Search found 209 matches

by Graham Stabler
Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:48 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Microstepping an automatic macro rail
Replies: 12
Views: 5049

So who will be first to build an interferometer as the encoder? I did it once with a laser diode but it was "a bit" noisy to say the least :)

Andrew, I assume this encoder is some sort of glass scale, are you intending to make a servo system with it?

Graham
by Graham Stabler
Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:00 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Microstepping an automatic macro rail
Replies: 12
Views: 5049

A half step is the smallest step where you get real torque, i.e. you can step a single half step, microstepping just makes motion smoother, that might mean a shorter settle time but it is not going to provide greater resolution. At least that is my understanding. I don't think stiction is massively ...
by Graham Stabler
Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:13 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Holographic diffusers - for macro or micro photography?
Replies: 4
Views: 3209

They are basically working by messing with the phase of the light rather than through scattering, you can think of them a little like a mess of lenses. Phase of light waves is another way of representing the direction the light is travelling so by fiddling with phase you can create a diffuse light p...
by Graham Stabler
Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:49 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: A Macro Beauty-dish Diffuser
Replies: 72
Views: 47814

Sorry I didn't realize we were on page 3, hope I am not too irrelevant.
by Graham Stabler
Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:48 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: A Macro Beauty-dish Diffuser
Replies: 72
Views: 47814

The film Brian has is definitely not light control film as that goes on the front and is to prevent people viewing what you are looking at. The film on the back of the LCD is part of the back lighting, it is used in an effort to create an even lighting. I've been looking at various back lights as a ...
by Graham Stabler
Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:33 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: infrared
Replies: 3
Views: 1960

Thanks Dave, I'm probably going to use a monochrome camera without any viewfinder and either LEDS or laser light for illumination. I'm hoping to get some penetration into live insects to see more of the insect flight mechanism, possibly at high speed. I'm really not sure how well it will work, will ...
by Graham Stabler
Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:20 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: infrared
Replies: 3
Views: 1960

infrared

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone has played with infra red illumination to get penetration into/through chitin?

Cheers,

Graham
by Graham Stabler
Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:29 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Botanical Microtechnique: Staining Fresh Material
Replies: 11
Views: 11286

Isopropyl Alcohol can be bought in maplins as a spray can or as a litre bottle.

Graham
by Graham Stabler
Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:26 pm
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Pinned specimen orientator
Replies: 5
Views: 2108

Well I was pretty sure it was rapid prototyped but I'm not so good as to be able to recognise the technology by eye :)
by Graham Stabler
Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:45 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Pinned specimen orientator
Replies: 5
Views: 2108

Very nice, is the plastic part 3D printed?

Graham
by Graham Stabler
Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:02 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Ping Pong Ball diffusers
Replies: 18
Views: 15470

Sorry my choice of angle was not great. The subject is on the end of a pin (in fact a 1mm drill blank, a posh pin) in the centre of the sphere generally. The pin can rotate and also be tilted (hence the slot) and go up and down for stacking. There is indeed a hole in the bottom which provides the ba...
by Graham Stabler
Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:19 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Ping Pong Ball diffusers
Replies: 18
Views: 15470

I've also been experimenting with almost complete balls. My object movie rig needs to give reasonable lighting no matter what angle the object it tilted at so I ended up with this. The ball is held in place by one of my Gorrilla pod mounts, basically a section of one of the legs held to a base plate...
by Graham Stabler
Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:27 am
Forum: Technical and Studio Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Earwig: Wing Unfolding
Replies: 8
Views: 8337

That's really great stuff, the manipulation would be hard enough without having to record each step so nicely.

I have a paper about this if you are interested, it also has some pretty neat photos but nothing like this.

Graham
by Graham Stabler
Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:47 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Pinned specimen orientation
Replies: 61
Views: 26325

I have made a few jigs using ball bearings and car body filler such as "Bondo" you grind a flat for your sample attachment, wax the ball and set in a lump of filler. You can cut the filler neatly with a rasor blade if you catch it just before it goes really hard, also a good time to loosen the ball ...
by Graham Stabler
Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:36 am
Forum: Technical and Studio Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Swivel Head
Replies: 6
Views: 2187

Wow the degree of rotation is really surprising.

Graham