My Bits And Pieces - I'm Talking About Photos...  

matt mead

i guess im getting the soldering iron out lol

Nick_

Not really, you can send it to me and I'll mod all your wireless gear, I'll do the antenna mod, and also make battery packs for your receivers.. For a nice price



I'm about to mod my ebay sender's antenna again, I'm going to coil the wire internally because IMO it looks like crap and needs to be neater.

I think I may now be addicted to fucking with these things

matt mead

thats very tempting as im lazy... but im quite handy with a soldering iron...

might just get you to get me the bits??

i did after all rewire my whole car (What a fucking nightmare it was)

caseyjohnphotography

i got all my stuff from a site called ' Digi Key ' in the US

antenna the one they use in all tutorials and the best are 433mz 1/4 whip wave.

$6.32 USD - $87 shipping lol
speak to me on msn and ill tell you more and theres away to get 1/3 of the price for shipping

Nick_

1/4 whip = waste of time and money, you could just use a snub aerial from a wireless router or something as well, the length is only absolutely critical if you want to achieve maximum distance (and why would you? it'd FAR too far away unless you're using 100 flashes).

Well here are some more images of my modification.

This image shows my sender with the top off, note it is a different design to many that you see illustrating this mod!

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This shows the flash firing from the END of my street, i've circled it for your easy viewing. This is having the antenna loosely wound within the case as well which is how I've decided to leave it - a little bit disappointed I didn't have the forethought to try this BEFORE drilling my sender, now it has a little hole for some random-yet-incredibly-aimed-rain drop to nail it.. So I'll fill it with something.

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The distance! So far it's actually a problem because anyone keen for an 8ft light stand and a Nikon SB25 could take the bolt and I'd have no chance of catching them from this distance.

caseyjohnphotography

this is confusing for me, no idea wats going on...

Nick_

How so?

Nick_

To confuse Casey more, I've decided to modify my triggers more for the following features.

Two CR23 Lithium 3v cells (wired for 3v), a nicer on/off switch (), a power led (so i know when it's on or off) as well as making the now hardwired slave removable.

Products bought so far

2x small project box
2x small toggle switch
2x 3.5mm mono plug male
2x 3.5mm surface mount mono plug female

What this means is, when my slaves aren't plugged into the flashes they won't have any annoying cables and it also gives me the ability to run splitter cables to run two flashes off the same slave if I ever want to (highly unlikely though).

But ultimately I think I've become addicted to modifying these little buggers and probably wont stop until their either no longer working or are absolutely beasts and I get fined for breaking frequency laws.. I hope these operate on a free band

caseyjohnphotography

pixorban

matt mead

i modified one of my triggers last night... still works which is a good sign... may need to do that bigger battery mod as im triggering two flashs of one trigger..

Nick_

Probably, you'd probably want to up it's firing voltage too, which probably means adding bigger caps or something.

Here's what I've been up to, well a little bit.


My desk of pain.. well 1/4 of it. Neatness is my thing..
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Shiz i bought from jaycar (minus 10,000MCD led's), text included for your viewing pleasure.
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A broader view, showing the Nissin flash, 'Project boxes' and the relative size of the gear to be molested into place.
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Here is the trigger out of the housing it came with about to be warped into something bizarre and unrecognisable.
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I already stuffed up too, without looking I drilled a hole for the constant-on led and it went straight into a screw-post.. Good one.. The led fits but structurally the box is kinda knackered in that corner now plus the hole is now an oval and looks like crap. Will get another box.. perhaps.. maybe.. sure I will..

Have the trigger already working and wired up with the fat switch, constant led is go now I just need to remote-mount the channel switch and firing led so i can flush-mount this sucker with a slather of hot glue to the top of the project box so it'll be tucked away and safe, the batts will mount on the 'lid' which is the flat part. I will probably also trim the mounting flanges off the side of the boxes.. One day when I have something to do that like a ban saw to cut straight and bench grinder to neaten it up if need be.

This is my AWESOME PHOTOSHOP SKILLZ drawing of what it should end up like for those without imagination.
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matt mead

looks good... so when is the ebay shop opening with 1000s of these for sale lol

Nick_

Ha never.

Nick_

Here are a few from today. My mum wanted me to bring my camera to take some pics with her and her Fuji S5800.. No idea what she got but here's a couple I took. Two of the beach and two of my Nephew Daniel. Two beach ones taken hand held with a Kenko Pro1 Circular Polariser and my 17-85 IS USM. Two shots of my nephew with my 50mm f/1.8 EF II.

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CHECK IT

Im loving the the second photo... that hair highlight is great

Nick_

Had a bad run this morning. Dropped the mrs off at work and thought I'd go for a walk through the city but I got nothing. I think the earlier the better and I also think I favour the Casino side of the city, this time I was walking around Eagle st peer etc and it just seemed to lack anything.

The only shot I got basically.

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08ftwyo

Really lacks everything for me. Thats why i got away from that sort of photography, so boring and what not. I love your portrait work though.

Nick_

Ha thanks.

caseyjohnphotography

Like that shot nick, love urban stuff

Nick_

Cheers mate. I like being out and taking it, somewhat of a power trip when people avoid you and get nervous around you with a camera out.

08ftwyo

Sorry, that was really blunt. Lol i can't really talk, I'm not awesome photographer... not much of a photographer actually haha.

Nick_

It's all good mate, I know my shit isn't gold either and some stuff isn't to everyone's taste, it's all good. I put my stuff up here with the open mind that it's there for some to totally rip it or complement it so don't worry.

That goes to anyone who doesn't like my stuff, tell me why, it's called critiquing.

Nick_

Here are two shots I took last night, the pins are actually off a Pentium 3 cpu.

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This was taken while i was trying something else and just happened to turn and see the cat doing this, thought it was a good pose and turned my Nikon (on a stand) over a bit and shot it. I like it.
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matt mead

would be perfect if the shadow wasent over the eyes

Nick_

Yeah, it was quite a turn-shift-click shot. Still I don't think it's too much of a wrecker for the image. Cross lighting would be an easy fix but after I hit the shutter she bounced off so this is as much as I had to get.

DR1FTER

its jsut me, but in most of them you seem to be directing the angle toward something, photos like the sprinter is it? with the widened rear gaurd and the black drifteks, thas good because there is no focused attention on the rim or the gaurd etc.

but yeah, some phenominal photos man.
love the ones with the pieces in them .

gl man

Nick_

Been thinking of going B&W for a while, gives great detail but I'm thinking I'll kill sepia as much as I started killing saturation when I first got my Pentax.. Boy there were some fake tans getting around then haha.

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Nick_

Went to Ted's in the city and played with the Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX they got in for me, DAMN it's big! just a touch smaller than the L of the same spec and half the price. Focusing was only a touch behind my 17-85 USM if not just as quick which such a fat aperture, "Good price" is $670 but I walked to Reiners 5 feet down the street and they did $650 without even telling them a price to match etc..

Am going to buy this week as the guy I'm selling my 17-85 to is getting paid. If only I had this already and another spare $700+ I could get the Sigma 70-200 2.8.. Mmmmmmmmmmm...

blownhr

Don't forget, you find a local grey-market price and get C. R. Kennedy to match it. I got my 24-70 for less than $650

70-200 2.8 is a great lens too.

CHECK IT

Orrr, i guess you could save and buy an L series lens??

caseyjohnphotography

Nick if i was you i would save for canon glass, preferably if you want a upgrade from what you have now, i would go L as bowie said above

save the extra you will thank yourself for it

check my thread and look at the pic of the pt04 trigger with antenna attached

Nick_

24-70 L?

$650 is local Aus warranty. I'd go the 24-70L if it was in the same price league, I don't really feel like it's worth paying double for the L when it's less than double in quality. 1/4 more in quality at MOST and even then there's not a whole lot between the EX and the L.

CHECK IT

Then why do pro sports and fashion photographers use L series lens...

blownhr

Because they are making a living out of it and their budgets would be considerably more no doubt.

caseyjohnphotography

but still if they have the money they would buy the 'best'

L series ftw, save your money my opinion and bowies by the looks of things, but in the end its no debate its up to you to decide and what you want and also what you want to spend