Playing with my new camera

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

:tab So I was uplate working last night and afterwards went outside to the car to get some stuff. When I walked out the front door, right at eye level was this:

It's alive!!! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug01.jpg)
Wing nubbies. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug02.jpg)
Almost there...! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug03.jpg)
Free at last! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug04.jpg)
What does this look like to you? (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug05.jpg)
Inflatable wings. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug06.jpg)
Waiting for the legs to get hard enough to use. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug07.jpg)
Wings! It's got wings! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug08.jpg)
Side view of wings. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug09.jpg)
Waiting for the wings to harden. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug10.jpg)
Soft hues on a harsh looking critter (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug11.jpg)
Fully formed wings. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug12.jpg)
New compared to the old. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug13.jpg)
The final product. (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/cicaida/bug14.jpg)

:tab The time from the first picture to the last is about 30 minutes. Watching the wings unfold was really cool. It would pump (flex) the muscles at the wing base and I could visibly see the wings swell and unravel. Also, it was obvious as each leg became stiff enough to use because it would start moving them around and grabbing ahold of the old shell or the brick. I forgot to check this morning to see if it was still there.

:tab I was testing out the upclose capabilities of my new CD500. The big problem is that in lowlight, the camera sends out a laser pattern to assist in the focusing. The laser pattern is emitted off center from the lense. The same thing happens with the flash because it sits up on top of the lens. So it was hard to get the critter centered in the lens and still get it focused and properly illuminated. I actually took about twice the number of pictures shown here. Most of those are amorphous blobs with goofy lighting. Considering it was pitch black outside, I'm quite happy with the way these pics came out.

[Blue Bomber]

That is pretty cool looking!

[buck000]

Nice macro capability on the camera, Scott.

And welcome to the better half of the Friday household.. ;)

[VFRinAustin]

Nice shots Scott. Sometimes watching that kind of thing can be real cool.


:bigokay: And the first post by the Bomber. Hello, Hello. Glad to know that Scott does allow you some time on the old PC. :wink:

[Tourmeister]

Glad to know that Scott does allow you some time on the old PC

Oh good grief!! She has her own computer setup on our LAN in the house. She just spends all her seat time playing downloadable games hehe. I spend mine networking :lol:

By the way... when is your avatar going to be changed from the SVS to the VFR?

[scratch]

Those are some neat images, Scott!

Maybe TWT needs a "National Geographic" photo forum now! :wink: 8)

[VFRinAustin]

By the way... when is your avatar going to be changed from the SVS to the VFR?

Im working on our web site this weekend and will also get that Avatar thingy updated then.

OK, geess, give a guy a break :lol: :lol:

[Blue Bomber]

Glad to know that Scott does allow you some time on the old PC. :wink:

Only when I am done washing and waxing my bike. :angel:

[Tourmeister]

Only when I am done washing and waxing my bike

This would obviously be one of those alternate reality things, as in, this never happens :eek: Unless we get kinky and I break out the whip :-P

[AggieVFR]

Howdy Scott,

My mom, the avid biology teacher, highly approves of your photography skills. In case you were curious, the insect you've captured on CD is a Cicada. My mom says the most common are the 13 year and the 17 year varieties. The most common in Texas is the 13 year. That means that the larva (the green thing emerging from the shell) was underground for the past 13 years! It then comes up to the surface, sheds the exoskeleton, and flies off to find a mate to start the whole process over again. You got to witness a pretty cool event. My mom will probably print off some pics to show the kids in class next semester. She loves that kind of stuff.

[Tourmeister]

My mom will probably print off some pics to show the kids in class next semester. She loves that kind of stuff.


:tab Those images are greatly reduced from the original. If your Mom is interested, I can give her the full sized images to blow up and/or crop. All of my life I have seen the empty old exoskeletons all over the place with the backs split open. Never have I actually seen one of these things come out like this. It was very cool. Interestingly, with the flash going off inches away from it, it never once tried to get away. I guess it was kind of at my mercy.

:tab A few days back, I came across one still in the original shell crawling across the ground and being attacked by a swarm of ants. They were all over it and it was not looking good. So I grabbed it and stuck it on the side of a tree after knocking off the ants. It immediately started climbing up, not down, not sideways, just straight up. I wonder how far these things can see and how to do they know what direction is up? It was very overcast. I've no related degrees or any serious knowledge, but the kid in me never got over thinking bugs were cool! :lol:

[Anonymous]

Very cool pictures Scott. How much, if I may be so crass, did that camera set you back?

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

:tab The camera is a CD500. It burns the pics onto mini CDR's and CDRW's. The discs hold 215 Mb which at an average of 2Mb per picture is around 200 pics. A pack of ten discs is about $8. I bought it online at Butterfly Photo (http://butterflyphoto.com/) for $578 and got the extended Mac Warranty for it.

:tab My original camera was a CD200 that I bought right after they came out. They were retailing for $799 at the time. But Sony had a $100 rebate which paid for the $100 extended warranty I got from Sears. I bought it at Sears because they were the only place with a REPLACEMENT warranty. I could take the camera to any Sears, tell them it was broken, present the receipt and warranty, and they would replace it with the same model or the next best thing, no questions asked.

:tab Not long ago my camera finally started having trouble. It would not format the discs properly. When I went to exchange it, they no longer make the CD200, or the 250, or the 300... They did not have any of the CD burning style cameras in stock, nor did any of the Sears in Houston. So they simply offered to refund the entire cost of the camera (full retail) and the cost of the warranty!! How could I refuse?? They credited my credit card for nearly $1000. I immediately went shopping and decided on the CD500 and came out several hundred dollars ahead. For once an extended warranty really paid for itself!!

:tab I'm still getting used to the new camera but so far I love it.

[Anonymous]

yeah, we had the 17 yr variety in IL. made such an incredible racket you couldn't believe it!! Also had chicagoan chefs coming up with menus, jewelry, etc.

Now their all gone back to sleep for another loooong time

Jimbob Cruisin the Hotlantabahn.