small cameras

[Ron Gibson]

FYI
Don't know if anyone is interested or quality of recording. Pilot and probably Flying J truck stops have 'Midlands' wearable cameras on sale for $89.95 - a $50.00 rebate. Comes with camera, waterproof case, battery, couple of mounts and a usb cable (no charger). For 40 bucks I'm going to try one. 

YMMV

Ron

[wobblywalrus]

My normal camera was a Canon EOS Rebel.  They are full size cameras and bulky for travel.  I was looking for a pocket camera with the ability to do technical shooting for the build diary and also to hook up to my telescope.  A little Canon G16 was what I bought.  A few months ago there was a "Das Boot" thread about an odd vacation I had.  At the end there is a picture looking from a landing craft inside the ship to the world outside.  There is a lot of glare in that picture. This shows two shortcomings with the typical pocket camera like the G16.  There was dried salt water spray on the lens.  A way to protect it and also be easy to clean is needed.  Also, optical filters are needed for some shots to reduce glare.  Both are not on the typical pocket camera.

The G16 has a removable ring as shown on the right in the photo.  Also shown is a typical 58mm UV filter.  I used the one from the rebel.  A 58 mm lens cap attaches to the filter, also from the rebel.  A short and long extension are shown.

The second shows the long extension on the G16.  It clicks on in place of the ring.  The extension is 36 mm long and has a threaded outside end of 58mm dia.  The UV filter is in place.  This extension is just long enough to work if the camera's zoom feature is not used.   

[wobblywalrus]

Normally I travel with the long extension, only, on the camera with the filter and cap.  I zoom by cropping and enlarging the photo.  The short extension used with the long one allows the zoom feature of the camera to be used.  It is 15 mm long extension with 58mm threads on both ends.  One photo shows it on the camera with the filter and the other with the filter and cap. 

[wobblywalrus]

It is easy to switch lenses on a standard size camera.  It is not done with the little pocket ones.  The lens is not changed.  Corrective lenses are used instead.  This one is made by AXER and it is a "Professional Digital Lens with Macro 0.43x AF Wide Angle Lens."  The lens cap and UV filter are removed from the camera.  The extensions remain and this lens fits on them.  AXER makes a telefoto lens using the same principles.

[wobblywalrus]

There are two lenses in this setup, a wide angle one and the macro one.  Both are on the camera when I do close up shots.

[wobblywalrus]

This is the raw shot of the Pendine race results using the setup.  The second one is enhanced on the computer using Microsoft Office 2010.  The picture is rotated, auto correct is used, and it is cropped.  A decent close up results.

This lens combo can do a lot more than this as the fellow I bought it from demonstrated.  This is all that I remember.  Someday I will figure out the other features and capabilities.       

[wobblywalrus]

Posting things is a good way to get advice, sometimes.

The macro lens is most often used by itself.  The raw picture of the date on a dime.  The second picture shows it after some minor processing in Office 2010.  The lenses were used in combination yesterday and just the macro today.

I went on to the i-net to find AXER instructions and say that these professional wide angle/macro lenses have a $1,200 suggested retail.  Mine appears to be genuine and new, and I paid around $200 for it, a UV filter, and the two extensions.

Advice I am given is these lenses are used on SLR cameras with 58mm OD threads like rebels and they screw onto the lens ends like filters.  There are a lot of people making them for reasonable prices.  They are not advertised for use on Canon G-16's.  My guess is the guy at the camera shop figured out the extension tube setup with the wide angle/macro lens on the G16.  Regardless of who thunk it up, it works.

[wobblywalrus]

I could not find any instructions on how to use the macro lens.  This is what I figured out today.  First, put both extension tubes on the camera.  Screw on the macro lens and turn the camera to "auto."  Zoom the lens out as you want to get the detail you need.  Point to the subject and move slowly toward and away from it.  There will be a sweet spot where the camera will be able to focus clearly.  Snap the picture then.

The first two of these are raw images and not enhanced.  One shows a carbide bit with work spinning in a lathe. The bit is diamond shaped and the flats are 1/4 inch wide so this is a close up shot.  The other shows a structural titanium bushing with inside diameter = 0.714 inches so it is a close up, too.  Note the very small depth of field.  This might be a problem so I will work on lengthening it.  The solution might be to use manual focus and aperture adjustments instead of auto.

The bit picture will be in a future post about machining odd metals and chip breaker shape.  The third pix shows an enlargement of the chip breaker.  This is a little pocket camera and it seems to be useful for close ups with the right accessories.

The bushing is actually a wedding band.  Werner got married and he asked me to make it for him.