Clint's Blog

Wood

2018-10-11T13:32:00.002-04:00

At times you see someone create something. It's made out of wood you won't find at Lowes or even the local hardware store. I have found a source of such wood and we've been creating this sort of chicken cabin the past few nights. It's really fun and really satisfying.

Relevant

2018-02-28T14:33:00.001-05:00

Summer Nights

2017-11-30T14:45:00.002-05:00

Signal Corps KE-3 (1) Camera - Fingerprint Camera

2015-11-30T21:48:00.001-05:00

There is not enough information about this camera on the Internet, so I figured I would add this post.

This camera was used by the Signal Corps to take photos of fingerprints lifted at what I would imagine were crime or accident scenes. This one is serial number 185, and the only other eBay auction I could find was in the 300's, so I am assuming that not many of them were made.

Mine came with a Graphic Film Adaptor and a manual provided by the Army and the Air Force.

Arduino

2015-09-08T23:15:00.000-04:00

As per my usual self, I've started working on a few new hobbies this past year. Once is attempting to learn more about science in general, and the other is Arduino building/programming. I've learned about how molecules interact, how much of the periodic table was discovered, and how to program in C.

And that is all. The last thing I seem to have any longer is time to write.

Nikkor 50 1.4G as shot on Nikon D750 and Nikon D7000 Comparison

2015-07-14T20:24:00.003-04:00

I've owned the D7000 for quite a long time, and this Spring I bought the D750. The full frame experience is pretty great thus far. I've taken photos I couldn't have dreamed of taking. The camera certainly doesn't take the photos, but for nailing lighting and having an excellent dynamic range, it can't be beat my many, yet. Some new camera with a better sensor is in the works I'm sure.

While shopping for my first full frame camera, I always wanted to know what the size difference was with photos between the two. I've seen the frame comparison multiple times, but never really with the same lens and the same subject. This is going to be a comparison like that. I made 6 shots with each.

Nikkor 50 1.4G

125 @ f1.4 ISO 100
160 @ f1.4 ISO 400
200 @ f1.4 ISO 800
250 @ f1.4 ISO 1600
400 @ f1.4 ISO 3200
1000 @ f1.4 ISO 6400

I know these are not the optimal combinations for the ISO and lighting, but it ensures that both cameras were nearly the same. I used Automatic Active lighting control on both cameras.

On to the pictures.

First, the Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000 - 1/125 @ f1.4 ISO 100

Nikon D7000 - 1/160 @ f1.4 ISO 400

Nikon D7000 - 1/200 @ f1.4 ISO 800

Nikon D7000 - 1/250 @ f1.4 ISO 1600

Nikon D7000 - 1/400 @ f1.4 ISO 3200

Nikon D7000 - 1/1000 @ f1.4 ISO 6400

Now, the Nikon D750

Nikon D750 - 1/125 @ f1.4 ISO 100

Nikon D750 - 1/160 @ f1.4 ISO 400

Nikon D750 - 1/200 @ f1.4 ISO 800

Nikon D750 - 1/250 @ f1.4 ISO 1600

Nikon D750 - 1/400 @ f1.4 ISO 3200

Nikon D750 - 1/1000 @ f1.4 ISO 6400

and one more D750 photo at its highest functional ISO, 12,800:

Nikon D750 - 1/4000 @ f1.4 ISO 12800

And there you have it. That's what you get out of the two different cameras with the exact same lens. I used a Vanguard Tripod with the exact same attachment so that I could position the cameras nearly the same.

Enjoy!

Places I've Been

2014-02-23T12:54:00.003-05:00

Traveling to California filled in a big void in my places I've stayed travel map. Along with being my first trip to California, it was one of my longer hotel stays with 9 nights in the same room. The most I've ever done is 15 nights in a room in Kona, and even that room we double booked one night to stay a night in Hilo.

Here is all of where I've stayed, since at least the age of 18. I can remember staying in two rooms before I was 18, and both of those were in PA and both were lame.

Now I need to get myself up towards Washington state. There is so much to see up there, and I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to be climbing over rocks when I'm in my 60's.

Film

2014-02-06T14:49:00.001-05:00

Film, originally uploaded by cngodles.

I really can't wait to shoot all this film and then some more. It's one of my favorite things as of late.

You shoot it all, hopefully beautiful scenes of California, and I get to wait a week or two until it all comes back. When I get it, I fire up the slide projector for the slides, and we do a slide show. It really is run.

Up Next, San Diego

2014-01-15T09:40:00.001-05:00

For the first time in my life, I get to visit California next month, more specifically, San Diego. Ever since I started travelling years ago, I have wanted to see California, but it's very far away from where I live. Back then, hoping on an airplane and going was out of the question. My parents never flew, so it wasn't just something we wanted to do. And imagine being a young guy who just graduated school, and 9/11 happens. Four planes go down and kill numerous people, and a fifth falls from the sky a month later. Our confidence for flying wasn't that high.

SeaWorld Vacation - May 2013, originally uploaded by cngodles.

But, we eventually got onto a plane. We went to Hawaii. It's near impossible to get there in due time any other way than by airplane.

The statistics speak for themselves, however.

150 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-miles
1.5 deaths per 10 billion passenger miles

Which could easily be attributed to a number of things. Airlines are all regulated. So if the weather is a certain way, a plane doesn't fly. If it snows bad here, any idiot can still take their car out on the road, unless there is a declared emergency where the law states that you stay inside.

So, it's not so bad to hop on a plane. I've taken 6 total flights now, it took 4 to route us from Hawaii and back, and another 2 to Florida this past Spring. Now we are going to add another 4, and I'm not nearly as nervous. To drive all the way there, it's much more risky. And while I get to have control of that risk a little by paying attention, it's still not a good thing. The drive there can be fun, and we will never stop driving, but I'll take the immediate payoff of flying any day. It's a 36 hour drive to get there anyway. That's 3 full days of driving without sleep just for the travel.

And back to experiencing things that are new. It will be:

My first trip to California
The closest I've ever been to Mexico
The first layover in Texas, first time in Texas
Third Sea World I've ever been to
My first conference for work, ever.

I can't wait! And I'm really happy going somewhere warm in February.

The Summer of Estate Sales

2013-11-23T02:23:00.000-05:00

This Summer I got hooked on Estate sales. Mostly through my love of cameras. In fact, a quick camera score got me started.

We were at a Flea Market and were able to pick up an entire box full of polaroid cameras for $1 a piece. So I paid about $15 for the lot. Afterwards we went out with one of Rachel's friends, and at dinner I started to look them up.

One of the cameras, still sealed in the box, was selling for $175+. Crazy!

That is what got me started. I bought several NES games and resold those, and sold many more cameras over the Summer. One of my largest scores was a Sigma 135mm F1.8 lens that I got as part of a lot for $150. The lens alone sold for $550 about 6 weeks later. The camera came with 4 other lenses and a really nice camera.

Another good one was a sale that had a Minolta lot for $80. One lens in the lot sold for $225, another for $75. The camera went for $35.

I also sold all sorts of other stuff, including a typewriter.

It was fun, but I got a bit burned out. I had well over $2,000 in eBay sales. eBay loved me, they probably made $300 or more off of me. I haven't been to a sale in 2-3 months now.

Film Inventory

2013-04-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

35mm Print
Ektar 100 (2X)
Portra 160 (5X)
Fuji 400 (3X)
Kodak 200 (3X)

35mm Slide
Kodak Elite Chrome Extra Color
Velvia 100 (3X)
Velvia 50
Provia 400X

120 Print
Portra 400 (5X)

120 Slide
Velvia 50 (5X)
Elite Chrome VS 100

Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.4D Repair // Fix

2013-02-02T18:02:00.001-05:00

Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.4D Repair // Fix, originally uploaded by cngodles.

My Nikon 50mm 1.4 is cursed. I've had the thing for at least three years, and it's needed repairs at least 3 times. The first time I dropped it, and the focus ring was all out of whack. I sent that to Nikkor for warranted repair, and it came back fine.

Then a year later, we took a family trip to Myrtle Beach. At the beach, while pulling the camera out of the bag, the lens was on top of the camera strap and came along for the ride. The same thing happened, the focus ring wasn't working well, as it was getting stuck in the middle focus range.

I wanted the lens for the beach, so when I got back to our hotel, I started messing with it. In no time at all, I removed the front piece of plastic (by removing the focus band and some tape). After twisting it for a while to see if I could work it back into being right, the lens assembly just fell right out. opps.

So then I tried to push it back in. Well, the deal goes, while it may come right out, you are not getting it back in for whatever reason. I didn't know this. I bent the aperture control and busted up some electronics.

I took the lens to a repair shop back in Pittsburgh and they said they could do it for $140. The lens cost $330 new, so I went for it. I was going to sell it afterwards to cover the loss, but after using it again, I just had to keep it.

I later bought the D7000 that I use now, and going from 6MP to 16MP, I could start to see something wrong with the lens. The middle just wasn't focused good. The D70 was fine, the D7000 hated the lens. Even when you mount the lens to the camera, it struggles to get attached. I think something is off.

Fast forward to this past month. I went to focus the lens, and again, it was stuck.

Shit.

Anyway, I've been thinking about either getting it replaced, repaired, or getting a new one. I settled on buying a Nikkor 50mm 1.8G this time around. It's coming Monday. So in the meanwhile, I've been looking at the lens. I can't sell it broke, and I don't want to pay to fix it, so I decided to give repair another try.

Here goes.

I took the front part off again. I removed the tape and memories of last time came back. I twisted and twisted, hoping to find something blocking up the focus threads. Nothing. Then it happened again, the front fell out.

But this time I was ready. I wasn't going to try to just put it back in. I searched the Internet for repair options, and I could find nothing. There is a manual you can buy for $4 online, but I didn't find that until after I was done. In fact, if you search for repair of this lens, this is where you'll probably end up.

I looked at the threads, and it looked like there really was no way to just screw it back into the body. So I put the parts aside, and started to take screws out of the mount.

The mount consists of the metal mount ring, a plastic inner ring, and an electronic contact piece for the camera to get information from the lens. I removed the ring and plastic piece, but the contact piece is attached to the lens shell. You must remove the plastic insert before you take off the ring. Once that is all open, it looks like the photo above. There is a metal aperture changing piece that is missing from that photo. It sits to the left side of the ring and is the piece that is moved by the aperture ring.

So again, I tried to screw in the element. Again, didn't work. The electronic piece was still in the way. The right side, a little higher in the photo, is this piece. I removed two screws and let it hang off to the side. I also removed the aperture ring to make some room. The auto focus gear (bottom left) needs attention as well, and I suggest removing it and setting it aside so you don't lose it.

Once this was out of the way, the two sliding rails were in the way. These are metal pieces that stick into where the element housing sits. two screws apiece, I carefully removed them. I tried again, and almost got it! The aperture feeler was in the way. I was able to lift it into the center of the housing to get it into place, and finally, it was back in! I screwed it in until the rail holders were in the proper location (1 turn or less I think).

I then put the rails back in to mate with the element housing in both places. So at this point, since all three contacts where in place for the housing, I took the lens and replaced the front pieces. I put the plastic focus turner in place, then reapplied the tape, then put the rubber focus ring back in place. I wasn't about to have this fall out again. I turned the focus, it seemed better!

So really, I didn't "fix" the lens. I tore it apart and put it back together. After that, it was fixed. I never identified what was messing it up, but I probably reset it when I did the tear down.

Now that the rails were in place, I put the electronic piece back in. I replaced the AF screw and I replaced the aperture ring metal piece. This was tricky to do, and I suggest getting a good look at it easy on before you take this thing apart. I put the aperture ring back on and made sure everything worked. I then put the metal mounting ring on first and put the screws in. Then the plastic insert. I was done, and the lens was back to normal!

Almost normal. The focus indicator that slides inside the lens was not showing the correct values. but the lens was focusing correctly on the camera. I never really use the indicator values anyway, so good to go.

And to finish, a photo of my daughter taken with the lens after repair:

Nikon F

2012-10-07T11:06:00.001-04:00

Nikon F, originally uploaded by cngodles.

Climate Shock

2012-09-30T22:56:00.001-04:00

Ralena at Beach - Hawaii, originally uploaded by cngodles.

Oh Hawaii. You were amazing. With your perfect weather, and your perfect sun, your perfect location and your perfect attitudes.

Rachel and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on the beautiful big island of Hawaiʻi. All all the hawaiian islands, this one is by far the largest and most interesting. People often go to Honolulu on Oʻahu for a visit to Hawaii. It's understandable. Out of the 1.4 million people that live in Hawaiʻi, 0.95 million of them are on Oʻahu. However, it only has roughly 1/8th the land that the Big Island has.

So off we went, for a 17 day trip to this place. So many of our firsts happened. Our first commercial plane trip, our first time that far West and South, our first time in Arizona, Hawaii, and the Pacific Ocean.

But now we are home. We went from constant 80 degrees to 50's and 60's. It's getting colder, the leaves are starting to change, Winter is coming.

Blah

So that's it. I really miss it there. I'd love to live there, but with the career and work that I have, it's just not in the cards. Sometimes you wish you could be that free, but you can't always get what you want.

Kodak No. 2 Folding Cartridge Premo

2012-08-04T11:11:00.001-04:00

Kodak No. 2 Folding Cartridge Premo, originally uploaded by cngodles.

My second 120 film project camera. I am about half way through the other one I'm running. I only get 8 photos with each roll. I screwed this one up, however. I thought the thin line was not a number 1 when I was rolling it past the window in the back. It was, so I start the roll on number 2 now. I would have to unroll it in complete darkness, with the potential to ruin more than just 1 exposure if I screwed it up. I am just going to skip #1.

Kodak Professional DCS 315 Digital Camera

2012-08-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

I just nabbed one on Ebay last Sunday, and it's waiting for me to get home to check it out.

As digital cameras started to come onto the scene, there was a desire to create SLR type digital cameras. At first, they started to modify exisiting film SLR's. This is where the Nikon/Kodak mashup started.

More to come.

Using Film

2012-07-22T22:34:00.001-04:00

Kodak Retina IIIc, originally uploaded by cngodles.

I am now using film in four different cameras.

I have a 36 exposure roll of Ektar 100 in my Canon T70.
I have a 24 exposure roll of Fuji X-Tra 400 in my Nikon F
I have a 24 exposure roll of Fuji X-Tra 400 in my Kodak Retina IIIc
and I have an 8 exposure roll of Fuji 120H in my No. 1 Pocket Kodak Series II

Now I can't wait to be done and get some developed. I wonder how many photos I'll screw up? I found out that I can use my iPhone as a lightmeter. That helps a ton

Nikon F Photomic FTN

2012-07-20T21:39:00.001-04:00

Nikon F Photomic FTN, originally uploaded by cngodles.

I picked this up at a Thrift Store for $20 today! That is one of the biggest wins all year for me. Another would be the Kodak Instamatic Reflex with a f1.9 lens. The lens alone sells for over $100. Bought it for $15.00.

The thrift strore had several cameras for a lot of money. There was a Pentax, and another camera, both for $100.00 each. The Nikon was only $20, and I assume they thought it was junk because it did not have a lens. But the body itself is going for anywhere from $80-$300 on Ebay.

Kodak Camera Book Idea

2012-07-16T19:28:00.001-04:00

I'm sure the style has been done a ton of times, but I propose a book of photographs of the cameras I collect. I would probably want to do them all on a blown out white background. An example would be the photograph below:

I would want to improve my work a little, making it so the background is as white as possible while clearly showing off the camera.

Add this to the 50 ideas I have floating around in my head.

We went to Shenandoah National Park this week (Mon-Wed) and I came home with a haul of about 5-8 new cameras for my collection. I also bought 2 off Ebay and I have two more with a $1 bid on them. I got a Bantam RF, and a Folding Cartridge Premo No. 2.

Applebee's

2012-07-16T19:26:00.001-04:00

My Upcoming 120 Film Experience

2012-07-05T23:01:00.001-04:00

My Upcoming 120 Film Experience, originally uploaded by cngodles.

I have never been into film that much. I don't think I have ever shot an entire roll of 35mm film (yet). But something makes me want to try it. So when I found out that you can still buy 120 film, with no end in sight, I figured I would give it a try.

I have my collection well cataloged, so I brought up a list of all of the 120 film cameras that I had. I only have one, this No. 1 Pocket Kodak Series II. But, great news is that it is in very good condition. So this camera, which is probably well over 80 years old, will get a chance to shoot again.

The roll next to the new one is a junk roll the camera shop gave me. I needed a spool to take up the film as I shot it. The negatives are 60mm x 90mm, with 4 x 6 prints most likely.

The focus can se set on the lens from 5 feet to 100, so I'll have to be a careful judge of distance. With the 108mm, f7.7 minimum lens on this camera, I really don't have to be spot on. I am going to meter using my digital camera, setting it to Iso 400, F7.7 and seeing what the exposure turns out to be. If it's dark or light, I'll adjust the shutter or F-stop as needed.

Now I just need to find 8 photos to shoot.

Can't wait. :)

2012-06-02T00:32:00.001-04:00

Pittsburgh Vs. Kaunas

2012-04-25T08:46:00.001-04:00

Pittsburgh Vs. Kaunas, originally uploaded by cngodles.

Sister cities that aren't.

Bowling Night

2012-04-10T07:53:00.001-04:00

DSC_1640, originally uploaded by cngodles.

Lots of fun.

Running

2012-03-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

Running, originally uploaded by cngodles.

Inspired by a running Flickr friend, I bought this on March 1st and decided to run every night this month. I'm one run shy of my goal, due to me passing out on the 3rd, but I got right back on track. As always, my running goal is to do a mile. I did my best one yet last night, making my starting jog/run last for a whole 0.4 miles. That's incredible for me. I did not have any exercise in my life recently, so I started cold turkey. I couldn't do 0.1 or 0.2 miles just 5 days ago.

The iPad Nano is incredible, tracking all my steps during the day and my running at night. It uploads it all to Nike's website were I can pour over the data.

I have 45 lbs to lose, and this is one way to start.