New camera test photo!!!

[John HOLBROOK]

When I was in Florida in Nov, I gave my daughter one of my cameras, so I needed to replace it. I bought a SONY DSC-H20B and this is a test shot. I only paid $220.00 for it!!!

It looks pretty good to me, so whadda ya think??????

http://www.fototime.com/%7B21F7ECF1-B1BD-4CE8-8D96-06642239C1D7%7D/origpict/Colt%20834321%20R.JPG

[al in oregon]

that is really nice, John. We are in sunny yuma at the moment. Are you in Missoula (sp), yet? Al

[John HOLBROOK]

Hey Al, great to hear from you. I was just talking to Jamie this morning and she asked about you two!!! The weather in Missoula has been horrendous!!!!

I am still looking at summer to make the big move....

John

[John C]

John......

Not sure about the camera, but the pistol you have posted looks GREAT!!

[Jeff L]

Nice photo, I like the float effect. Is that tie-tie in background? Nice pistol. What kind of camera did you get?

-Jeff L

[John HOLBROOK]

Nice photo, I like the float effect. Is that tie-tie in background? Nice pistol. What kind of camera did you get?

-Jeff L

Here is the setup I use. I made the standoffs.... The cloth I bought at Walmart...

Here is a link to the camera. I ONLY buy SONY cameras....

http://www.bizrate.com/digital-cameras/sony-dsch20b-cyber-shot-10.1-megapixel-digital-camera-black--pid1117963841/

I bought the camera from Electronics Expo, and it was $220.10 with FREE shipping and NO tax!!!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7B620E672B-1CCF-4F69-A950-7FE8E0A2AE15%7D/origpict/DSC00014.JPG

Here is another photo...

http://www.fototime.com/%7B3D922CC0-DAB4-4117-9EE0-675B78E848D4%7D/origpict/HP%20Park%20R.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/%7BC03C354B-D399-4460-871C-0C35016FE980%7D/origpict/DSC00015.JPG

[John Kuhns]

Hope that's not your home address!

[Karl]

John, I sent you a private message via this board, did you get it? Karl

[John HOLBROOK]

Hope that's not your home address!


John, everybody knows where I live.........


http://m1thumbsaver.com/

[cnrcollector]

John, you got a great buy on that camera! I am looking for a new camera now and can't find that one anywhere for less than $240 now.

I want something to photograph some gun parts for sale, and other odds & ends that have acquired over the years. I was looking for a MANUAL FOCUS model as I have not had great luck photographing small parts with an older AF model.

I notice that this Sony model states in the specs:

"Focus : 9 points / Center Weighted AF / Spot AF / Semi Manual (1.0m / 3.0m / 7.0m / unlimited distance)"

Have you found that the "Spot AF" and "Semi Manual" Focus works well on small things like Garand follower arms, op rod catches, and Carbine recoil plates?

Thanks, Chuck

[John HOLBROOK]

Chuck, I use spot focus and the Macro mode with great luck....

Over the years I have owned at least a dozen SONY cameras and usually used my A300 DSLR until I got the H20. For the bucks, you can't beat it, even at $240.00.... It is the best point and shoot camera I have ever owned!!!! :icon_lol:

Look at the view screens difference between the A300 and the H20...

http://www.fototime.com/%7B6895F1AB-F847-46C5-AC43-A51082D306D1%7D/origpict/DSC01221.JPG

[cnrcollector]

Thanks John!

I am keeping an eye on those prices for a few days in hopes that it comes back down to Christmas levels. It sure will be step up from my 2MP Olympus with the 1" display screen.

I'll post a pic of my RR 1911A1 when I get the camera and figure out how to use it, then you can compare & critique it alongside your 1911 pics.

Chuck

[Rick the Librarian]

John,

How about the lighting setup you used. Always looking for some hints on that. Maybe a picture of how you do it?

Thanks!

RtL

[John HOLBROOK]

Rick, good to hear from you! Here is the setup and it is really Rube Goldberg. I use GE CHROMA 50 Sunlight bulbs in all lights in the room....

http://www.fototime.com/%7BBAAA27F2-AAE0-4ACA-A168-73D7EB52206B%7D/origpict/DSC00025.JPG

These are the standoffs made...

http://www.fototime.com/%7B620E672B-1CCF-4F69-A950-7FE8E0A2AE15%7D/origpict/DSC00014.JPG

[Liam]

You did not mention a trip or any other holding device. Did you use one? Also, your choice of mottled background is nice.

Just look at what Rick the Retired Librarian posted last year! My corneas are still recuperating.
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/Liam_068/ricks.jpg

Sorry, Rick, but it has been simply too long without ribbing you!

[John HOLBROOK]

I don't use any holding device. I brace my body against the edge of the table. I suppose that I have taken 10 of thousands of photos over the years, and it is kinda like shooting, ie compose the shot, hold my breath and squeeze the trigger, er, shutter.....

Here is a photo showing one of the mottled bacgrounds I use, and in the photo below are several examples of the many different cloth samples and placemats. I am always looking for compatable background material.....

http://www.fototime.com/%7B5074ABA4-7E23-42DA-9382-3FFC80AB5534%7D/origpict/Cutaway.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/%7B4DD0F715-1188-4C99-91BC-444E8A5E4380%7D/origpict/Backgrounds.jpg

[John HOLBROOK]

Here is another background shot!!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7B5BCC3A14-4C6E-4131-85C9-5E9066C6956B%7D/origpict/DSC00031.JPG

And still another.....

http://www.fototime.com/%7B89917C98-AFC5-4BB9-AE01-BC63EABFFD3C%7D/origpict/DSC00032.JPG

And still one more..

http://www.fototime.com/%7B2773031A-2DB8-43FD-AAB3-955EDF96D781%7D/origpict/DSC00033.JPG

[pdawg1911]

Looks good to me. Question: So you prefer using the automatic Macro feature. Does this camera allow you to manually adjust the lens (by externally turning) if you wanted to shoot it without the Macro feature? I have a older Sony Cyber 5.1 and also use the Macro mode, and wondered if my going to an external focus ability would improve my photos.

Regards,
Pat

[exitwounds]

Took these with a friends Kodak DX7630 using the macro setting. Probably one of the better photos I have taken personally. The Ithaca is #896277, the barrel is Colt marked COLT 45 AUTO with a G on the belly. The slide stop is also a M1911 type. Otherwise a nice pistol.

[Jer]

John,

How does the Macro function look on the camera? Does it give a really good macro picture while letting the light in for focus?

Thanks

[Duane Hansen]

Took these with a friends Kodak DX7630 using the macro setting. Probably one of the better photos I have taken personally. The Ithaca is #896277, the barrel is Colt marked COLT 45 AUTO with a G on the belly. The slide stop is also a M1911 type. Otherwise a nice pistol.

If you would shoot more straight on, we could see the pistols finer details, such as lettering, much easier. Just a thought.

[smoky]

What a great pistol. It must be a good camera.
Smoky

[pdawg1911]

What are people typically doing to obtain the small file size in these photos? Are you using a VGA then compressing it? Or are you using a larger resolution like 1,2, or 3 megs, and resizing, then compressing?

[hyrax222]

What is Your Lighting Arrangement?

[Shooter5]

Here is my military photo-recon camera collection...just kidding! Recently visited the Udvar-Hazy Aerospace Museum, highly recommend the tour! Enola Gay is there along with many other interesting airframes including very rare and unique WW2 Luftwaffe and Imperial Japanese planes.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r50/joesmith_05/1215101526.jpg

[Scott Gahimer]

Because John indicated his new camera had crapped out on him (maybe just temporarily), thought I'd offer an alternate suggestion. I've used a Canon G11 for about the last year with pretty good results. It was nealry new when I purchased it (less than 100 images on it). I paid about $350+/- for it at a local shop.

I've shot about 9000 images in the last year and have become fairly familiar with it and its shortfalls. The Macro is excellent when it works. It is sometimes stubborn about grabbing a focus, but not too often. I've also discovered that when the camera sometimes indicates it is not in focus, it actually is for all practical purposes. That probably is less than 1% of the time, but it can be irritating.

I, by no means, claim to be a photographer. However, I have had excllent results using guns as subjects and good basic principles for getting a clean shot. I rarely ever shoot in full auto mode. I use the "P" mode, always use macro and a 2-second delay. I normally use a tripod to insure proper focus. Here are some photos I snapped recently.

Singer with a shot of part of the grouping with the gun. Other images of the Singer grouping are in this thread http://www.jouster.com/forums/showthread.php?21258-Where-have-the-1911s-gone.
http://i53.tinypic.com/11m6g4h.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2zrfd4l.jpg

Here is an image that was shot from about 5 ft. away. I found the results were still much better when using the Macro setting. I first tried it without using Macro, and wasn't satisfied with the clarity and focus when I zoomed in on the full-size image to look at each individual pistol.
http://i56.tinypic.com/2a9b2ub.jpg
This image is from this thread http://www.jouster.com/forums/showthread.php?21807-A-rare-sub-variation-Colt-Comm-Mil-I-picked-up-earlier-today.

The full-size image was good enough to go in, crop and slightly adjust brightness to quickly use one photograph to produce (14) different images showing each individual pistol. Here are some of those examples. 860147 was far left, second down. 930917 was bottom, on the far right.
http://i54.tinypic.com/29oigqv.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/31290f7.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2em0xg1.jpg
Those images aren't as good as an individual image of one gun, but bear in mind they were taken from 5 ft. away using a Macro setting not intended for that range. And those images are not where the macro was set to focus.

All in all, I've been very pleased with the Canon G11. I've opted to do all my photography, normally opting to "float" the pistols using a white background. I've found that background influences the color of different finishes so much that it just doesn't pay to use anything but white to maintain consistency when displaying a lot of different pistols and finishes. I currently show about 300 pistols and more than 3000 images on my site. I don't have Photo Shop or any way to "remove" backgorund, so I just figured out how to use a neutral (white) background and make the pistols display accurately at the same time. Because I'm not a skilled photographer, that took some time to figure out my camera's individual settings, figure out what lighting to use and how, etc.

Here is an individual pistol shown in the "group" photo. Obviously, results are always better shooting one pistol at a time.
http://i54.tinypic.com/ojfe5c.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/mwxlqh.jpg

[John HOLBROOK]

I niw have 5 SONYs of various types, so I am back in business!!!

[Scott Gahimer]

I'll look forward to seeing some new images of old guns...or new images of newly acquired guns. Either way...let's see 'em! Thanks.

[John HOLBROOK]

Will do when I get a chance. My dance card is pretty full!!

[jmark]

Good info. Thanks John & Scott.

[TEA]

Took these this morning with a Cannon compact Powershot using a tripod, natural light, and the macro setting.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/404978_10150823283699590_352591673_n.jpg

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/577396_10150823284749590_738249589_9372628_7392243 9_n.jpg

[bobby L]

When I was in Florida in Nov, I gave my daughter one of my cameras, so I needed to replace it. I bought a SONY DSC-H20B and this is a test shot. I only paid $220.00 for it!!!

It looks pretty good to me, so whadda ya think??????

http://www.fototime.com/%7B21F7ECF1-B1BD-4CE8-8D96-06642239C1D7%7D/origpict/Colt%20834321%20R.JPG

Great shot of a great gun.

[1563621]

My Fathers family was from Bellingham!

[Allen]

I don't know, there's something messed up with that camara. It makes 70 year old guns look almost new. Maybe you can photo some of mine? Most of your 1911's must have been assigned to officers or never placed into combat. They all look great.

[dryheat]

I have a Sony Nex 6 now(interchangable lens). I used a Fuji finepix 400 for years after the airline broke my first Fuji. I picked up the second one on ebay for forty bucks. I like the "feel" of these smaller cameras. I was going to buy(and I still might)a full blown DSLR but the things are so big I couldn't imagine dragging it arouond. There are great deals on "obsolete" cameras these days. Just make sure it comes with the disc. I had to send to G.Britain for mine($5).
I don't even know where the "macro" switch is. I can take a huge pic from 5" away and crop it down to the molecular. White isn't the best background,from what I read. A light grey is more balanced for what our eyes determine is white. I shoot in Aperature mode and use manual focus. This camera has "focus peaking" that lights up when the edges of the subject contrast are right,but it isn't foolproof either. I love digital. I used to pay for a lot of crappy pictures in the old days.