New camera

[BlueNinja]

Well, I don't have to borrow a digicam anymore.

Nor use my Pencam.

Today we made a big investment in a Canon S1 IS camera. It takes great pics, has an INCREDIBLE ZOOM (10x OPTICAL, 32x digital ) image stabilizer, movie capability, macro, self timer or you can use a wireless shutter button for family pics etc, and last I cna think of a pop out LCD. The viewfinder is a SLR and it mirrors the big LCD screen, so you can view already-taken pics through the viewfinder. You can also adjust aperture and shutter speed. If you're going to get a camera, this is a great one to consider. It has a hefty price tag ($500) but it's worth it IMHO. Plus you can take 2714 pics on a 256 MB card.

Blue

PS the attached pic is a little blurry, thats cause i shunk it too much and then made it bigger.

 

[powderburner]

I didn't spend quite as much as Blue_Ninja, but for what I laid out I would have expected something a bit better.
Digital cameras are not good at taking snapshots indoors, like in auditoriums---the flash does not reach, there are no exposure controls, and I can't select a different film speed.
And when the picture involves any action at all (like a rocket leaving the launch pad) the time lag is tough to master. There have been many times when I have wondered what my new camera would look like after being adjusted with a five-pound sledge hammer.
I have a lot of photos that look like the attachment. Nothing exciting at all.

 

[powderburner]

And I also have a bunch of launch pix that look like this (no, there is no rocket in this picture).

 

[powderburner]

After many attempts, I finally got one tonight----sort of. You can see the exhaust really well because it was getting on toward dusk. But the rocket itself appears to be missing (a stealth rocket?)
This was because the vehicle was a min-diam spool powered by an 18mm motor, and the two CDs were edge-on. There just isn't anything that looks like a rocket, but there is definitely a rocket motor going off!

 

[adrian]

I'm surprised your camera doesn't have exposure controls - even my first digital camera, which I bought in 1998, could be set to manual control of exposure time and colour balance.

Also, see if your camera has a two-stage trigger button. Press it slowly and gently, and you may feel it "stick" before the release point. The camera will then set focus and exposure. Then press the button the rest of the way to take the photo. So when the countdown starts, you aim at the pad, half press the button, then aim up a little, and when the rocket launches you press the button the rest of the way. The camera doesn't take time to focus, and you get a shot like this...

 

[cmmeyers]

Originally posted by adrian
...Also, see if your camera has a two-stage trigger button. Press it slowly and gently, and you may feel it "stick" before the release point. The camera will then set focus and exposure. Then press the button the rest of the way to take the photo. So when the countdown starts, you aim at the pad, half press the button, then aim up a little, and when the rocket launches you press the button the rest of the way. The camera doesn't take time to focus, and you get a shot like this...

That is exactly how I take pictures with my Sony digital camera.

Additionally, check to see if your camera has a "burst mode" where it will take 2 or 3 pictures in rapid succession. That can significantly increase your chances of a capturing a great photo.

 

[BlueNinja]

Originally posted by powderburner
I didn't spend quite as much as Blue_Ninja, but for what I laid out I would have expected something a bit better.
Digital cameras are not good at taking snapshots indoors, like in auditoriums---the flash does not reach, there are no exposure controls, and I can't select a different film speed.
And when the picture involves any action at all (like a rocket leaving the launch pad) the time lag is tough to master. There have been many times when I have wondered what my new camera would look like after being adjusted with a five-pound sledge hammer.
I have a lot of photos that look like the attachment. Nothing exciting at all.

On the contrary-

Most digicams have both aperture and shutter speed control. I can get it to take the picture INSTANTLY when I hit the shutter if i hold it down halfway first.

 

[Micromeister]

Powderburner:
I'm with you! I have yet to catch a lift-off with my digital (Canon by the way) It does have exposure controls...IN the Book that I might someday take the time to go through to learn all the functions. I did discover a multi pic burst mode recently that will take a shot every .5 sec as long as I hold the button down. Haven't had a chance to see if that will work yet but yours may have the same function. When I really must catch a lift-off I go back to my trusty 35mm SLR with kodac gold 800 speed film. For now I'll keep trying, but the digitals are Great for static shots, how to's and general non action shots... or those short 10sec movies

 

[rocketkid88]

if you press the shutter half-way so it focuses, then take the pic at first sign of smoke you'll probobly get them, it takes some practice but now if i miss one i'm usualy 'upset', even my brother can usualy get them! you should be able to ajust the shutter speed/etc... sometimes it a bit tricky tho! here's a pic i took last sat at my dads graduation party... my bro took this one, its me launching the rocket.

 

[rocketkid88]

i have a kodak easyshare, w/128MB card and 16MB internal memory.... i can fit more then 5min of vidio on the card! to bad i can't upload anything more than 1MB to my website, or i'd have video clips on there

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by rocketkid88
if you press the shutter half-way so it focuses, then take the pic at first sign of smoke you'll probobly get them, it takes some practice but now if i miss one i'm usualy 'upset', even my brother can usualy get them! you should be able to ajust the shutter speed/etc... sometimes it a bit tricky tho! here's a pic i took last sat at my dads graduation party... my bro took this one, its me launching the rocket.

NOPE! press the shutter half-way down, count down, first sign all the way down, perfect shot of a smoke trail. EVERYTIME!

 

[BlueNinja]

Not really...

Got this pic with that method.

It wasn't with this camera so it is not zoomed in really well, only 9.6x but this method works!

 

[jetra2]

My good friend Eugene (eugenefl) taught a cool technique. He calls it the "Sizzle Technique." It doesn't really involve seeing anything as much as hearing it! When you are taking the pix, hold the button halfway down like normal, then as soon as you hear the sizzle from the motor, PRESS IT!

Jason

 

[powderburner]

NEVER say 'half-way down' to an old man . . . .

Actually, I have already been doing exactly that. And do you know how far a modroc goes during the time lag required for me to detect ignition and react by pushing the button the rest of the way?

The feature I miss the most on this doofus digital is the remote shutter release provision that I had on my 35mm. You could set your camera up on a tripod, pre-focus, get everything else ready, and then trigger the shutter (via cable) at the right moment WITHOUT moving, bumping, or even holding the camera.

These d%%n digitals are just not made for this application.

 

[BlueNinja]

What camera model do you have? Some digicams have wireless capability where you have an IR transmitter.

 

[Len B]

The delay factor was an important one for me when we chose our digital camera. I finally found with ours (Canon G3) that the burst mode coupled with manual focussing and setting the shutter priority was the best deal. The beauty of this camera is that it takes pictures pretty fast at that rate and I have been fairly lucky since I got to this point. I've actually caught rockets getting up to pressure, on the rail, above the rail, and just at the top of frame all in one sequence. That was my luckiest sequence with an M hybrid.

I have a launch to attend this weekend but our camera is going to Whitehorse. Oh well, I have to share.

Seriously though, I am rejoining the ranks of film photographers as soon as I can. I plan to buy a Canon Elan 7NE 35mm in the near future just because I can't stand the delay.

This weekend I am going to try to catch a few with a Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera. Max shutter speed is only 1/500th of a second so wish me luck! No motor drive either so 1 shot per rocket.

Attached is a shot of my Art Applewhite 12" saucer on a CTI H143SS, flown in September. This was taken with the G3.

Blue Ninja, that camera sounds awesome. Very impressive. I read about it in reviews when it was released. Great stuff! I look forward to more photos!

Len Bryan

 

[Len B]

Here is another image I caught with the G-3.

The motor blew apart about 1/2 a second later. This was a lucky catch. Fortunately, the rocket flew again.

Len Bryan

 

[cmmeyers]

Originally posted by powderburner
...The feature I miss the most on this doofus digital is the remote shutter release provision that I had on my 35mm. You could set your camera up on a tripod, pre-focus, get everything else ready, and then trigger the shutter (via cable) at the right moment WITHOUT moving, bumping, or even holding the camera.

These d%%n digitals are just not made for this application.

I have exactly this setup with my Sony DSC-S75. I have a wired remote and a tripod that works great. As Blue_Ninja noted, some of the cameras have IR transmitters as well. For this particular use (catching rockets coming off the pad), I find the wired remote a little better since I can stand anywhere around the camera without having to make sure that the IR transmitter is pointing directly at the camera.

 

[powderburner]

Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
What camera model do you have?

Nikon CoolPix 3100.
I have not sat down yet and really studied the instructions, but have only breezed through the book a few times.
Would love to discover that there is shutter speed and aperture (or equivalents) control somewhere on this booger.

 

[astrowolf67]

I don't think the problem is the camera. It's the motors in the rockets. Try using more Black Jacks, instead of Blue Thunders. The Black Jacks are easier to catch with digital cameras:kill:

 

[powderburner]

now that's extremely useful advice for a low-power flyer

 

[BlueNinja]

LMAO

OBTW, this camera doesn't have a macro, it doesn't need one however.

 

[RocketboyG80]

Here's some pics from a launch I was at last Sunday. It was the first time I ever used a digital camera for launch pics. I wasn't sure what to expect. I have a Canon PowerShot S45. This one is my Legacy on a G80 with a dual deployment setup (which worked this time BTW).

 

[RocketboyG80]

Here is my modified Graduator on two E9-6 motors. I used the action setting on my camera BTW.

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by powderburner
now that's extremely useful advice for a low-power flyer

Humm Powderburner that is a very good point, I'm trying to stop Micro-Maxx models coming off the pad a lot quicker than even, Estes type BP motors. Maybe the burst mode will help?? I can catch them fine with the 35mm

 

[astrowolf67]

Our old digital camera was a Kodak DC215, which has no controls on shutter settings, ect. It didn't even have the half down focus lock. The trick to using it was, to get the time of the LCO. Most LCO's have a rythm that they keep, and once I got in time with that, I could consistently get better pics, by pressing the shutter right as they press the launch button. The lag time was at least a full second.

Another trick, was to use maximum resolution, and not zoom in as close, that way, I could crop the pic for the best view. Lots of times, the rocket would be 10-15 feet up by the time the camera responded.

Now, we have a new digital camera, which I've yet to try at a launch, it's a Cannon A75, with full control over all functions, shutter speeds up to 1/2000th, continous frame mode at 2.2 fps, and it also has different ISO settings. The lag time is considerably less than our old one, which I'm sure will take us a bit of getting used to.

 

[BlueNinja]

I had previously been using a Canon A70, which was great. I'm sure the A75 is even better.

 

[Micromeister]

HAL-A LU-YA!
Today the wife and I has a chance to tote the rolling Micro-Maxx range over to the park for a few hours. Oh yea What a Beautiful DAY! Perfect flying weather!!
Anyway: I got to fly 12 new micro Scale models mostly, so I took the draded Canon powershot A40 with me.

Powderburner the burst feature helps Loads! OF 12 flights I think I got 5 actual lift-offs, still learning the point to push the button but I got a couple Here's the one that makes me the happiest, My winter Camo. Der Red Max lifting off the instruction sheet back page 3D diroama scene. I'm so happy..What a great day.

 

[Karl]

Do you have any pic's of the Micro-Maxx II motors micro ? Are they any different from the old ones ?
Thanks
Karl

 

[Micromeister]

the MM-II motors are DK grey paper casing instead of brown plastic casings. MM-1 #5662 is the .21 n/sec motor, the MM-II #5663 are the .35 n/sec. very low 1/4a motors.

MM-1's come 8 per pack, MM-II's are 6 per/pack.
MM-1's have a 1sec delay, while the MM-II's have a 0.5sec delay.