Took a Ciro-Flex to the Henry Ford Museum...

Hi all,

 

I took a Ciro-Flex to the Henry Ford Museum this past Saturday. My

girlfriend lives near there, so we have a membership, and I like to

take my son there as well.

 

I've been experimenting with panoramic stitching, and noticed that

the tripod socket on the side of the Ciro-Flex looks to be almost

right where I would estimate the nodal point to be. So, I set up a

series of 4 shots of Bucky Fuller's Dymaxion house, to be stitched

together back home.<div></div>

Neat photo, Doug! i'll bet it looks terrific at a larger scale.

 

:)=

The stitching went perfectly - better than any other camera I've tried that technique with. Somehow I doubt the location of that socket is accidental.

 

After that, a look at a stationary steam engine, used to power other machinery. What's interesting is that the machinery went through a phase where it was "styled" - note the lines and shapes and curves in the photo. Another engine next to this one has Gothic arches, and looks much like a cathedral....<div></div>

On the backside of the steam engine, there was a steam-powered portable boring bar on display. I only know what it is because I read the plaque. Long ago I used a boring bar on small engines, but it sure didn't look like this. A plaque tells that the portable unit saved downtime, allowing mechanics to make a cylinder new again, on site.<div></div>

And of course there's many interesting autos there as well. Here's the backside of a Model T Ford prepared for an early Indy 500 race. It wasn't raced - it was entered and rejected for being "too light". Henry Ford replied that he built race cars, not trucks, and didn't enter again. This is all in polished aluminum, and is gorgeous.... My Dad still has a pair of Model T's; I shot the back because I already have a front view of the same car. This one was sort of for my Dad.<div></div>

Next to the Model T is a couple relatively modern Indy-type cars....<div></div>

Then a classic MG, posed next to a Ford street rod:<div></div>

Then finally, a modern Ford endurance racer. A similar street-legal car, with identical styling and a 500 HP engine, is a production car now. I've seen one in my life, in my girlfriend's Dearborn neighborhood with Manufacturer's Plates on it.<div></div>

And that was my Saturday, lugging a tripod and an old camera and a young son around the Henry Ford museum.

 

Don't know if I need to get a life, or if I have a wonderful life already.

 

Just kidding - I *do* know the answer to that question.

 

Thanks for letting me share here - enjoy!

 

Doug

 

PS - Rick, thanks for the compliment! It does look good, but... it could be better. I didn't use a small aperture for the Dymaxion shots, as people were passing through all the time - so it's not quite as sharp as I'd like. And the shiny aluminum skin reflected light in strange ways - but now I know the technique works well using that side-socket, and next time I'll do better. The learning never ends, right?

I meant "Thanks, Richard".

 

I work with a Richard who goes by Rick, and so made a slip.

 

Doug

These look good. Do you have a photo of the Ciro-Flex's showing the location of the tripod socket?

i do go by 'rick', actually.....

 

and jason, here's a photo of a CiroFlex showing the side tripod socket:

 

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/0/2/9/2/6/6/webimg/6428784_tp.jpg

I always thought that was only to mount the flash bracket on my Model F. I don't recall using my Ciro-Flex on a tripod very often, but I did improvise a hand-grip for shooting action sports, that mounted to that socket.

 

Thanks, I learn something new(old) every day here.

 

<Chas>