gerard

January 10, 2010

Any entomology enthusiast that could help me identify this?

Today, while working in the attic, I found a cocoon in a corner under the roof. It looked like a mud construction. Quite weird for the location.

It was in a crawl-height place, so I decided to pop it open with a stick from some safe distance (couldn't run away if a bunch of mad wasps would come at me)

Once open, two discs, looking like a dry mud sandwich, became visible. No signs of life.

I decided to get closer and have a look at it, so I took the two slices and place them on a piece of board. They were actually honeycomb constructions, but not made of wax like bees'.

I saw something like a larvae among the dust of probably decay of the dead colony inside there.

Then I took it downstairs to my desk to examine it with more detail. I could not find the larvae anymore.

Does somebody have any idea of what was hosted in my attic? Should I look for some survivors around? Any dangers for wood or alike?

(sorry for pic quality. The old attic is very dusty; a hazardous environment for a DSLR, so I used a phone for the first images. The second round were taken with a EOS 5D MKII + 100 f/2.8 or MP-65 macro lens, a ring flash and an external speedlite for side/back lighting)

TIA!

-Gerard.

August 17, 2008

Hi Gerry,

That's the problem with intermittent bugs. I can't do such a test. I use the ST-E2 most of the time and I do suspect it, but if I get the problem, I can go and replace it by a 580EX and get the shot, but get back to the ST-E2 and see it working as well. Was it the master? or the Slave?

A reproducible situation would be ideal, but I have not found it -yet-

-greetz, Gerard.

August 17, 2008

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your answer. I've certainly not missed any ingredient in the setup. I do have noticed that this problem seems to appear in long shots, after using the flashes for a while. Yet, the ready indicator is red and recharge times are fast, indicating that the batteries still have enough ' juice'. Some times I've preventively changed the batteries, but the problem still appeared in an intermittent way.

I recon that sometimes my setups are a bit complex and things might get in the way between master and slave, but then nothing should work, not even the pre-flash.

Using FEL as you mention helps sometimes. It seems to 'restore' the communication (as weird as it might sound)

It's not an easy one, I know.

-greetz, Gerard.

August 17, 2008

This is eating my brain cells.

Using the wireless E-TTL system w/ ST-E2 master and one or more 5x0EX as slaves, in certain occasions I get black

frames when I could swear I had seen the flash going off. (I shoot with both eyes open to reduce strain). Once

aware of it, I've seen it repeating many times: The pre-flash goes off without problem but the frame is black.

The main flash is not firing.

I still can't pin-point the factors causing this as to faithfully reproduce it so I'm calling on the forum wisdom

to see if there're people observing this situation too.

Any other pre-flash victims outthere?

-greetz, Gerard.

July 28, 2008

I was once on holidays and a huge dust spec found a cousy home on my sensor. With no tools to clean it, I

improvised and removed it with a common straw and my mouth as vaccum (yes, I know I sucked :-)

((Just make sure you wipe off all the cocktail before putting the straw into the camera.... ;-))

-greetz, Gerard.

May 15, 2008

sorry, I lost the formatting in the previous post

These are the options I listed:

<ul>

<li>10X w/ MP-E65 + 2x multiplier </li>

<li>10X w/35f/2.8 Macrophoto + bellows (rare lens, from the FD series)</li>

<li>20X w/20f/3.5 Macrophoto + bellows (VERY rare lens) </li>

</ul>

I hope that makes it more readable.

-kr, Gerard.

May 15, 2008

Milan,

Some alternatives for you before going the microscope way:

5X with the MP-e65

10X w/ MP-E65 + 2x multiplier

10x w/35f/2.8 Macrophoto + bellows (rare lens, from the FD series)

20x w/20f/3.5 Macrophoto + bellows (VERY rare lens)

This dedicated systems will potentially provide you better sharpness and image rendition than microscope optics.

Regarding light, some frontal but modelling light will be OK for your purposes. Using the ratio option of the MT-24EX to give different outputs to either flashhead will do the trick.

(side note: those are very small typeforms you're talking about)

-kr, Gerard.

April 16, 2008

Tanel,

As other mentioned, if you were hand-holding, most probably you were not seeing any effect of MLU but rather circumstantial factors.

I did a test to visualize the effect of MLU. Here you can see the results:

<A HREF="http://www.gerardmaas.net/?p=25">http://www.gerardmaas.net/?p=25</A>

kr, Gerard.

May 16, 2007

Mark,

Thanks for the reference. I'll try to contact him, given that Canon support is really taking too long in getting back to me.

Regarding the power issue, I also did that test a few days ago and casually with conditions almost identical to the method you propose. I used a 580EX in an UmbrellaBox (a cool hybrid umbrella-softbox from Lastolite) EF 100 Macro, 1/200 f/16 ISO100. You can see the results on this link: <A HREF="http://www.gerardmaas.net/?p=36">http://www.gerardmaas.net/?p=36</A>.

greetz, Gerard.

May 15, 2007

Mark,

I think too that it can be solved with a firmware update.

Any idea about how to get in touch with Chuck?

-kr, Gerard.

May 15, 2007

Nadine,

thanks for taking the time to do the test. So your 5D is buggy as well :-)

-gerard.

May 15, 2007

Jim,

Thanks for the test. I also tested my old trusty EOS 10D and it doesn't show any problem as well. Still looking for people with a 5D as I think it's a camera issue.

-greetz, Gerard.

May 14, 2007

Hi all,

While doing some 'frozen flash' images I discovered some unexpected

behavior of the EOS 5D:

Some background first:

FP Flash, also known as High Speed Sync and denoted with the H(Bolt)

icon is normally used for fill-in flash in bright conditions where

your shutter speed exceeds the XSync limit (1/200 on the 5D). That way

you can keep using wire apertures to achieve a nice background blur

and still flash your subject for fill-in. It actually works by firing

a seemingly continuous beam of light for the length of time that the

shutter is open (avoiding in that way the banding that you would

observe otherwise). This feature requires a much higher energy output

than normal flash and therefore your flash range is dramatically

reduced.

Well, all this bg info is to be able to explain the bug in simple terms:

Even when FP Flash mode is active on the flash (H[bolt] icon active on

the flash LCD or red led lighted up on the ST-E2), the FP mode should

only activate when your shutter speed exceeds XSync speed. The

problem I found is that the 5D is activating the FP mode also when

used at XSync speed. This behaviour is unexpected and certainly

undesired, given that it will dramatically affect flash exposures. It

reduces the flash range, increases recycle times and consumes

batteries faster.

To make it very concrete: If you have FP flash active on the flash and

your shutter speed is 1/200, the flash will fire in FP flash mode

(also called 'long burning'), so instead of having a typical flash

duration of 1/10000, the flash will fire for 1/200, an exposure 5x

longer!

The tricky side of this bug is that there's no apparent visible

difference between normal flash and FP flash. You can only observe

this bug by photographing a rapidly moving subject, like running

water. In my case I was photographing an hourglass running and noticed

the bug when I was unable to freeze the sand grains falling, even with

the lowest flash power setting (that is supposed to have a duration of

about 1/35000 of a second)

I've submitted this bug to Canon and I'm still waiting for a response.

It would be nice if some of you, using an EOS5D and a Speedlite could

try reproduce the problem. That way I will know if it's only an issue

in my camera. I'm using Firmware version 1.1.0

The best test is to photograph a running shower with your camera in (M)anual

mode 1/200 f/whateveryoulike ISO100. Take one with FP flash activated and one

with FP flash off. They should look fairly the same (no bug) or one with frozen

droplets and one with a blured flow (bugged!)

On the 580EX the FP flash button is indicated with a (bolt)H icon, on the 550EX

you activate it pushing on the (+) and (-) sign at the same time. This process

cycles between OFF-FP Flash-Second Curtain Sync. Make sure that the (bolt)H Icon

appears on the LCD

You can see some images illustrating the problem on my website:

<A HREF="http://www.gerardmaas.net">www.gerardmaas.net</A>

BTW, there's no reason for panic as the workaround is fairly simple: just turn

FP off when you don't need it. (Unknowingly it played havoc with my exposure in

recent photo shoots when I was using my Speedlites with softboxes and in that

case you really need all power you've got!)

greetz, Gerard.

May 1, 2007

Barclay,

Either you use the 580EX on the camera as a master and set the 430EX's in slave mode *or* you get a ST-E2, the wireless flash controller, to control your lights. You can do fancy stuff like setting your 580EX as main light and the 430EX as fill and control ratios from the ST-E2 on the camera.

Another thing you might want to consider (given the business you're in) is to use your speedlites with an umbrella or softboxes to increase the quality of light they produce. I use an Ezybox Hotshoe (40cm) and Ezybox 60cm from Lastolite due to their very portable nature.

-kr, Gerard.

May 1, 2007

Aaron,

You've got quite good advice already.

One important thing to remember (learn?) is that High Speed Sync is *NOT* High Speed Flash.

Hotshoe flashes are quite fast when it comes to exposure times. A empirical study (http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/flashdurations.html) shows that the 580EX can have exposures as short as 1/35000s in its minimal power setting (1/128).

Lesson to learn: The lower the power, the faster the exposure.

To lower the output, you have three elements to optimize:

<UL>

<LI> the flash-to-subject distance: the shorter the better

<LI> f/stop: the smaller the better

<LI> ISO: The higher the better (but compromise with image quality of course)

</UL>

Your shutter speed should be kept above x-sync speed (1/200 or slower).

The best way -for me- is to use Manual mode to have full control of all parameters.

Try again and good luck!

-gerard.

November 14, 2006

Doug,

Why not inversing the roles? Your newly arrival is able to command your exising 420EX. You can use the 580 as master on camera an place the 420 on the umbrella (of course it's a waste of the power of the 580EX). Look into the manual how to setup the 580EX as a master-only, meaning that it won't contribute with the exposure of your subject (meaning that it will fire the pre-flash but not the actual flash sothat the slave is the only source of light for the exposure).

As you mention, in a small room, you don't need that much power.

-greetz, Gerard.

November 14, 2006

Alexander,

It sounds like a challenging event what you're facing.

I shoot with a 580EX, 550EX and a lastolite Ezybox 60. It works fine for portraits but it's stretching it if you would like to light some forniture and 3 persons. (I guess you'll be doing some fashion-eske shoot combining the models and forniture)

Using umbrellas with the speedlites is also an option, allowing you to spread the light more, at the cost of control.

-kr, Gerard.

October 29, 2006

Conrad,

I made a bracket for the flash myself.

After mailing Lastolite many times they announced on the last Photokina a new adaptor ring taking hotshoe flashes. I like to think that I had something to do with that :-) :-)

-kr, Gerard.

October 29, 2006

Hi Chris,

I use my 580EX with a Lastolite Ezybox (60x60cm). It gives very good results and it's quite portable. The only point to watch out for is that your IR communication is possible between the ST-E2 and the flash. Indoors it's not a problem because the IR beam will bounce off walls but outdoors you have to be more careful.

Using an umbrella is easier and you just need an umbrella-hotshoe adaptor to mount the flash on it. I preffer the added control of the softbox on the quality and direction of light.

Here you have a sample of the softlight of the 580 with the Ezybox.

If you have more questions just let me know.

-kr, Gerard.

October 25, 2006

Jun,

I use a lot the 580EX with a softbox and sometimes with an umbrella, and for a H&S it puts out enough power. Just don't try f/16. I think up to f/8 f/11 ISO 200 it works perfectly fine. The trick is to place is close from your model to avoid loosing too much light.

I really like the portability of the combination.

Here you have an example of a portrait done with a single umbrella.

KR, Gerard.

August 13, 2006

Do you mean <A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-26,GGGL:en&q=falcon+eyes">"flacon eyes"</A> ?

-greetz, Gerard.

August 10, 2006

Hi,

To answer straight to your question, the difference between manual power down vs. flash exposure compensation is that manual power is an absolute measure of output (a fraction of the total power of the flash) while FEC is a relative modification of the power, based on the correct exposure for your subject, making the supposition that it has an average medium reflectance equivalent of 18% grey (like caucasian skin for example)

Now, the harsh shadows you mention are not directly related to exposure compensation (except in the case of fill-in flash, where you try to soften shadows by "filling" them with light from the flash).

The best way to soften light is by making it bigger wrt your subject.

For that, you can bounce flash off surfaces (wall, ceiling) use modifiers (google Lumiquest) or the bigger ones like umbrellas or softboxes (google Lastolite).

This pic, for example, was taken outside, using a 580EX in a ezybox as main light and ambient as fill

-kind regards, Gerard

May 11, 2006

Thomas,

I rely on the E-TTL metering of the camera. You need to compensate it a bit depending on your subject but once you get that right you don't have to worry for changes on flash-to-subject distace or f/stop. If you're looking for flexibility and mobility that's a good call.

I even had once an assistant holding the 'box with the flash to run next to a model running towards me. The experiment didn't work out from the aestetics point of view but the exposures were correct.

If you have more questions, just ask :-)

-regards,

Gerard.

May 10, 2006

Thomas, as you're using Canon EOS equipment, why not a Speedlite 580EX with a softbox? It doesn't get more portable and practical than that.

Have a look here: http://www.gerardmaas.com/gallery_642.html

regards, Gerard.

March 22, 2006

James,

I made a reversing ring with the help of a EF mount on one side and an extension tube at the other. Have a look:

Once you have such a thing you can start having lots of great macro fun with a wide angle lens (such as the excellent 17-40L) which gives you about 3x magnification.

Attach it to a bellows is a question of building the right adaptors at each side.

As others said, AF makes absolutely no sense once you bring the lens out of its designed place, but contrary to what Bob said, you *DO* want diaphragma control! Without it you have to close down the apperture every time after focusing and before shooting (you need close down metering with your EOS and a manual lens). During the close-down you're blacked-out and after taking the pic you realize that the beast was long gone.

All these projects are fun to try, but if you're after the images and not the DIY, I recommend you to consider the excellent MP-E65.

-kr,

Gerard.

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