Category: Technology

Views of science and technology from around the world

Friday (22-August-2013) — New Jersey

Technology Update: Remote Camera Control.

OK, I said I would try to get back to a daily update to the Blog. I like the idea of being able to control my camera remotely. Over the years I invested in the Nikon WT-3 (for the Nikon D200 camera), the WT-4 (for the Nikon D3, D3s, D3x, D700, D800, and D4 cameras), and the WT-5 (for the Nikon D4 camera). With the early models, Wi-Fi configuration was difficult at best. The current version of the Nikon Wireless Configuration Utility has really improved — setting up a WT-4 or WT-5 to communicate via Wi-Fi to a Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer is now very simple (and works!!!). You need the Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 software (extra cost) to then remotely control the camera.

I’ve read several favorable comments recently about the CamRanger, and its ability to remotely control several Nikon (and Cannon) DSLR cameras. CamRanger is a modified TP-Link USB Wi-Fi transmitter. It connects to the USB 2 (or 3) port on the camera and communicates to an i-Phone, i-Pad, or Android device via Wi-Fi. CamRanger provides software to control the camera. In addition to normal control (settings, focus, etc.) the software would do HDR, time-lapsed, and focus stacking. Well, I don’t own an i-Phone, i-Pad, or Android device – but did get interested when CamRanger released a beta version of software to control the camera from a Windows 7 or 8 computer. I ordered one and it arrived 2 days later. Downloaded the beta software, and just started playing with it. The software is beta. I was able connect to a D3s and D800 camera, set various settings, use real-time live view, select the focus point, focus, and take images which were then sent to my Windows 8 Surface computer (images also still stored in the cameras CF or SD memory card). The HDR, time-lapsed, and focus stacking modes don’t work yet. I’m eager to see the full (release) version of the software with all of the capabilities enabled.

For a lark, I connected the CamRanger to my Nikon 1 V2 camera (which is not listed as being supported by CamRanger). The camera was recognized (but I got a warning message the camera was not supported, and CamRanger would not be liable for damage). The beta software on my computer was able to read the camera settings, make some setting changes, but live view didn’t work. When I tried to take a picture, I heard the shutter – but the program (and camera froze) when sending the image from the camera to the computer. I needed to remove the battery from the camera to get it to work again. I really do hope that CamRanger adds this camera in the future – especially for the HDR and time-lapsed capabilities (missing from the Nikon 1 V2 camera).

Wednesday (14-August-2013) Norway/India

News Item: Indian Sindhurakshak Submarine

It was reported on the news this morning that the Indian Sindhurakshak submarine that I photographed in Tromsø (09-Feb-2013) experienced two explosions a fire, and sank while docked in Mumbai last night.

Indian Navy Diesel-Electric Submarine INS  #Sindhurakshak   Docked Next to the Hurtigruten MS Finnmarken in Tromsø. The 16-year-old Russian built submarine was returning from a 2 year upgrade in Russia. This was the first time that I saw a submarine with glass windows in the conning tower. Composite of 3 images taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 18.5 mm f/1.8 lens (ISO 800, 18.5 mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec) combined using AutoPano Giga Pro.

Indian Navy Diesel-Electric Submarine INS Sindhurakshak. Composite of 3 images taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 18.5 mm f/1.8 lens (ISO 800, 18.5 mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec) combined using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Indian Navy Diesel-Electric Submarine INS Sindhurakshak. Composite of 3 images taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 18.5 mm f/1.8 lens (ISO 800, 18.5 mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec) combined using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)

Monday (05-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 7: Eldhraun Lava Field.

When I first set this image of the day photo blog up, I was committed to post an image from this day (not necessarily this year) every day. And sometimes commentary of what I was doing and reviews of photo gear, image processing software, and computer gear. I fell way behind during the Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage (~52 Days – Spain, Monaco, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, England, Norway, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany) with very limited internet access. Once back home I needed to digest the ~70K images I took. When working through these images I noticed that Mike Hagen had an opening for an Iceland Photo Adventure end of July/beginning of August. I contacted Mike to see if I could sign up at the last-minute. Mike was actually in Africa on a different Photo Adventure. His wife got back to me and I signed up. Iceland has always been on my list of places I wanted to visit. Iceland is an image rich environment!!! In the 10 days including travel I took ~35K images. Reykjavik, Geysers, Puffins, Glaciers….)

As far as milestones, I have been retired for just over 1 year – and have visited more than 20 countries, and taken over 200K images. Also, as of yesterday it has also been just over a year since I last shaved. Do I let the beard grow for another year?

Troll Sunning Itself Under A Dandelion On the Lichen and Moss Covered Eldhraun Lava Field in Southern Iceland. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 32 mm f/1.2 lens (ISO 160, 32 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Troll Sunning Itself Under A Dandelion On the Lichen and Moss Covered Eldhraun Lava Field in Southern Iceland. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 32 mm f/1.2 lens (ISO 160, 32 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Saturday (03-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 5: South East Coast

Zetor 6911 Tractor at the Smyrlabjörg Country Hotel in the Vatnajokull Region of Eastern Iceland. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec).

Zetor 6911 Tractor at the Smyrlabjörg Country Hotel in the Vatnajokull Region of Eastern Iceland. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Zetor 6911 Tractor at the Smyrlabjörg Country Hotel in the Vatnajokull Region of Eastern Iceland. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thursday (01-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 3: Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands).

Unmanned Light On Top of Geirfuglasker Island. Geirfuglasker is a very small isolated island, part of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southwest coast of Iceland. Historical note — last refuge of the Great Auk before they went extinct (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geirfuglasker). There must be a generator up there, but I don’t know how the light is serviced? Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec)

Unmanned Light On Top of Geirfuglasker Island. (David J Mathre)
Unmanned Light On Top of Geirfuglasker Island. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)