Lucas shot with Nikon D800e and Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 wide open.
Lucas serves as a test subject for many of my lens testing exercises. I have been playing around with my Nikon D800E and a Voigtländer 90mm f/2.8 APO Skopar. I want to see how the lens renders the subject and the out of focus areas. The 90mm does not focus very close, maybe about 2 feet plus (about 0.8 meters). It is quite sharp wide open and the backgrounds look lovely.
It is a very good lens and I need to take it out on walk.
Lucas shot with a Nikon D800E and a Voigtlander 50mm f/1.4 Nokton at f/2.8.
This frame was shot with a Voigtländer 58mm f/1.4 Nokton at f/2.8. It will focus quite a lot closer than the 90mm. It is also quite sharp wide open and has excellent out of focus character. Again, this lens will want to go with me on a walk.
One thing I like about the Voigtländer lenses is that they have a chip that provides data to the camera body. So exposure and distance information is available to the camera and stored in the image file. These lenses will also work on my Nikon film bodies.
This capture of Lucas the Spider (one of my favorite plushies) was done with the Nikon D800E and a Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 Skopar at f/8. I did some light processing with DXO Photolab 7.
This little Lucas the Spider plushie is a favorite test subject for lenses. If I shoot at night, then I have some light sources in the background and I can get a sense for how the out of focus areas are represented by the lens.
I shot this with my Nikon D800E (ancient at this time) and a Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar lens I bought earlier this year. I really prefer legacy glass to modern glass for the older lenses’ character, including their flaws. They often render more interesting images in everything from color, to sharpness (or lack thereof), to background blur (bokeh in photo parlance). Their optical imperfections produce interesting effects that I often like.
The Voigtlander lenses are proving quite interesting and have a modern adaptation. They have a microchip interface to the digital cameras (my Nikons) that enables the camera’s CPU to read the lens settings and incorporate that data into exposure control and fill in the EXIF data in the image file.
I like the Voigtlander lenses enough that I think I will add to my collection of them. I suspect they will become commonly used on my Nikon film bodies.
It is summer and even at 7,000ft she gets hot. Shot with Fujifilm X-E4 and Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron at f/4 and SOOC.
Another week, another set of remainders links.
David duChemin is an author and photographer I have followed for years. I find his presentations artful and articulate and recommend him.
Alain Laboile is a French photographer who has a limited subject — his family. duChemin mentioned him in his webinar last Sunday when responding to someone who asked the question “What if you cannot travel except with your family/to see family?”. David’s response was to look at the work of Laboile. I have to find one or more of Laboile’s books.
I do not remember if I posted this, but Covert Instruments is the outlet for the Lock Picking Lawyer. The ability to pick a lock is not about criminal activity so much as it is a preparedness skill.
You might remember John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard. He is still busy.
This ham (no call sign) describes using a Get-A-Grip large suction cup to mount a Chameleon MPAS Micro for portable ops.
A bit of lichen and the stob of a branch. Shot with Fufifilm X-T5 and Voigtlander 27mm f/2 at f/4.
I am enjoying the little Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron for the Fuji X-Mount cameras quite a lot lately. I decided to take a break from the legacy glass and the Sony A7Sii and shoot my Fujifilm cameras a bit.
I like the Voigtlander 27mm for a number of reasons. It has a chip and so communicates its settings to the camera. That means that the EXIF data are populated and the camera can use the information to adjust exposure as needed. Yes, it adjusts exposure without these data, but with them the camera can do more.
Do not ask me how. It is magic.
That said, the Ultron optical formula does not produce the clinically (near) perfect images of computer designed glass. The images from the Voigtlander have some character to them. They are not always perfect at the edges and corners. They have interesting bokeh (out of focus areas). They produce good colors and are plenty sharp enough.
I have been playing with images of the lichen that grows on the Ponderosa Pines in the national forest. I should probably back off the exposure in the subject image just a bit as the stob seems almost blown out. But I like the image anyway and it was slightly adjusted in DXO PhotoLab 7.
The Girl and I enjoyed the hike yesterday. It was a good day. Life is good.
A Ponderosa Pine cone, shot with Fujifilm X-E4 with Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron at F/4, SOOC.
After carrying the Sony A7Sii and three Carl Zeiss Jena manual focus lenses for several days, I decided to carry the Fujifilm X-E4, the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 manual focus lens (a pancake), and the new-to-me Lensbaby 56mm f1/2 Velvet along on walkies.
The Voigtlander is a known good performer on my Fuji cameras. It is small, light, and very good optically. It does not have the clinical performance of most modern lenses, but is a throwback to an earlier age with the Ultron optical formula. It is quite sharp in mid-frame and sharp enough at the edges, even wide open. The out of focus areas are generally lovely, with some fun bokeh when there are background highlights.
I have a few keepers from that walk even though we did not walk slowly and putter like we sometimes do. The capture above was at the end of the hike when I noticed this pine cone in the light and shadow of the surrounding Ponderosa Pines in front of the 4Runner. I played with the image a little bit although I did not move the cone.
The Girl was tired after the hike, so she laid on the ground with her water bowl captured between her front paws, enjoying the cool DG and the shade. I made the capture and we loaded up and headed home for the day.
It was good hike. I felt good. I came away with a few nice photographs. The Girl chased chipmunks. I am grateful for all these things.
The trail The Girl and I walk almost daily this time of year. Shot with Sony A7Sii and a Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar. Light post processing with DXO PhotoLab 7.
At this time of year, The Girl and I walk mostly in the national forest. We get above 7,000 ft, where it is a little cooler. We gain the shade of the Ponderosa Pines. There is generally little other traffic on this trail, although we sometimes meet another hiker.
The climb does me good. The chipmunks provide much entertainment for The Girl. It is a bit more than a mile out to our common turn-around point. There we pause for a couple of minutes. I give her anywhere from a half to a full liter of water. I drink a little for myself. We take a breath.
Then I put the pack back on (and usually a small camera bag) and we head back to the rig.
I keep a sharp eye out for other traffic as I do not want a negative encounter for The Girl. I have also seen a bear (very briefly) once. There was a coyote that I saw several times last summer who did not appear to be afraid. (Not a good thing for him!) Fortunately, I was able to wrangle The Girl and never threw more than a few 3/8″ steel shot (with a sling shot) to scare him off.
I really love this trail. If we get out early enough, it is still cool and she does not overheat. If I wait too late, then the sun warms her and with the exercise she is too hot.
On this particular morning, we were out a little early and the light was still good. I made the capture a dozen meters from out turn around point because i like the interaction of the light on the trees and the curl of the trail in the midground.
We had a great hike. I am grateful for the beauty of the place where I live. Life is good.
Shot with the Sony A7Sii and (I think) a Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.4, probably about f/5.6. The RAW file was post processed with DXO Photolab7 using an Ektachrome 64 film simulation.
I just finished David duChemin’s All Questions Answered webinar a few minutes ago. I had a huge collection of questions sent in by his followers and students and winnowed down the list to maybe a dozen questions.
I found his answers to the questions of interest, but it was his excursions on tangents generated by the questions that I enjoyed even more. It was an hour and a half of listening to him brain dump his thoughts and feelings about the craft and he is articulate. So, it was an easy listen.
I cannot recall if I have any of his books. If not, I will need to rectify that. I am signed up for one of his courses and need to get after that as well. I will learn something, I am sure.
One of the questions was something like “What do you photograph for?” He had an articulate answer for the question (it makes him feel alive) and then enumerated a list of other reasons photographers have for spending the time, effort, and money making photographs. It was a good list.
He also spent time talking about finding the subject/genre that lights a fire in you. Ask the question “What am I passionate about?” Then go chase that.
The rhetorical question “What if I can only travel with my family?” was asked, and he shared Alain Laboile’s craft, which is he only photographs his family1. As with all art, one just has to find a way to make it work within the structure of one’s life.
I have written any number of times — I make photographs because it is one of the things that feeds my soul. There is a focus and joy that comes from noticing something as I move through my daily life and then taking a few minutes to explore it with a camera.
The header image is an example. Sera and I were hiking the trail in the national forest. She was hunting chipmunks. I was looking for the interplay of light, shadow, and texture in the world around me. This particular bit of lichen on a branch caught my eye. There is plenty of light and shadow. There is a muted set of colors, punctuated by the bright light green of the lichen. There is a randomness in the fall of the pine needles. Then there is the branch at a diagonal through the frame.
These things caught my eye2. It is one of several images made of similar subjects that day. Sera happily hunted while I paused to make the images. Then we were off on the trail again, both of us on the lookout for our prey.
Life is short. If there is something that would make you happy, go do that. Make sure it gets done. Because, one day, it will be too late.
I remain grateful. Life is good.
1Note to self: Buy one of Laboile’s books and study the images. 2With a nod and an homage to Wife, who said this to me many times.
Shot with Sony A7Sii using a CZJ 135mm f/3.5, f-stop unrecorded.
It is impossible to predict where the Interwebs will take me each week. Let’s see where I go this week!
ExifTool is an application for editing the EXIF1 data in the header of an image file.
jExifToolGUI is a graphical interface for EXITtool.
Johnny Mullenax is a fine musician, even if unknown. His band rocks it. See also his YouTube channel for music.
A member of a local radio club shared a link to Smiley Antennas. I have no idea whether or not they are any good, but I did visit the site.
The header image was shot on walkies. We pass this old stump almost every day. There is no one home.
1EXIF data provide information about the hardware used to create the image. It will contain the camera make and model, lens make and model, exposure data, file format, and so forth.
I see this look a lot when we’re on walkies. She really loves to hunt the chipmunks that infest the national forest. Shot with the Sony A7Sii and the CZJ 135mm f/3.5 and exported straight out of camera.
The last few outings I carried the Sony A7Sii with a triplet of Carl Zeiss Jena (CZJ) lenses in m bag — the 35mm f/2.4 Flektogon, the 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar, and the 135mm f/3.5 Sonnar. These are all Zeiss designs copied by the East Germans after WWII.
The build quality of my samples is good, perhaps not up to West German Zeiss builds, but they all cost a fraction of the western glass. I find them very good optically and they produce lovely images with a quality much different than modern glass.
The Girl loves our walks in the national forest. If we do not get out early, I have to watch her carefully because she can overheat even at 7,000ft. The insolation heats her up even if the air temperature is about 80ºF. I always carry water and we take a break mid-hike so she can rest a couple of minutes and drink.
I see this look a lot. This particular fallen tree often harbors chipmunks and I think they tease her.
She is a happy dog. That makes me a happy man. I am grateful and life is good!
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) hosts an annual radio event called Field Day. The objective is to get away from the home station, setup a station somewhere portable, and practice a field activation. There are lots of things to learn by operating portable and the lessons learned are valuable when the time comes to serve during events that need radio support or during emergencies. Although Field Day is not a contest per se, it is contest-like in that points are offered for contacts and bonus activities.
My friend Greg planned our expedition for weeks. We made a scouting run of the dry lake (above) a few weeks ago and it looked like a pretty good spot. It is relatively flat, far enough but not too far from the highway, and there is room for several stations.
My plan was to use my Elecraft KX3 with its panadapter and amplifier as my primary station. Given that Greg wanted me to run the VHF/UHF net (that we always do for Field Day), I also decided to take my Yaesu FT-857D because it is all band and all mode.
But, work kept delaying my preparations for camping. I also needed to replace the camper’s battery box because the lid of the original was lost during my trip home in early May. So, although I planned to leave Thursday afternoon, it was Friday morning before I finished the loadout and headed out.
Travel to Site
The north end of a southbound semi-truck. We were waiting to pass construction on southbound US395 on the way to Field Day 2024 camp.Travel to the dry lake was relatively uneventful. I got away from the house around 1000h local and drove south on US395. I bypassed the bulk of the construction in Gardnerville by taking a small detour. The US395 construction near Holcomb Junction could not be circumvented, however. But, I was lucky and the delay was only a few minutes.
The access road from the state highway to the dry lake was slow. The road is rough from OHVs running hard on it. There are lots of loose rocks that are kicked out by those vehicles. There is also some rutting of the road from storm and snow runoff. I was often running a couple miles an hour and some stretches allowed a little more speed without beating up the camper or the rig. I think travel from the highway to the site required about 45 minutes or so.
When I arrived on site, both Greg/Subrina and Tim had their camps and stations set up.
Camp
I had no trouble getting camp setup and ready to support Sera and me. I have setup my camper so many times that it is nearly routine. The playa bed was relatively level although I did drop the tongue a half a foot to level the camper forward to aft. It was level enough laterally. However, I found myself stressed and in a hurry because of my late arrival. I really wanted to be setting up my station on Friday and not setting up camp.
Greg came over when he saw me putting up the EZ-Up. It is possible to set one up solo, but it is much easier with two people. I staked out the tie-downs carefully as well. The wind does blow on Nevada afternoons and has been known to fold up shelters (and tents… and awnings).
By the time I had camp setup, I was pretty much done, physically and mentally. So I elected to deploy my station Saturday morning and sat in my chair in the shade to collect my thoughts and relax.
Greg and Subrina graciously asked us to supper. Because I was not completely prepared for this outing, I had nothing to contribute — not even dessert.
This was 2024 FD camp at Desert Creek Dry Lake.
Station
Greg was working his station, an Icom 7000, in his radio trailer.My plan was to deploy the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 in the vertical configuration for my primary station antenna. I would use the Yaesu FT-857D for my Saturday operation and the KX3/PX3/KXPA100 for Saturday night and Sunday morning operations.
I got out the MPAS pack and started laying out the components on my work table. Unfortunately, the spike was missing. Tim, who had wandered over to watch my deployment said “I have a piece of 3/8-inch all-thread. I also have a three-foot 3/8-inch by 24 extension if you want to get the feed point off the ground.”
We drove over to his camp, retrieved the parts, and returned to my camp to complete the antenna deployment. We found the all-thread to be too flimsy to support the MPAS. Greg suggested he had a light fence post that might provide stability, so he and Tim walked over the Greg’s camp.
Tim returned with three posts, which was an excellent idea because we fabricated a tripod using the three light-duty posts and a heavy zip tie. This provided excellent stability of the antenna system and the feedpoint was about five feet above ground level.
I also had a speaker-wire doublet that I built that I considered deploying for a second antenna. However, after working so hard to deploy the MPAS antenna, I elected to use just one antenna.
The sun was bright when I made this capture of Tim at his camp.I was also going to deploy a roll-up J-Pole for VHF/UHF operation, but Tim suggested I just use the mobile antenna of my 4Runner. I took that suggestion. After working so hard on the MPAS, simplicity was the expedient.
I setup the Yaesu FT-857D and the LDG YT-100 matching unit on my worktable. I elected to use my 30Ah Bioenno LFP battery for power into a West Mountain Radio distribution block. I was unsure how much energy I might need so I added a PowerFilm 60w foldable solar panel to the mix into a Genasun GV-10 Lithium charge controller. I did not meter the power.
I chose the FT-857D for my Saturday outdoor operation because it includes the 2m and 70cm bands. Greg tasked me with net control duty for the local net we run at the beginning of Field Day. This affords the local operators a chance to get started with a set of contacts without the hassle of trying to break the initial pile-ups that occur on the bands.
A Microsoft Surface Go 2 has been my radio computer (and travel work computer) for a couple of years. It is a relatively low power computer, but it also does not use a lot of energy. This attribute, plus the fact that it has adequate power to run radio software, makes it an excellent computer for field work.
I ran an extension cable from the antenna in my 4Runner to the VHF/UHF output of my FT-857D.
This was followed by a little testing. I had an operational station for the start of Field Day 2024.
Operations
I started operation at 1100h local by calling on the designated frequency (VHF). Two of four known operators responded. This resulted in a trip by Greg to Fred’s camp to help him get his station sorted. After a few minutes, we had three of four planned operators all on the same frequency. The remainder had elected to camp outside the dry lake basin and could not be heard.
I ran the net on the designated frequencies with one flub — I forgot to pass control to the next operator on my list to make their contacts. Fortunately, I had my smarter brother Greg to remind me of my error. The net ran smoothly after that.
After the net closed, I puttered for a few hours playing search-and-pounce on running stations. Outside of our little group, I made only one or two contacts on phone; the remainder were all CW mode (Morse Code).
I had to move the shade tarp from the east side of my shelter to the west. The direct sun was too hot. The temperature was fine with the shade from the shelter (and tarp).
By sundown I had a few dozen contacts. I was not working that hard, but really enjoying being away from the house, the cooler weather (at altitude), and the sound of the radio. When we met for the evening break, we all had about the same number of contacts by straw poll.
I returned to camp, moved the antenna connection indoors, and connected it to the Elecraft KXPA100 amplifier for my KX3/PX3 station. I had a little setup to do before I was ready to run indoors, but that did not take long.
After getting The Girl out for a break (and feeding her), I sat down at the radio and worked stations I could hear. I probably worked until about 2200h local before retiring for the night.
As is usual for me, I woke about 0500h when night turned into twilight. I turned on the radio and made a coffee while listening to the background noise of the HF bands. I also stepped outside to look around and enjoy the cool morning air before returning to the station and working more operators.
I shut down about 1100h, satisfied with my 140 contacts.
Fred, KG7VNG, setting up his station Saturday morning.
Conclusion
I spent the remainder of Sunday with my friends and relaxing in the shade at my camp. Fred tore his station down, packed up, and headed home. He had work Monday. I offered help to Greg and Tim with tearing down their stations, but both had the chores handled. We are all experienced field operators.
I put away the FT-857D station and stowed it in the 4Runner. As I write, I cannot remember if I put away the Elecraft KX3 station or not. I think that I did, knowing that I would be up and wanting to break camp Monday morning.
Monday morning I rose, made a coffee, and stepped outside the camper to enjoy the morning air. I was treated to a beautiful alpenglow on a nearby mountain, this caused me to make a photograph. I decided to get out the DJI Mini and see if the batteries had any charge. Once again, I brought the tool but had not prepared it before leaving home.
Of course, none of the batteries carried a full charge. But I was able to fly a circuit around the dry lake and make a few aerial images.
I finished my coffee and made another. Sera and I walked to the other camps to see if anyone needed help. All were good.
Alpenglow on the mountain south of the ARRL Field Day campsite. The moon is also in the frame. Shot with my iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Things Learned
Sometimes stuff happens. In this case, the stuff was me being busy with other things than preparing for the 2024 Field Day expedition. This resulted in a delay of my planned departure and then the compression that comes from being late. It added unnecessary stress to my life and my setup.
Always check your equipment before leaving home. I had alternatives, but it is better to have a complete antenna system from the start.
Always have a backup plan. I had several other antennas I could deploy in the back of the 4Runner. I always carry spares.
Always carry spare parts and supplies. You might not need them, but another operator in your group could have a failure or be missing a critical piece of equipment for operations. Be prepared to help out other operators in your group.
Be prepared to offer physical assistance to other operators in your group. Some equipment is much, much easier to deploy with a second set of hands. Sometimes an additional brain is of use as well as all of us can get locked in a loop when trying to solve a problem.
The addition of a tarp to extend the shade of the EZ-Up was necessary. The sun was too bright to readily read the SG2 screen and direct sun provided a lot of unwanted heat. A second tarp would be a good addition so that one could be setup on west and east sides of the EZ-Up. However, I would leave the north and south facings open for air flow on summer outings.
From an operational standpoint, I had fun. I did not burn up the ether trying to make a lot of contacts. I am not sure that I want to do that, as I operate a radio for fun and for practice should I need to run a radio. I operate portable (a lot) because I want to get out of the house and because there is so much noise at my house. But, I think maybe I should be a little more serious during one of these outings and keep my butt in the chair and run frequencies. It would be good practice to push the operation a little harder.
It was a good Field Day outing. I had fun playing radio. I learned a few things, as I generally do on a field deployment. I enjoyed my friends. My dog and I had a blast. Everyone was safe and seemed happy to be in the field together.
I am grateful. Life is good.
This is an aerial view of our Dry Lake camp. I captured this early Monday morning with the DJI Mini 4 drone.
