2012-05-30

new lenses

I didn't get to do any new stuff in the workshop, let alone record it.
But I did get me some new lenses in the last weeks.
(Not much else to spend budget on while waiting for the Panasonic GH3 to be announces in autum.)


The Panasonic 14-42mm X-lens. Only a fraction of the size of the 14-42mm kit lens, yet optically even a bit better.

It's a pancake. Meaning it's so small, that the GH2 or GH1 camera with this lens mounted fits inside a coat pocket and I can have it with me all the time. It's so small, there is no zoom-ring and no focus ring. It has 2 levers and does a motorized power zoom.
Formerly having the camera in my pocket was only possible with the (very bad) 3D pancake lens or...


the 14mm f2.5 wide angle pancake.

Finally a lens that is wide enough, so I can make unstabilized shots handheld and film in close quarters. It is also much faster then simply using the 14-42 at 14mm and thus a good wide angle companion to my beloved PanLeica 25mm f1.4 and the Voightländer 25mm f0.95.
(Yes, I regularly do shots in light conditions that required lenses this fast. Contrary to photography you can't use a flash for filming and the situation doesn't allow setting up off-camera lights.)


And finaly the third one...the 45-175mm X tele.
 Concentrating on normal and wide angle ranges there are situations where I can't go on without a tele. I thought about this a long time since I don't need a tele very often but when I do, there's no alternative. Manual, old FD-lenses are too slow to use and too bulky and I can't get any closer.
Formerly I used a fair sized collection of old Canon-FD mount lenses. ...very old ones.
Very bulky, unstabilized, manual focus, hard to use. (The FD-bajonett is a nightmare. I once lost one of only 2 camera angles I had recording a 3 hour show that is only performed once due to an FD lens not sitting tight because I had to mount it in the dark in just a few seconds.)

I just compared the new 45-175 with my longest lenses. A Tokina and a Tamron.
These go up to 210 and 300mm and to compare them I zoomed all 3 to 175mm, used the new lens wide open and the old ones stopped down to minium to give the old glass an edge and the new one a disadvantage.
....Looking through the 1:1 crop magnification I couldn't believe how much detail, contrast and saturation where possible with modern glass. How could I ever have thought of the old lenses image are "fairly good, if uncomfortable to handle".

Two other things I got pretty much transform the way I record too:
A boom-pole with a large blimp for my 50mm long T.Bone EM9900 shotgun microphones.
With these I can record way better sound and have the microphone off screen when there is even a slight wind outside. Up to now the only option had been the lower quality dynamic hand-microphones that are less effected by wind.

The second thing is a camera monitor. This may not sound like much but they do a lot more then just display an HDMI or SDI feed. With 4 user defined buttons I can select to view the center of the frame in 1:1 or any other magnification. (You record FullHD but can't watch it in that resolution until you are done.)
I can select peaking. Meaning the highest contrasts get a red border. Thus I can pull focus while filming.
2 Other things are false-colors to show over- and underexposure and showing the overexposed areas with a pattern (the only thing the camera already does on it's own.).

2012-05-10

How LEE filters are made

Like a great many photographers I am using LEE filters on my flashes and lenses.
The 200+ sample pack has pretty much become a standard item for strobists.
What I just watched is a video about how they are made.
I'd never have expected this to be a 2.5 day purely manual process done in the UK.
My guess would be some kind of highly automated manufacturing plant somewhere in asia.
You don't see much of that kind of manual work anymore.


    2012-05-09

    Ich rate von Elektroshop Wagner ab.
    Küche nicht bin 2ter Stock sondern nur Erdgeschoss geliefert und erst als ich ratlos vor dem Kühlschrank stand hat der Fahrer daran gedacht mit anzupacken.
    Zitat:
    "1-Mann Service (+29€): Wenn Sie selbst mit anpacken können (und wollen), dann empfiehlt sich der günstigere 1-Mann Service. Hierbei trägt der Fahrer die Geräte mit Ihnen zusammen bis zum Verwendungsort. Dieser Service steht nur bei Geräten unter 50kg zur Verfügung."
    Na gut, kann man noch mit leben. War weniger schwer als gedacht.
    Problem: Die Hälfte fehlt obwohl per Email zugesagt.
    Ich hatte extra gefragt ob Wasserhahn und dessen Schläuche dabei sind und es hieß:
    "Im Lieferumfang sind die Schläuche sowie der Wasserhahn enthalten."
    Was ist? Nicht mal das Loch in der Platte um einen Wasserhahn einzubauen ist vorhanden.
    Von Amaturen und Warm+Kaltwasser -Schläuchen natürlich keine Spur.

    Bin gerade dabei das per Email zu klären. Mache mir da aber keine großen Hoffnungen.

    2012-05-03

    Implemented H4n remote control protocol

    After I reversed the protocol used between the Zoom H4n and it's RC04 remote control, I now implemented it in an ATTiny13 (yes, no UART).
    I just need to fetch some small parts this weekend to actually test it....

    2012-05-02

    Added new feature to LimeChat for MacOS

    Me learning Objective C vor iOS programming pays off.
    I just added a new feature I wanted to the LimeChat desktop application for MacOS in a matter of minutes.
    (The feature being the ability to execute a user defined command uppon joining/rejoining a channel.)