FM RADIO TRIGGER

I bought this years ago.  This is kind of a one packaging for a few.  The model I bought is the PT-04GY depicted on the upper right corner of the above picture.

I have used this with my cameras and flashes and they all work pretty well together, which is a good surprise.  The battery inside the transmitter still goes on and on after years of occasional usage.  I even connect it to my Hasselblad, or actually the Zeiss lens' PC plug to trigger the flash with no problem.  Just make sure the battery doors are properly closed and maintain good contact and the channel is the same across the board.

I don't know how reliable or unreliable are others.  For me this setup serves my very basic fundamental need for flash photos.

Unless I want to get into off camera flash using a higher than sync speed then I really don't see any compelling reason to upgrade.

Flash at a shutter speed higher than the X-sync speed is a topic that continues to confuse and confound plenty of users.  I've seen an Youtuber who totally got everything backward and yet appears totally authoritative.  When you have that level of confidence, you can do anything you want and achieve world dominance.

In the interest of the general public I shall refrain from talking about flash X-sync.

Nikon D4s

It seems like the Nikon DSLR prices are on a downward trajectory.  An used D4s with shutter count less than 36,000 is asking for $2,200 and having a best offer price option.  I can see the price can be talked down to very close to $2000 if there is no bid.  The frenzy goes to I guess the Z cameras or the D850.  I have never touched a D850 and I don't know how great its AF is.  For me it's all about the AF.  The D single digit line series just gives me more confidence in that regard.  Of course I could be wrong.  Based on my D810 experience the AF is good but I wish it could be better.  Again, the myriad of variables and user technique can render my opinion less than objective.  Anyway, I think the D4s comes down to $2000 is really something.  If the D850 set, meaning the camera and battery grip, sells for less than $2000 and if the AF is really really as good as the D5 then sure why not.

Rainey Park Cyclocross 2018

Sometimes on second look or thought you think, maybe I should have adjusted the exposure somewhat.

This was the only cyclocross I went this year.

I packed my 810, 700, 135mm, 16-35mm and my SB-800.  This is the first time I shot entirely on the 135mm without the 70-200mm.  I found it quite doable and the D700 with the 135mm combination is not terribly slow.  I can't scientifically say how slow or fast it focuses or the out of focus is due to AF ability or simply because of shooting at big aperture like f/2 or user error.  The answer of course can be a bit of each and tend to be complicated.  You believe what you want to believe.

Sometimes you just can't execute what's in your mind's eye.  I got my SB-800 for easy carry and gel-ability.  The about were shot at WB2940 with CTO gel on the flash.

In the middle of the shot, perhaps due to lens change, there is a piece of grass lodged on the sensor the size of Australia, found out later when looking the pictures on the monitor.  Oh well.  I don't have the heart to double check now.

I managed to stuff everything in my ancient tenba bag which I think is more than twenty years old.  My last post also mentioned that I like have the option to pan at 1/8 a second and hence I like to have small aperture.  Sadly the smallest aperture of my 135 is only at f/16.  Usually I mount my long lens on my D700 which has a base ISO 200, so it doesn't help.  That's why in the middle of the shoot I changed my flash camera to D700, 16-35mm and SB-800 and the D810 with the 135mm f/2 fixed lens + than big piece of grass.  No matter what I know about not to change lens or be very careful to change lens in the field, I usually foul up.  It's frustrating and disappointing.  And plus 99% of your shots aren't what you envisioned.

But I guess that's photography.  Or at least my kind of snapshots.

Is f/16 Small Enough of An Aperture?

f/32 would be nice.  People tend to think about the maximum aperture like f/1.4 or f/1.2 or even f/0.95 but sometimes I think about f/32 when I am not thinking about f/1.2, f/1.4, f/0.95, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, or f/22.

If you shoot action shot and want to have the alternative of shooting at 1/8 of a second then you have a problem.  Even if you can dial your ISO to 64.  It wasn't even bright sunny f/16 day but rather gray gloomy December sky.   f/16 proves to be a bit lacking.  Of course you can always work around it by like not shooting at 1/8s or stick a ND filter to it ...

The peril of shooting at 1/8 of course is is guaranteed blurry, but may not be the kind of blurry you are aiming at.  And then the dirt on your sensor all comes out to say hi as chances are you are shooting at f/16 or even smaller aperture.

The last time I checked, cleaning a full frame sensor was around $60.  It's gonna hurt very much.

Old vs New Gas Range

When I got my new gas range about five years ago, the thing I noticed right away was it took longer everything.
It took longer to boil water, longer to get anything hot.
I think the difference is, the distance between the burner and the grill is much higher than what it used to be for whatever reason.
I can't help but wonder is it what it contributes to higher utilities bill, shorter appliance life, faster global warming?  Screw the new gas range.

On Photography

I can shoot till my finger fall off but that doesn't mean the pictures are any good.

All the neck and back pains don't translate to good pictures.

You just have to learn to enjoy the process because the outcome sucks.

100% of your pictures suck.

Whirlpool Gas Double Oven Range GGG388LX or GGG390LX

It's generally a mystery what the gas oven model is.  Even you got your use & care guide.

The model number is not as complete as you want it to me.  I think the definitive model number is hidden at the back of the range, which you have to move it away from the wall to find out.

I have a hard time finding any information about the disassembling this model.  Sometimes the repair manual is just mistakenly returned as repair manual.  Repair manual is definitely not the same as use and care guide which I have and much easier to find online.

The part is almost $70 assuming that's what I need.

This is a world of pain even if I am willing to do the repair myself.

Canon New F-1, AE motor Drive FN, Battery Pack FN

I bought the Duracell 28L which is a 6V cell compatible with L544 which is what the Canon New F-1 needs, not only for metering, shutter release but also for the operation of the whole motor drive mechanism.  That's even if the motor drive is fully powered by 12 AA batteries, it won't release the camera shutter or wind the film transport forward at all.  What it works, without the 6V battery, is the meter and the rewind actually, surprise (I haven't actually tested with a film cartridge inside, but the rewind seems to work when the motor drive is not attached to the camera or when attached but quickly stop as the counter hits 0).

So the conclusion is the 1.2V AA rechargeable batteries do work with the motor drive even it's 1.2V not the 1.5V.  The 6V L544/28L battery is required for the motor drive to operate.  A depleted 6V battery enough to operate the meter and even the light but not enough to operate the shutter won't allow the motor drive to run.  So you can't run the motor drive at all if your 6V in camera battery is depleted.

These are the quirks of the system I found.

Canon F-1

The shutter of the Canon F-1 will always stay operational if you remove the battery, i.e. short of any malfunction of the camera.

If the 6V battery is drained, the shutter release won't work even some shutter speeds are mechanically activated.  You need to remove the battery for it to work.

From 1/125s to 1/2000s, flash sync ⚡️(at 1/90s) and B are mechanical.  The good news is all other shutter speeds will "work" too but default at mechanical 1/90s when the battery is removed.

I must have read about it but forgotten.

The Canon F-1 is such a beast, it simply refuses to die or stop working.

Canon Battery Pack FN

This is the battery pack that takes 12 AA battery cells.  It has been working since I bought the set in 2010.  Then it stopped working as the battery drained.  I have never used any rechargeable cells with this.

This past weekend I went to IKEA and bought a bunch of rechargeable cells.

Unfortunately they don't work inside this Canon pack.  They mystery is is the pack broken or does it demand the 1.5V per cell very strictly?  The IKEA cell called LADDA is rated at 1.2V at 2450mAh.

I have yet to buy a whole bunch of cells to test it out.  The pack has no response if I set to it OFF, which is expected, but neither is S and L.  The only time the pack is making an effort as if it's trying to wind the film it's when I set it to H.  It makes some grinding noise as if it's trying very hard to advance the film.  I don't believe it's the contacts or something with the camera itself.  It's either the motor is broken, the switch is broken, or some combination of such, or the pack is working but it has no leeway in terms of voltage.  Though that's a bit hard to believe.  I tested the LADDAs in my Nikon F5 and my Sunpak 120J, the batteries have juice to power them.

I know next to nothing to electricity but I read usually the 1.2V would work on 1.5V appliances as when loaded or when over time, the cell can hardly stay at 1.5V.  But the fact that it takes 12 of 1.5V batteries, if replaced by 1.2V then the voltage variance can be quite big when magnified by 12.

I wonder why I don't just go out and buy 12 of those one time use 1.5V AA cell to prove this theory one way or another.

My initial thinking was something wrong with the "motor drive" or even the camera.  But as I did some trouble shooting here and there, I changed my mind.

This battery pack is really just a pack.  It's separate from the actually mechanism that drives the film, which is done by the AE MOTOR DRIVE FN.  The AE MD FN itself doesn't have any power source and it's a separate piece of equipment.

Diet Prada vs Dolce & Gabbana

Diet Prada won.

Diet Prada single-handedly brought down D&G in maybe less than 48 hours.  The Shanghai show is cancelled.

Cyclocross, Downhill and Track

When I go to cyclocross or downhill, I am careful not to trip and fall.  But things happen.  I did fall a few times, once bad enough that the flash and the camera mounts got ruined.  Not totally ruined but bad enough to malfunction if not repaired.  Bad conditions make for good pictures at least in my case as I can't dramatize my own pictures without the help of bad weather.  The very first time I went to a cyclocross on Long Island, both my flash and camera ended up in Nikon's service center.  It was pouring the entire time.  It was memorable.

This year I think I have a string of unfortunate incidents.  So the cyclocross season is here and yet I can't go anywhere without a car or the resources I need..  My equipment is semi or somewhat functional.  And my mindset is not exactly in photography.

Motley Fool

When investment news is concerned, there is nothing I love to hate more than Motley Fool.  I just love to hate it.

Whirlpool Experience

Got the double oven about five years ago.

Within a year and within warranty, one of the knobs got stuck.  Or the valve.  In layman's parlance, I can't turn the knob.

The repair came and replaced the valve.

The Whirlpool over the range microwave makes noise and smell.  Basically it's malfunctioning.

Then one of the knobs on the range stopped working again.  I can't turn it.  The knob has been resistant to turn when it's hot or in use and now the knob for the  simmer burner head just stopped turning at all.

When you try to find the model number, good luck with that as the model number is always hiding somewhere like at the door on the side or totally behind, that means you have to pull the range from the wall just to know the model number.  I am not even talking about serial number.  This is I suppose not uniquely Whirlpool, all the appliances like to hide their model and their serial number as if they never needed them.  The truth is people need them.  Just stick them front and center.

I think Whirlpool sucks.

Apple Wireless Keyboard 2011

This is essentially a Bluetooth enabled keyboard.  I do find it magical.  I do enjoy typing it.  It's the major interface where I interact with my MacBook Pro.

There are certainly a few iterations of this keyboard.  But I would say they are somewhat minor.

The version I have is I believe the second iteration or could it be third I am not sure.

This version needs two AA batteries to run.  And they basically keep running.  The latest version is powered by some internal rechargeable battery that can be charged by a lightning cable.  I supposed it's good and bad.  When the internal rechargeable battery can't hold a charge what are you going to do?

I like the tactile feel of the keyboard, which is of course subjective by and large.  The more important issue is is this tested and proven to be durable.  I have heard enough horror stories of the new butterfly keyboard.  One of the things I like is this Apple keyboard also allows you to control your audio from the top row kind of function keys there.

My function key F3 has the mission control icon on it.

The connection is fantastic and I experience absolutely no lag as I type.

Things I don't like is it doesn't have illuminated keys.  I would like to have it so I can turn it on when I feel like it.  Also the battery chamber can be somewhat leaky or losing some spring to it.  You have to be careful and make sure that the AA cells don't leak.  And if the spring loses its bounce, you lose connection because of bad contact.  The remedy can be simple and yet quite effective, make tiny disc of ball out of aluminium foil and drop it inside the battery chamber.

I do some digging so you don't have to.  My version is the 2011 version.  It uses two AA cells and the F3 and F4 function keys have the Exposé and Launchpad icons there whereas the 2009 version the F4 key has the Dashboard icon, otherwise they look the same.  Of course if you go shop eBay, you have to be careful, some sellers don't know what they are selling and worse they don't really care.  Fortunately most of my experiences are positive and if it was wrong, they make it right.

Apple wireless keyboards

PhotoPlus Expo 2018

some dude with the D5 and 800mm

seems like i can just upload HEIC file format, wonder if Google just changed it to JPEG or not.  Oh well it "works"

Another year, another PhotoPlus Expo.

The show just got a little smaller each year.  It's is gradual but you can feel it.

Nikon this year gave out its Z launch T-shirt.  I went on the third day and L was gone.  I got an XL but sadly I dropped it.  So in the end I just got a medium.

Nikon, Canon and SONY pretty much took up all the space.

Nikon took a page from Apple resale.  The cameras and lens were just on a bench maned on one or two Nikon staffers.  Gone were the "treasure island" kind of setup where cameras and lenses were behind and under the counter and manned by a team of staffers and were made available upon request.

I got to play with some Z camera and the 24-70 f/4.  Overall I wasn't too excited.  I hand-held a 300mm f/2.8 which was like exceptionally heavy.  This is the kind of lens that I don't think it's practical for how and what I shoot even I have the money.  If I don't need to walk around then maybe it works.  I also played with the D5 and 800mm, that's right 800mm.  For what I have and shoot, I still prefer the SLR kind of cameras.  Between a D5 or D850 and a Z7, I have no doubt want a D5 or D850.  All of my AF-D lenses or older would become manual focus.  And I wonder if my AI or AIS lenses can do matrix metering or not on the Z body.  I think some people may prefer to use native Z lenses anyway.  I am a hoarder and I like my old lenses.  I have not sold any one of my old lenses.

I briefly played with some SONY model and used the eye focusing.  It was pretty good.

I also quite liked the Fuji XT-3 with the motor drive or sorry the grip.  It was really a nice compact camera.  I got to try it with the 200mm f/2.

Kapkur Anamorphic

I have only knew three anamorphic phone adapters until yesterday.  They are from Moondog labs, Beastgrip Pro and Moment.  Moondog labs should be the first one who made those and consistently stocked them,  with accessories like filter adapters no less.  Moment and Kapkur use a dedicated case for attaching the lens.  Moondog provides different models for different phones and a version with 37mm thread, and another with 12.5mm thread to attach to a phone case for newer phones.  Beastgrip provides a version with 37mm that attaches to the Beastgrip pro.  The question is which method provides the best alignment consistently, or does it matter.  I tend to think the custom case provides the best attachment and alignment consistently.  Once the phone is dressed in the case you just need to screw on the anamorphic adapter, i.e. the lens.  There is no guesswork to any vertical or horizontal alignment to play with.

I was at the PhotoPlus Expo yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised to see Kapkur offers anamorphic adapter.  I tried it on for 8 seconds.  I guess it's not bad.

I have no reference of course and I am surprised there isn't any comparison out there among these four adapters.

With phones coming out with twin cameras and whatnot, it seems there is a trend to make a dedicated phone case to attach the lens.  And then in turn, one could just shoot like so or mount the whole setup onto another rig like a Beastgrip to further add shooting features to the setup.

Apple Broadcom BCM94360CD 802.11ac mini PCI-E WiFi WLAN Bluetooth 4.0 Card

This is the board, together with the adapter, I got to upgrade my Mac Pro 2008.  An eBay find from a seller called miraclelove, what a name.  It takes more than a week to reach here all the way from China.  But the items seem good quality.  The guy could use a box to better protect the item but mine survived the long distance odyssey just fine.  The cards appear brand new and in protective plastic bag, probably static proof or something.  It seems like miraclelove is a decent seller who wrote me right away when he shipped the item and emphasized in case something something happened, contact the him or the seller first.  I always appreciate an eBayer who is open to communication.

This has WiFi and BlueTooth together.

In my old 2008 Mac Pro (MacPro3,1) there are four antennae with paper flag marked 1 to 3 and one marked BT which has been attached with the BT module that came with the Mac Pro 2008 system.  I removed the old BT module and set free the antenna for later use on the new module.  I read somewhere regarding the antenna placement it says the BT antenna should be placed on the 3 position and the 3 antenna should go to the 0 position on the board.  I guess something  must have changed or this wire attachment simply is not for this card.  So the first time I did it,   the BT wasn't working.  It wasn't working at all.  It was like it didn't exist.  WiFi was great though.

The second time, I just followed what the Broadcom card says and attached the antenna accordingly with the BT antenna attached to the 0 position on the board, and bang, it worked.

WiFi is very strong, it's the AC standard.  BlueTooth I can't really tell as my attached devices aren't all that new.  The BT magic keyboard is the second iteration that uses two AA batteries.

I have to say with poor eyesight it's a miracle that I can attach the four antennae, it's just very very difficult to feel your way to the connector.  Using the wireless magic keyboard is such a breeze.  Got to pay attention not to let any battery leak to the battery compartment though.

iPhone Non Excitement

I think since iPhone 6 the excitement has been so much subdued.  And with every new iPhone coming out of the pipeline there are following reports saying the sales are faltering.  I can't say I am surprised.

I long for the day there was only one or two models of the iPhones.  I just now went to Apple's site, where I picked see all the iPhone models; there are all together thirteen ranging from iPhone SE to iPhone Xs Max.  Though Apple and at least T-Mobile online stores only carry from iPhone 7 and up, that's eight models with different color, memory size to choose from.  The choices are confusing.

If you don't have any eye problem like presbyopia, I wouldn't choose the Plus models (unless it weight almost the same as the iPhone 6).  From my experience with the 8 Plus I find the model just too heavy.  I like the iPhone SE but then the screen is just too small.  The iPhone 6 seems to be a good compromise between screen size and weight; and it's much lighter in my hand than the 8 Plus.  I wonder if all the Plus models are that heavy.  I suspect that's part of the reason I got all these shoulder and neck pains.

MacBook Pro 2012

Once upon a time I owned a 12" iBook but then the screen died and I felt like I got burned.

Then in October 2014, I ordered a refurbished 2012 15" MBP directly from Apple.  My research says that that is the last MBP model that allows user upgrades.  My experience is I upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 16GB and have removed the SuperDrive for another hard drive storage.  For the boot drive, I upgraded the stock 500GB 5400rpm hard drive to a SSD.  I have since then upgraded the SSD from 240GB to 480GB and have swapped in new harddrive when the existing one was full a few times.

It's not retina display but I am OK with that.  It can drive an external display at 2560x1080 at the same time.

The keyboard gives me no problem and neither is the trackpad.  I like the keyboard and the trackpad right where they are.  I mean the trackpad is right there I don't like to move my hand to grab the mouse for a walk.  For a desktop I opt for the keyboard and trackpad combo as well.  I never like the mouse that much.

Fast forward to the current 2018 MacBook or MBP.  I am somewhat leery of their butterfly keyboard.  Even the latest third iteration of that design.  Apple just started selling the 2018 models refurbished.

Officially, the 2012 MBP is the last MBP hardware that Mojave supports, anything older is not supported.  So my 2012 lives another year or two.