Penn Central 8620 (DMRRC)

This researching of train is fascinating.  And I'm now beginning to believe it was the train aficionados that created the internet as a device to store and share their information.  The amount of information that is available is somewhat overwhelming.  And so it is with the Penn Central 8620.  And in the small world happenings of life, it turns out that the PC 8620 and I have a connection.
The original PC 8620, a SW8, was built in February of 1953 by General Motors Diesel.  (Being built in February of the 1950s is close to a connection, but that isn't it.)  The unit was one of just over a total 370 built.  The 8620 one of was originally built for the New York Central Rail Road.  In 1968, the NYCRR merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to form the short lived Penn Central.  The Penn Central went bankrupt in 1970 and later merged with Conrail. 
The SW8 was a diesel electric built for standard gauge with a 8 cylinder two stroke supercharged diesel engine rated at 800 hp that generated 600 kW of power.  The model was built between 1950 and 1954.  Some of the units were built for the US ARMY and found their way to South Korea.  One unit was owned by the US AIR FORCE for the Titan Missile Program.
 Anyway, going bankrupt in 70's is not our connection either.
What does connect us is that I found a number of pictures of the PC 8620, now the Conrail 8620, in downtown Pittsburgh in December of 1977.  I'm sure that sometime in December of 1977, I was dahn-tahn as well.  Small world.

This model has fared much better than the shots I found on line.

BNSF 5681 (DMRRC)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  I'd like to find a way to lump Great Lakes Freighters in there as well.  All are large.  All are very powerful.  All are mechanical.  I often wonder if the information outlets that exist today existed in my 'learning' years where my life might have taken me.  I'm fortunate to have had an exposure to automobiles and planes early in life.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences in the large aircraft world.  Could I have done the same on the water or the rails?
Enough musing on a Sunday afternoon.  But it does lead me to do more research on some of the photography subjects.  I tried to find information on the Union Pacific Engine 489, but was not successful.  I was able to find out more about the BNSF 5681.  And yes, there is one in existence working the lines as of March 2018.  
The working BNSF 5681 is a GE AC44CW, built in March of 2004.  The AC44CW model was built between 1993 and 2004.  There were over 2800 engines produced, with 121 going to BNSF.
The 4,400 HP engine was built for standard gauge track.  It weighs in over 425,000 pounds carrying 5,000 gallons of fuel.  It is 73 feet long and 15.5 feet high.
And this one has orange and yellow paint.  Can't be all bad.

At ISO 2000, there was some noise that had to be removed.  Now that I'm getting the hang of it, just have to remember to do this.
With the lights on, I had to go with a -1.0 EV.
At the DMRRC, this was just sitting without much going on around it.

Union Pacific 489 - We Can Handle It

One of my favorite locations for a back drop at the DMRRC is a bit hard to get to.  Setup for these shots is from an access point in the middle of the set.  That's the easy part.  Getting to the access point is not the easy point.  There are low points to crawl around.  Once you can get there, the effort is worth it.
I was lucky enough to get an interesting set of engines in front of the station house.  I wasn't stacking at this point, going with single shot.  To get a clear shot, I was going with 1/80 second on a 35 mm lens.  I could have gone slower, maybe down to 1/50 second, but I needed to be sure.  I wanted to get some DOF, with speed considerations I went with f/6.3.  That put the ISO up around 5k.

Getting a focus point is critical.  With critters and humans, go for the eyes.  For me, with the trains, it is the train number placard above the cab windows.  if I can get the focus on that, the rest will take care of itself.  It's even tougher if the placard is backlit, which is not the case here.  Usually with the model trains, if the numbers are lit, the train has a chance of moving.  Usually.  Anyway, getting the placard sharp is critical.
Here's the focus point:

I did get it where it needed to be.  Good start.
The original image needs a lot of help.  As I mentioned before, I was taking this from an access point and hand holding the camera.  It's not exactly level.  I was just happy there wasn't any evidence of camera shake.

The weathering on these units is really good.  Engines look used.  Realism.
This looks good on the monitor as a screen saver.  

Penn Central 6816 - Weathered

This year at the DMRRC model train shoot, there were two trains that I had not seen previously.  One was a US ARMY painted locomotive with cargo cars loaded with Army tanks.
The other engine was 'weathered'.  Weathering model trains is the same as weathering other models, that is the process to make a model a bit more realistic.  A lot of the trains at the DMRRC have various degrees of weathering.  For some reason, the job on the PC 6816 really got to me.  Maybe, because if I were to draw a working train, this would be it.
I had taken this image after I put away all the stacking stuff, meaning this is a single shot.  There's a bit o' bokeh in the background but I can live with it.
The other item of note, I was using manual mode with auto ISO.  In my case, it is live and learn.
The settings:

Look at that ISO - 11,400.  Yikes.
What does an image at ISO 11 - whatever look like at 100%?

Since I very rarely shoot anything over ISO 2000, my experience with removing noise is somewhat limited.  Always a chance to learn.
All of my noise decreasing programs/filters didn't help much with this image.  Most just sharpened the noise, which I think is funny.  I ended up using ACR's noise reduction sliders.  Again, a learning thing.
When I finished that process, I hit it with AI Clear.  Not so much for the noise reduction, but to add just a bit of sharpening back.
And that gave me this:

The noise irritation is gone, and some definition still remains.  I like this a lot.  That is a lot of noise removal.  So the final image is this.

This was a learning adventure.  And it works for me.

Santa Fe at Dorrance Station

This is the first of the photo stacks from the DMRRC 2019 shoot.  I like the Santa Fe 330 engine.  Actually, I like all the colors on the engines, and one that I'll look at later that looks very weathered.  But for now the reds, yellows and silver of the Santa Fe are on display.
This is an eleven shot stack.  Somewhere around shot five, the train was moved.  Fortunately, the train was moved in a backward direction.  And fortunately I have good images of the train before it was moved.
Fortunately.
In all the previous stacking projects I've done, I've pretty much let the software do its thing and that was good enough.  Here was a challenge.
The basic settings:

When I did the original eleven shot stack, this was the best I (the software) could do with respect to the train.

If the ultimate goal is a sharp image, that ain't it.
So I decided to blend a five shot stack to get the sharp train and blended it in the final eleven shot stack.

Tough to tell, but the images are different.
After I had the two together, and a little cleanup.  This is my finished effort.

There is a lot going on here, and I like it.  The blue background is what the walls in the club look like now.  To go much further with this, I'd have to think of something.  And with any luck, the club will have something on the wall next year.
And the painted version.

Both will make wonderful screen backgrounds.

Detroit Model Railroad Shoot - 2019

Yesterday was the Club's annual photo shoot at the Detroit Model Railroad Club's location.  I think this is the fourth year we've done this.
First, four of my images from 2018 were chosen for the 2019 calendar.  Very happy to see the work is appreciated by others.
That was the good part of the day, the rest seemingly went downhill from there.  But as the noted philosopher Yoda noted years in the future, "The greatest teacher failure is".  And so as it goes with most of my life's education, by the end of the day, I learned a lot.
First, my coordination with other people needs work.  People skills.  Also doing some camera work were some members of the DMRRC.  I should have explained what I was doing with stacking and the process.  While I was stacking, some trains were moved, some flash shots went, and well, challenges come in many forms.  I will have to overcome.  To be very clear, this was my issue, no one else's.
And then there was my choice of camera.
All week prior to the shoot, I told myself to use the D7200.  The connection to the tablet via Bluetooth works, the images are very good.  A proven performer for this event.  And then I said, well let's try the D500.  And as the noted philosopher Homer (Simpson) philosophed, "Doh!".
Well, I guess I had to try.  
I had put a quick release on the shoulder straps of the D7200.  Must have been a reason for that?  Ha, well that was an unexpected source of frustration.  That shoulder strap was a pain.
Then there was the tethering from the camera to the tablet.  The D7200 has a great simple WiFi set up.  The D500 was set up to use Snapbridge.  If I have one issue with the D500, it is the network is way too proprietary.  Snapbridge and I are not friends.  That is another post in itself, but I made the conscious decision to bypass WiFi for a cable.  I chuckle at my foolish thoughts.
For some reason, and I will find out, but my stacking didn't read the NEF files from the D500.  This is not an issue with the D7200.  That mistake could have been a real disaster, except I was also creating JPG files.  And in large format.  Luck comes in many flavors.  And for the failure/teacher part, I have to work with JPGs.  I worked on a stack this morning, and Yoda would be proud.  I overcame the file format issue, JPGs work just fine.  I also overcame the train moving and it turned out OK.  That post will follow with the story.
All in all, through my failures I have learned a lot.  I didn't leave with as many stacks as I usually walk away with so I'll have to work with single shot images.  
On a more positive note, I did get some shots with ISOs over 10k.  Will be interesting to see how they turned out.
More learning.  

CSX Out of the Tunnel

This morning I was looking to play with On One's photo stacking process.  I started by watching a few videos.  Looked easy.  Fortunately disk space is cheap and I have plenty if files to try with.
I loaded up my first 21 images and, pppfffttt.  Nothing.  Wait, huh?   Well, this wasn't right.  After about ten minutes of trying to figure out what the problem was, it appears that there is a limit to how many files can be loaded.  And the limit was south of my 25 files.  Looks like the limit is 14 files for On One.  Well, that won't do.   At least half of my work at the DMRRC is over that number.  I have a submitted a question to On One support to confirm my observation.
I also looked at On One's HDR process.  I haven't tried it yet, but looks like work.  Looks like it is very workable to a finished product - but again unless you are doing it a lot, work.  Eats into the five minute limit.  But I'll give it a try at some point.  Going to be a long winter.
Back to the train.  This stack turned out really well.  (Actually all turned out well this year.)  What really catches my eye here is the detail on the front of the engine.  The engine number, 953, is very clear.  That was a problem in a lot of my earlier efforts.  If the numbers are not clear, the rest doesn't really matter.  Continuing on, the chain just under the CSX front center is a great detail item.

ISO 100, f/6.3, 0.6 sec, 75 mm

NIKON D7200 Ver.1.04/50.0 mm f/1.8

Focus Stack - 21 Images (Helicon Focus)

The issue I always have is the scenery is an equal player to the trains.  Tough to crop it just to focus on the train and leave out the great work done by the DMRRC.

Rio Grande Trestle - Creative

This is a re-visit of a shot I put together after the 2017 Detroit model Railroad Club outing.  That shot can be found here.
I like this part of the track layout.  The detail in the trestle is great.
So this afternoon I was looking for a B&W image to display at the FLCC next club meeting and I started tinkering with this one.  It started as B&W, but then I found more effects with NIK - and than a canvas background.    I had to quit and leave some creative juices for next time.  I don't get hit too often.  

This creative stuff will start getting out of hand.  What's next, the Painted Duck?

Through the Cut

One of the curses I find about returning to a location to photograph subjects, is I have a number of shots already lined up in my head.  And I will get that photograph at any cost.  And this is one set-up that I had in mind.
I wanted to get the length of a train measured by some landscape.  And that was all I saw.
Too bad.
I didn't notice any of the imperfections until I finished the stack process.  Most of the source photos are out of focus to begin with and I didn't see this coming.

In case it doesn't show up. but the right quarter of the image has some green thing that is too close to the lens and is out of focus.  Badly.  There are a few other 'imperfections' that need some tending to as well.  Most notably, there are what look to be green colored bag ties on the left and right trying to blend into the trees.  Easy fixes, but the green focus mess on the right is a problem.
I tried to delete the trees, clone over the trees and even replace the trees.  Note for next time, just make sure the shot is clear of this sort of thing.  Probably would have been a lot easier and less time consuming.
But like the bull headed idea to get this shot, I will do something reasonable with it to save it.
The first thing to do was figure out how much of the right I could save.  There is a slight out of focus area that if cleaned up would get some breathing room.  Some creative cropping may do the rest.

ISO 100, f/6.3, 1.6 sec, 50 mm

14 shot focus stack

But the story can't end here.  While this might be an OK shot, it still isn't doing it for me.  The club will go back to the DMRRC in a few months and I'll come up with something else.  What I did learn this year, is a prime lens is a must.  I have to keep on that track.  One of the issues is that minimum focus is a foot.  Doesn't sound like much. but when working in tight quarters, every inch counts.  Enough about next time.
Still trying to save this one.
I'd like to do something sketchy.  I came up with this, and just a hint of color.

The 6187 in the keystone had to stay sharp, after that everything else was negotiable.  Looks more sketchy as a screen saver on my monitors.

Across the Yard

As mentioned in previous posts, this year's photo shoot at the Detroit Model Railroad Club, for me, was successful.  Many of the shots turned out like this one, that is the photo is sharp and the likability of the subject is up to the viewer.
This year, I was trying for different areas on the layout.  I have some older shots of this area, but not with this setup of trains.  In the original shot, the background wall didn't do me any favors.  The focus stacking played some odd tricks with the flat blue color.  Lately I've been getting a bit more aggressive with cropping, and that allowed me to do the same here.
This is the shot coming out of the stack process.

ISO 100, f/6.3, 1.6 sec, 50 mm

16 Shot Photo Stack

All that stuff in the upper right looks bad.  That boys and girls is what a dirty sensor photo looks like.  In this case, it is not.
At first, I tried to clone it out to keep some originality.  And in the end, it looked worse.
Next I tried sky replacement.  I spent quite a bit of time erasing the background, more time than I like on any photograph.  I wound up erasing more and more of the background.  With what I think the format that the club likes, this is what I finished up with.

To me there's not enough to distract, but if I was to re-edit I'd lighten the blue a bit.  Other than that, the photo is OK.  Just OK.
But, since I've been cropping to a size that is more monitor friendly I might be able to get that mess totally out of there.

Actually, this looks so much better to me.  No background, all subject scenery.
I'm not sure why I'm not totally happy with this shot.  On my screen saver, it is sharp.  All the numbers are clearly readable.  All the tracks are in focus.  Still not happy.  I think, it is because it looks indoors?  The light ain't right.
I could play with the light levels, or......  I like what B&W or monochrome effects did for the F15 shot.  (Here)  After all, this is a railroad shot.  Looks way too clean.
This is what I finished with.

Now this looks a little more like a railroad yard shot to me, or what I think it would look like.  I need to expand my horizons more.

B&O Across the River

I am fortunate to still be able to more around somewhat 'nimbly' when taking photos of the model trains at the DMRRC.  That is to say, I can walk hunched over, carrying camera, tripod and tablet for a very short distance.  That ain't easy trying to navigate through a four foot high 'walk' way.  But as it is, the effort is worth it.  I can take photos from angles that generally aren't available to the public.
This is one of them.
In past years, I have used a bean bag at ground level to steady the camera in order to get closer to 'eye' level of the trains.  This year I wanted to get some height off the tracks.  That would help with minimum focus issues and give me a slightly different view.  With the tripod I used which is fairly flat, the battery pack and the camera, I was about 5 inches off the track.  That was OK, but not what I really was looking for.  Next year I'll lose the battery pack and get an inch closer.  That might get the look I'm after for some of these shots.
In this shot, all that doesn't matter.  Ha.  This is shooting if not level, only slightly downward.  While the top of the train is in view, it isn't the focus of the scene.  Although the train appears to be slightly banking inward, I'm OK with it.
There is a lot of 'clean-up' from the original that is required.  I'm finding on many of the pictures from the DMRRC, the ceiling lights are casting 'ghosts' that I don't like on some surfaces.  You may not notice it until it is pointed out - but now the lights are pointed out.  There are also some loose electrical wires under the bridge that clearly needed to be removed.
This is the original with the touch up area noted:

I used clone and content aware fill tools to remove the wires and at least dull the ceiling light reflections.  Both issues will show up when the image is cropped and some color/sharpening are added in.
The final image:

ISO 100, f/6.3, 1.6 sec, 50 mm

Focus Stack - 9 Images

I like the B&O colors of these trains, so I'm a bit partial when I say this is one of the better shots of the night.

Northwestern on Trestle

One of the fascinating features, to me, at the DMRRC are the trestle bridges.  The detail involved is amazing to me.  I'd like to think the trestles were hand built - and if they're not, please don't confuse me with the facts.  All that is missing for me is the noise of the metal and wood when the trains are moving.  Takes me back to riding roller-coasters on wood frames.
I like the looks of the Northwestern Engine.   The frontal view can be seen here.  The detail lines of the Engine are so unique.  And for the most part, from what I can tell, this engine is not weathered.
I never know if everyone 'likes' my take on photographs.  This is the photograph that is available to the DMRRC club - if they like straight photographs.

ISO 100, f/6.3, 4 sec, 50 mm

Manual, 11 shot focus stack

The house and train are too clean and shiny.
To me, this scene cries out for some high contrast to bring out the rock features, the house definition and whatever I can find in the trestle.  We need to age the scene a little.
I tried Photomatix and that adventure was like Goldilocks and the Bears.  Just couldn't find the right mix to get the rocks and the train right.  There were some interesting combinations of highlight and shadow lights and I might have used one or a mix if I wanted to do a dawn or dusk scene.  I wanted to keep this light relatively even and daylight.  In my head, there is a lot of detail.
I tried my On One sharpening and color fixers, and again - just couldn't find the right mix.
As a last resort, I hit it with my favorite NIK filter - and it hit.

However, with this filter something very odd happened.  On the red roof of the house, there was a 'spot' that really didn't look natural, and unfortunately it was an eye catcher.  That spot needed to be eliminated.  Roof work can be a bit tricky to keep the look right.  I used the clone tool.  The trick is to line up the clone so the roof tile shapes stay the same.  And since there is a bit of an angle, even with the clone target directly below, the tile size didn't match exactly, but around 90%.  And if you are looking that close.......
The other interesting item is I've started sizing to 1920x1080 pixels to better fit most monitors.  For this image, that doesn't work.  There's stuff going on high, low, left and right.  I had to revert to the 5x7 format to get all the subjects in the image.
So the final image that I have, that I like, is this:

This version looks more 'real' to me.  The house has some wear, the cars on the street don't look so shiny.  And the train looks like it has been used.  A little more realistic in my view, I might see this in Johnstown, PA.

Photo Slideshow from the DMRRC Shoot

I put a slideshow together of the photos I shot at the Detroit Model Rail Road Club last week when I was out with the Flint Lensmen.
This is also an attempt at a slide show.  I tried using Lightroom, but I found that - well not so good.  not very intuitive.  I purchased a program for the West Virginia trip to put some videos together and used that program.  It worked OK.
it's short, no music.

2018 DMRRC Slideshow

These photos are just that - the raw photos.  there are a few that need some help with lights removed and maybe a new backdrop.
For the most part I was really happy with how the photo stack worked and with the 50 mm lens.

B&O and the Small Shack

Last night the photo club to which I am a member made what is turning out to be an annual trek to the Detroit Model Rail Road Club in Holly.  The club runs O scale.  This was our third year for this little adventure.  Previous posts can be seen by clicking the DMRRC link on the right.  This year, the DMRRC members really outdid themselves.  When we arrived, a number of trains were out and ready to be photographed.  The members there were more than helpful to move trains around and help set up some great scenes.  I took 28 scenes out of which around 20 are 'club' worthy.
This year I went with using a 50 mm lens.  No telephoto.  Looking back, I probably should have stuffed a 35 mm lens in my pocket for use.  I found that the 50 was a bit much for tight quarters.  During these outings, we have run of the rail road set and can get wonderful shots that the general public doesn't have access.  And some of the these areas are tighter than I thought for a 50 mm.  Lesson learned.
But the really great thing is that the images are so much sharper with the prime lenses.  I hear that all the time.
This is also my yearly dive into focus stacking.
So between the prime lens and a focus stack software upgrade my night was pretty successful, if only technically.  The aesthetic part is always open to interpretation.

ISO 100, f/6.3, 0.6 sec, 50 mm

Manual Mode, 8 shot focus stack

D7200/50 mm

In previous years, I had a number of focus mistakes by setting up too close to the subject.  This year I 'focused' on not violating the minimum distance that the lens could handle.  Much better results, but again, probably should have used the 35 mm on most shots.

DMRRC - Mountain Cut

Rumor has it that the Photo Club of which I'm a member will return to the Detroit Model Railroad Club later this month.  With that in mind, I started looking for any photos I hadn't played with from previous visits.
I'm not sure why I didn't work this photo before.  Looks like it came out OK.  This is a five shot focus stack.  It looks like everything is in focus as expected.  When I saw this angle, I thought it would be different, coming up from under the train.

ISO 200, F/8, 1.0 Sec, 60 mm

5 Shot Focus Stack

I hit this with a little extra contrast, but not too much.  It was tough to dial the contrast back, I did like a really hard shot on this - but that's only me.  At this contrast level, the rock looks good.
Unfortunately the room ceiling lights are reflected.  Note to self, take something that can block light next time.
This was taken with a 18-200 lens.  When I return to the building in a few weeks, my intention is to use my AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR.  I've been very happy that lens and have one train shot with it that came out very well.

Rio Grande Trestle

Good afternoon to work on a photo or two.  Single digit Temps, negative temp wind chills.  Perfect day to work on a photo or two.
One of the shots I have from last year's trip to the Detroit Model Railroad Club is of an older model train on a trestle.
This shot was staged for me, as the train was positioned where I wanted it.

This is focus stacked from five shots.  And, as will be shown from one of the originals, some of the background was 'replaced'.
The details: Manual Mode, 32mm, 1 Sec, f/8 and 200 ISO.

Here is the middle shot:

I used Helicon Focus (Pyramid Method) to merge the five shots.  I was pleased with the outcome.

I used On One to remove the office wall.  

I had a photograph from a trip to New York a number of years ago taken on a hike to a waterfall.  The background matched up pretty well.  The sky had a little color and the trees in the background came close to matching.

I used Google's Nik HDR effects to top it off.

Good project for the day.

DMRRC - The North Western

I like HDR shots/effects.  I've run from light effects to full onslaught grunge.  And I'm not going to apologize for any part of the journey.

That being said, I found an image that I couldn't make HDR work for me.  I tried all the tricks.  Nothing worked.

So I went plain.  And I liked the result.  

I usually like 'slightly' over sharpened effects.  In this shot, I thought it took away.  Not that this is smooth by any stretch.  The ISO is 6400.  I'd use up to that setting again.

This image breaks a few 'rules'.  I like the lines of the North Western train.  In this frame, it is close to the center.  I was limited by the angle of the view in the setting so in the center it will stay.  If I wanted to go further with the shot, I'd work on removing the three bright 'dots'.  Or maybe just the bigger of the three.  

The one adjustment I did make was to darken the gravel in the foreground.  In the original image, it is quite light.  There might have been an odd light source.  Anyway, that had to go.  I think the image is full, so can't find a different crop that suits me.

DMRRC - Burlington Northern

Earlier this year I purchased a 85mm (AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR) Nikon lens.  The main goal was to get sharper images than I was getting with my 18-200.

My first excursion with the lens outside of Grandpa's Dungeon was to the Detroit Model Railroad Club.  I had grand visions of what the day would bring.

I didn't do much to this image with respect to sharpness and bokeh.  If I remember right, this was taken on a tripod with a remote release.  To help maintain the sharpness, I didn't do any smoothing.  In my past train photos, I've photo stacked to get the image entirely in focus.  So this is different.

The vitals:  85mm, 1/15th, f/5.0, ISO 800.  Put that in the DOF blender with my distance of 3 ft and that gives a DOF of about one inch.  That is probably pretty close to correct.

When going through some shots to work on, I chose this one because of the sharpness of the front of the train.  I also chose to process the shot entirely with On One.  The exposure didn't need much work as the light is pretty even all around.  i was going through all the filters in On One when I stumbled on this color shade.  For what ever reason, this combination with the existing colors works for me.

In the past, I might have warmed or cooled an image a few points but that is as much as I've ever used for a total color shift.  This is new to me and I'll have to remember it.

On many fronts, this is a different photo from me.  Maybe I need to explore more?

DMRRC 2017 Visit Prep

My photo club field trip to the DMRRC is this week.  Time to get ready.

Last year I had new camera, and a new strategy.  This year if something goes wrong, I don't have those excuses.

This year I am using new software for my remote tethering.  I've been working with it for a few months so that can't be too much of an excuse.

There could be a new and unexpected twist.  I'm comfortable with the D7200 and the Helicon Remote software.  I haven't worked that much with the D90 and the software, so was down in the dungeon putting that configuration through its paces.

The D90 is not wi-fi capable, so had to use USB cable.  Not a big issue.  What I did discover is that in some configurations the Remote software will not save to the camera.  The table I'm using has about 6 GB of space available - I need to save to the camera or at the very least save to the tablet's external card.  If I changed the my thoughts and had all the images sent to the tablet, either USB or wi-fi, that adds a lot of time to the shooting process.  I do like the idea of sending a image tot he tablet, only for verification.  But i want the RAW image to stay on the camera, both for speed considerations and file size.

Fortunately there is a setting on the Remote software as to what to do with the image(s).  This setting will send the JPG image to the tablet and will save the RAW image to the camera.  I tested on both the D90 and the D7200 and it worked well.  Cuts the stacking process by more than 50%.  Huge.

The next change will be I will start off using the 85 mm lens (AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR

85mm f/3.5G ED VR).  The lens I used last year, my go to 18-200 did are real nice job.  I thought i would use it again.  But as i was int he dungeon for a few hours, I decided to see if there was a difference in the lens with respect to clarity.  yea, I know.  With a prime lens I should always get better clarity.  I just didn't know how much.  And now I know.

The subject is the underside of a PC disk drive, the circuit board.  This looks like a really good subject for focus stacking.

Both shots are 30 shot stacks.  For the display, the area that is shown is at 100% magnification.  i tried to get as many environmental settings as close as possible.  The camera and the subject were not intentionally moved.  Both shots were with the D7200.  ISO is 100.

The first shot is with the 18-200 lens.  The focal length turned out to be 150mm.  This is f/6.3 at 1/25 second.

Reality is, this isn't all that bad.  (Or so I thought.)  I accept the challenges of small sensors and some what limited lenses.  Unless I'm going to enlarge this to a wall sized photo, this will look good.

Until.

This is the 85mm prime lens.  Same speed and f/stop.  Same number of photos in the stack.

Based on this information, I will start with the 85mm lens - until it doesn't work.

I will do more prep this week.

Back to the Detroit Model Railroad Club - 2017

In a few weeks, my Photo Club will be heading out to the DMRRC for a return visit.  Personally, I had a lot of fun last year.  The DMRRC members who were out that night were just wonderful.  Like most places as soon as I left when we were done, I know I left so many shots out there.  Fortunately, I get another crack at them.

Last year I worked with focus stacking.  While most of my shots lacked train aesthetics, but technically they were good.

I've been asked by the Club to lead a discussion in our next meeting about the photo shoot.  Most of our members are outdoor photographers and being inside is a stretch.  

From talking with Club members after the 2016 visit, many said they didn't understand why the shots appeared out of focus.  That seemed to be the number one challenge.

I've been out to the DMRRC a few times in the last weeks.  I was in with the paying public, I didn't have the freedom to do focus stacking in these visits - as well as the trains were now in motion.  Well, this stinks.

In my first visit this year, I shot maybe 300 images - and only two came out that were any good.  And guess what - they were all fuzzy - like out of focus.  And then it hit me what the problem was.  Depth of Field.  I could usually find some point that was sharp - just not the point I wanted.

Unless this engine is getting ready to hit a fog bank, the focus starts to come in about two to three inches behind the front of the unit.  This is a clear miss on my part.  I'll bet I hit the front with the focus point and as I moved the camera back to center the subject, I held on the focus and it moved.  Rookie mistakes.......  Well that mystery solved.  But this illustrates how shallow the depth of filed can be.

So....  Speaking of Depth of Field, working inside is a real challenge.  The lighting isn't too bad but far from ideal.  You are shooting short distances to subject with high lens mm settings.  For example, if you shoot f/8 at 30 inches to subject with an 85mm lens - your DOF is essentially one inch.  Which coincidentally is just about right on for the image above. 

So the first points to the club are this.  Be sure of your focus point and have a strategy to deal with Depth of Field.  

One of the environmental factors is the subjects will more than likely not be moving.  They will be staged as requested.  So the speed question is reduced.  Even better if you bring a tripod.  I used a bean bag on the track last year.

Also, I will be focus stacking again this year.  I've gone over this with the Club a few times, hope they stayed awake.

Next up:  Increasing ISO if necessary.  (And it might be.)