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February 2022

09 Feb

Posted at 09:02h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

If you have a need or desire to spy on people or animals, come on down. We've got just the things for you. The trail camera concept is a one that a lot of people can share. Hunters, farmers, wildlife researchers, and security-minded individuals who may have valuable crops growing in inaccessible portions of state forests spring to mind. In all these cases the photographer cannot be on-site all day, every day - nor can they afford to keep the cameras rolling 100% of the time in hopes of seeing Big Foot, Yowies, or Judge Crater pass by the lens. A selective sentry is needed. This is where the Minox trail cameras come in. Minox has long been famed for tiny cameras and excellent binoculars. Now they have unattended photo stations that you can place in bushland and forests to monitor and record activities for you. The reason they work is better battery performance these days, micro recording media, and circuitry that can monitor activity over a specified area and start recording when movement is detected. A number of these cameras have black-LED...

04 Feb

Posted at 09:07h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

And the only thing that prevents Dom from jumping fences in the Bavarian countryside right now are the emigration laws. He's got the perfect ride for the job sitting right next door to the Murray Street CE shop - the Surron Storm Bee F electric dirt bike. It's so exciting that they've had to tie it down and warn people not to climb aboard. I was in taking pictures and even I was tempted...

02 Feb

Posted at 08:22h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I am inclined to take things at face value if I can see their faces.I believe in new equipment when I see it in the hands of our local wholesaler's representatives and when I can find it on the shelves of the shop. Until then the novelties are nice to speculate about but to be honest there have been promises made in the past that are still pending. It is much the same in my other hobbies...

31 Jan

Posted at 07:58h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I met a man one day who took pictures with film cameras - a number of different makes and models. They were competently focused and exposed and he made notes about the exposures. Since this was long before digital photography was even thought of, the results were put down onto monochrome and colour negative films, with the occasional roll of colour transparency. I don't believe he processed the films himself - in those days there were many developing services around town. He did keep careful records that matched the results to the shooting notes.There were tests of cameras, lenses, flashes, and films. Perhaps of tripods or other accessories too, for all I know. All done honestly and with care.And no other pictures that I knew of. A magnificent body of test work but no conclusions drawn that proceeded to help him make art of any kind. I felt very sad about this.At the same time I was thrashing about, photographically speaking, with a succession of cameras and lenses. I tried lots of films on lots of subjects...

28 Jan

Posted at 10:53h in Blog, Reviews by [social_share]

As we move into summer, it's time to consider a new action video camera - enter the DJI Action 2. The DJI Action 2 is the latest entry by the geniuses at DJI. They are makers of some of the best consumer drones, gimbals and, of course, action cameras. Summer is a time for getting outdoors and enjoying time exploring your world with friends and families. What better way to make everlasting memories than with an Action 2 camera. Not only is it compact and highly portable, but it's also next-generation technology delivering impeccable 4K video in and out of the water.      The folks at DJI claim that the DJI Action 2 is their most versatile and powerful action camera to date. The cube-shaped components utilize impressive magnetic attachment methods to pair either a power pack or a dual-screen system. What's more, the magnetic system allows for fast applications of a wide range of DJI accessories to keep your kit safe and to enable hands-free video capture. The DJI Action 2 is available in two unique combos. The first is the...

28 Jan

Posted at 07:58h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

Before you leap to your feet and wave a flag, this is not about that sort of emotion. Nor is it the last night of the Proms.* This is about panoramas. Those wide pictures that spread out over coffee tables, railway stations, and lounge room walls. The ones that are wider than they are tall - and by a considerable margin. The boundaries of what is considered a panoramic shot seem to vary with different authors or equipment companies, but I just take them to be anything I have to turn my head to view. Bear in mind I wear spectacles and they tunnel my vision somewhat - you may be able to see in a more panoramic fashion just when you gaze on the landscape unaided. Panoramas used to be hard work - you can see examples of them taken in the wet plate era - or even earlier - and made up of multiple shots stacked side by side. There may be differences of tone, of texture, of exposure between panels, and the distortions of the lenses may be compensated...

21 Jan

Posted at 08:51h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

Well, this is Western Australia and it is high summer this week, after all. Out is hot and in is cool - and where does the Siamese cat in the fur coat choose to sleep? You guessed it. But the Godox people are smarter than the cat  - they realise that bringing the Godox AD600Pro inside will have the benefit of letting us use it as a studio flash in the cool  - and we can access the AC mains current as we do it. The Godox AD 600 Pro is supplied with a good big lithium-ion battery to power it in the field. That's the picture below, with the charge lights lit. Not much power in the battery as supplied, but you charge it before use and the lights all go on. Plenty of power, a warning sign for the hot surface, and no wonder. That is a big LED panel in there - along with something I've not seen before; a user-pluggable flash tube. The specs say 360 full power shots  - more if you're dialling down - and a 38...