New field monitor for focus

about this blog
I haven't written here in a while.
It has been way too tempting to post 1-2 lines on Google+ instead and be done with it.
I think in a world of Twitter and G+, blogs should be about "quality content" in the sense that an entry has more then a paragraph and a single photo or link.

what recently happened
So, what have I been up to in the last days?
After having constructed and 3d-printed so much film and photo equipment last year,
I'm trying to learn how to use it properly. ;)
Working my way through books about setting up light, image composition, exposing for film, cutting video for different results,...
Experimenting with Strobist like still photography and getting experienced with pulling manual focus on a moving camera.
There lies the problem. My best lenses are the Leica/Panasonic 25mm f1.4 and the incredible Voightländer 25mm f0.95 .
These two babies can have a very shallow field of depth if you want it.
That looks great for portraits or close-ups but is impossible to focus in video on the camera display alone.


topic: field monitors for DSLRs
I have been and am still looking for an affordable field monitor that can help with this issue.
What am I'm looking for?

• At least 800x480 if not 720p. 

I tried that resolution in a shop and it allows me to see differences in focus clearly that are unnoticeable on the camera display.

• At least peaking (superimposed edge-detection, highlighting the object in focus)

Here is what I found so far:

SmallHD DP6 (too expensive)
Great! Just perfect.
Does everything you want and does it great.
The problem: The 1000eur price tag.
I would consider it very, very carefully if...it where not clear that in a few years we'll get such a monitor in FullHD. Maybe even 3D autostereoscopic.
(Looks like Lilliput has something like that)

Marshall V-LCD50 (still too expensive)
Still very expensive at 650eur.
It does  peaking AND false colors for focus.

Sony-CLM-V55 (nearly there)
300eur.
does peaking and 1:1 (zoom in to show 1 camera pixel as 1 display pixel)

Lilliput 667GL (too cheap)
This is too cheap.
170 eur is okay but there is no focus assist at all.

Calumet branded one (forget it)
Forget about this one.
380eur and no focus helping at all.
Saturation is too low even at maximum.

F&V F1 (cheap!!!)
200eur with peaking.
800x480.
Sounds great!
I would get this one if I did not find....

• Review

Lilliput 5D-II/O/P (YES!!!)
360eur (320eur including customs and 19% import sales tax)
this sounds like the PERFECT one!
The old "/o" had nothing but the newer "/o/p" model looks great.
1024x600 (600p) ...strange resolution but better then 480p.
HDMI in + out ...well...I have no use for the out part but it could be nice.
The real deal is:

• Peaking (highlighting the object in focus)
• Zebra (pattern in overexposed areas)
• False Color (coloring over+underexposed areas)
• Zoom (1x to 8x including 1:1)
• Image Freeze,...
• Specification
• Review

THAT'S the one I want to try. Then I'll update this blog posting with the result...

Don't buy Samsung!!!

Samsung SmartTV "support"  says it's perfectly normal that my TV forgets all already downloaded EPG data
and that I have to switch through each and every chanel manually every time I switch on the TV
and that it's my own fault for using satelite TV instead of cable.

HELLO? EARTH CALLING? IS THERE ANY INTELLIGENT LIFE ON PLANET SAMSUNG?

This is the latest and greatest and most expensive model they have with the most recent software.

making 3d photos in munich

Made a number of 3D photos in Munich last night.
Click the photo above to see the album.
The photos are not sorted or edited yet and a lot of them are ruined by snow getting in front of the flash.
(Photos made with a Panasonic G-series 3D lens that is limited to f11, so a flash is needed.)

30 Hackerspaces for Shanghai

"Shanghai government is going to build up the first 30 hackerspaces"
Including CNC tools and everything.
Members only cover the operating cost, not the initial cost of the machines and rooms being purchased and set up.


source

Don't use Maxspot

(Crossposted from Google+ because it annoys me so much)
I'll never book a Hotel that uses #Maxspot for Wifi again!!!
At least every 5 minutes, sometimes every few seconds they highjack a random HTTP connection to inject
"Sie müssen sich zuerst anmelden um diese Website besuchen zu können!".
Then you must enter your wifi hotspot login and click to get the intended page. Problem: This also happens vor HTTP requests for
.css,
JSON,
XML,
Javascripts,... and it does forget
HTTP-GET and -POST parameters as well as
HTTP-headers.

So any "next" link in a google search or a link to amazon, ebay,... for example forgets what you have been searching for.
This breaks my internet and is completely unacceptable for a hotel's service I'm paying for!!!

• Google+ microblogging post

Reversing an RC04

Dissecting an RC04 remote for a Zoom H4n...
Well labeled inside.
I should record what is transfered on that 3.3V serial bus soon.
Should be easy to syncronously start/stop recording on 2 cameras for 3D and sound with a single button.

Upgrading the ToM

(I have neglected posting here for a while. Much is posted on Google+ but too short and meaningless for a blog posting.) As the jamming and filament-stalls of the Thing-O-Matic continue, I'm now fed uo enough to mount a new extruder. It did not quite fit but I guess I can make it work. My current suspicion on the jams is that any contact with the ABP belt cloggs up the extruder. The original extruder is very week and cannot overcome that. I would have liked to use an angled drive-bolt extruder like the RepMan uses as I found that to be extremely powerful, back-pressure resistant and reliable. But no such extruder design exists for the ToM and I need to use a ready design to save time. I'm now trying to use a geared down extruder with more force and also replace the plastic belt with titanium. I don't know yet how best to cut the 0,025mm titanium. As Makerbot didn't include any mechanism for tightening the belt, a new belt has to be perfect in length.

• First Google+ posting
• Second Google+ posting
• Extruder on Thingiverse

3d printed foldable shoulder rig with sound+video controls on handles

And as promised I added the front support to the foldable shoulder rig I did yesterday. You can detach the support or fold it up and keep it on the rig. I used a leg of a very cheap tripod that broke down to make a support that can be adjusted in length.

• Design files on Thingiverse
• cheap tripod misused for front support
• Photos (coming soon)
• Video (coming soon)
• All Videos (please subscribe)