I'd not bothered sticking the Canon G12 in the bag.

Despite this, I didn't do too badly:

Dept of field is a bit limited, but I've seen magazines use photos that aren't sharp all the way along. The key is to sit the camera on something solid where possible. Stick it on auto, let the focusing do the job on the nearest point to the lens and then press the shutter button smoothly. A little bit of post processing and they are good to go. 

Digital photography is both wonderful and a but scary for modelling. Obviously I take a lot of photos but then so does everyone else judging by the number of images thrust under my nose at exhibitions...

A most useful photography tool

 

RIP my GorillaPod. After well over a year of sterling service, it has finally bitten the dust. The three legs are turned skyward as it will no longer hold up my camera.

 

I didn't believe this could happen but quite simply, I've worn the thing out. Once the legs were stiff enough to hold in any position but now the balls move in the sockets at the merest hint of a touch. Screw a camera to the top and it descends to the desktop with a thump.

 

Trouble is, this is an incredibly useful too. Whereas for a DSLR or bridge camera, a beanbag is the ideal support, for my Cannon G12 - the workhorse for "how to" articles - the Pod is a more flexible support allowing for all sorts of angles. If greater height is required then it sits atop some books or boxes, whatever comes to hand really.

 

I did try some of the Internet fixes with smears of Superglue or roughing up the balls. Nothing worked sadly. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.

 

So useful a tool is the GorillaPod that it's already been replaced with one sporting grey rings instead of red ones. The difference in stiffness between the two is amazing.

3D photos. The future?

Over the Doncaster weekend, there was a first for one of my layouts - it was photographed by a proper 3D camera. Years ago, some kid had a go with a Nintendo 3DS but the little tyke ran off before I could see the results so it doesn't count. This time it was a grownup with a real camera and he was happy to let me have a look.

The camera in question is a Fuji Finepix 3D W3

It has two lenses that take the left and right "eye" pictures. The results can be viewed on a lenticular lens covered screen on the back of the device. For larger viewing, the camera can be plugged in to the 3D TV or the results can be expensively printed at several places. The device even supports the traditional red/green glasses system.

As well as still pictures, the camera can take video and the results look pretty impressive.

Is this the future? Will toy train magazines go all 3D?

Not for a while I suspect but it's certainly an interesting idea. If the printing problems could be solved (i.e. made cheaper) then I can actually see the results being really interesting. I'm hoping that initially they are only used for layout pictures though - editing out bad background and dust from 2 images instead of 1 for the step-by-step guides will be a pain unless someone invents a 3D Photoshop system.

Still, interesting to see the camera produced by a mainstream manufacturer. You can even buy them on Amazon. And yes, I am tempted...