the last word

In the last post, I went through the reasoning that made me decide that the Betterlight scanning back isn’t the right tool for the firehouse project. Thinking about a scanning back got me onto another way to get really high resolution: stitching. I figure for macro work, I’m not restricted to the usual “swing the… [Read More]

There is a focusing aid in the BetterLight software. It allows you to position the sensor column anywhere on the image, read out part of it, and display any channel as a graph. If you’re looking at a high-contrast part of the subject, you can focus by finding the lens positon that maximizes contrast. In… [Read More]

Based on the testing that I’ve done so far, I have identified two possible cameras for the firehouse series. The Sony alpha 7R with electronic flash lighting, using rear-curtain synch at 1/25 second or longer to mitigate the effects of that camera’s shutter vibration. The Nikon D800E with available light. I’d use Nikon F-mount lenses… [Read More]

I’ve been testing a Cognisys rail for stacked macros. Since I’ve been doing the shutter shock testing, I thought I’d see if the rail made things worse, and, if so, in what way. I set up this gear: Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar ZF.2 on a Nikon D800E, RRS D800 L-bracket, RRS clamp, Cognisys 200mm… [Read More]

I’ve had interest in comparing a normal lens on the D800E with the Sony a7R/Zony 55 results. I set up this gear: AFS Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G on a D800E, RRS D800 L-bracket, Arca Swiss C1 Cube, RRS TVC-44 legs. Release in mirror up mode, with a programmed 5 second delay between mirror up and shutter… [Read More]