Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages. It’s time for another exciting episode of “What is it?”
I will reveal that both photos are “one offs” (not focus stacked composite images) that show different parts of the same object, photographed with a 4x microscope objective mounted on my Fujifilm X-T3.
If you think you know what is shown in these photos, then please leave a comment. The answer will be revealed in a post update.
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
As a weather enthusiast, RadarScope is my go-to weather app for tracking the approach and passing of weather systems such as the line of strong thunderstorms that affected the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region on Saturday, 22 April 2023.
Animated GIF created by RadarScope app. (11:44 AM to 11:58 AM)
The following annotated screenshot shows a few basic buttons; their function is described below the graphic.
My location, radar sites, and warnings. (12:01 PM)
A fly-out panel appears when you click on the Warnings button. As you can see, there were two Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in effect at the time of the screenshot. If you click on one of the warnings then RadarScope automatically takes you to a zoomed-in view of the warning area. Click on the button for “My location” to return to your home location.
Warnings. (11:58 AM)
Tornado Warning
Soon afterward, a Tornado Warning was issued for Culpeper- and Madison Counties in Virginia, as indicated by the red polygon. Notice the red polygon is nested inside a yellow polygon that outlines an area where a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued.
Tornado Warning (red polygon). (12:30 PM)
Click on the red polygon for more information about the Tornado Warning.
Tornado Warning (information). (12:30 PM)
The next screenshot shows the “Super-Res Reflectivity” radar product, zoomed in on the Tornado Warning area. With a lot of imagination, you can almost see something that looks a little like the classic “hook echo” associated with tornadoes. Almost, but not quite.
Super-Res Reflectivity. (12:30 PM)
Time to switch to the Storm Relative Velocity radar product, shown below. This is where Doppler weather radar really shines. Greens indicate radar echoes moving toward the KWLX radar site; reds indicate radar echoes moving away from the radar site (like brake lights on a car driving away from you).
The following image shows the thunderstorm cell is rotating counterclockwise — this is known as a mesocyclone and is the reason for the Tornado Warning.
Storm Relative Velocity. (12:27 PM)
Within the broader area of counterclockwise circulation there is a tighter area of greens and reds, as shown more clearly in the Super-Res Storm Relative Velocity radar product.
Super-Res Storm Relative Velocity. (12:32 PM)
It’s important to note that the orientation of side-by-side greens and reds typical of rotating thunderstorm cells varies depending upon the location of the storm cell relative to the weather radar site. In the example shown above the greens are on the right and the reds are on the left because the warning area is located to the southwest of KWLX. In contrast, if the warning area were located to the northeast of the radar site, then the reds would be on the right and the greens on the left.
As it turns out, there were’nt any official Tornado Reports for Virginia. Later the same day, a small F0 tornado touched down briefly in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Related Resources
The following resources from the National Weather Service provide excellent background information about Doppler weather radar.
More RadarScope-specific resources are available from the creators of the app.
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Do you remember The A-Team, a classic 1980s TV show? One of Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith’s catch phrases was “I love it when a plan comes together!” So do I.
In my last blog post, I wrote the following …
Look closely and you should notice a few places that appear to be artifacts resulting from the focus stacking process. (Look around the borderline between the toy dinosaur and NSTA plastic ruler.) … I must admit this is cause for concern. Source Credit: More testing, AUTO FOCUS BKT, by Walter Sanford.
Could you tell I was more than a little discouraged by the discovery of artifacts in my focus-stacked composite images? I was. So I devised a plan for isolating the cause of the problem and finding a solution.
The plan
First I looked at the source images for the composite images. I didn’t see the same artifacts in any of the JPG files used to create the focus stacks, so I knew that in-camera focus bracketing was working properly in my Fujifilm X-T5.
Next I re-rendered (is that a word?) the source images using Helicon Focus Method A and Method C. My hypothesis, based upon limited experience and knowledge gained by following the “Focus stacking – Helicon Focus” Facebook group, was that rendering Method C would work without creating artifacts.
Turns out I was right. Look closely at the full-size version of the following focus-stacked composite image and you should see the artifacts are gone. And that’s a good thing, because as far as I can tell using the retouching tools in Helicon Focus means “you’re entering a world of pain.” (Source Credit: John Goodman as Walter Sobchak in “The Big Lebowski.”)
Toy dinosaur focus stack: two flashes; 74 frames; rendering Method C.
Buoyed by my success with re-rendering the source images for the composite image of a toy dinosaur, I used Method C to re-render the source images for the composite image of a toy lizard. Same result: Artifact problem solved!
Toy lizard focus stack: one flash; 96 frames; rendering Method C.
So now both composite images are tack-sharp from front-to-back and artifact-free. Yep, I love it when a plan comes together! And looking at the bigger picture, now I know for sure that Fujifilm in-camera AUTO FOCUS BKT works as I hoped and works well. That’s a win-win!
Why do we focus stack?
The composite image of the toy dinosaur, shown above, was created using 74 unedited JPGs straight out of my Fujifilm X-T5 digital camera. All of the photos were shot using an aperture of f/11.
The following slideshow was created using the first, middle, and last photos in the set (frames 01, 37, and 74). The focus point moves from the tip of the head, to somewhere along the body of the toy dino, and to the tip of its tail. In each of the photos, notice how little of the toy and ruler are acceptably in focus — even at a relatively small aperture of f/11. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we focus stack!
Related Resources
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Someone I know is fond of saying “A sample size of one proves nothing.” And that’s true, at least in the case of my recent test of Fujifilm AUTO FOCUS BKT. So I refined my step-by-step instructions slightly and tested the process again. Two times, in fact. And the results are comparable to my first test.
I have learned from experience it’s better to use a rugged toy “model” for testing purposes, rather than one of the fragile odonate exuviae that I like to photograph. It’s a good idea to choose a test subject that’s about the same size as your intended subject. The following toy dinosaur is ~6 cm from head to tail — the same size as the largest specimen in my collection of exuviae.
Two flashes
The following composite image was created using Helicon Focus to focus stack 74 JPG photos taken automatically using my Fujifilm X-T5 set for AUTO FOCUS BKT. The composite image was created using unedited JPGs straight out of the camera.
Toy dinosaur plus NSTA plastic ruler.
As you can see, both the toy dinosaur and NSTA plastic ruler are in focus from front-to-back without any focus banding. Zoom in to look at the full-size composite image — the detail is impressive!
Look closely and you should notice a few places that appear to be artifacts resulting from the focus stacking process. (Look around the borderline between the toy dinosaur and NSTA plastic ruler.)
I used rendering Method B in Helicon Focus. Time permitting, I would like to try Method A and Method C to see whether the artifacts go away. The artifacts are visible in both the “Two flashes” and “One flash” versions of the composite image, and upon further review, also visible in the composite image of the toy lizard featured in my last blog post. I must admit this is cause for concern.
Post Update: I used Helicon Focus rendering Method A and Method C to re-render the composite images: Method A was better than Method B; Method C nailed it! For details, please see my blog post entitled “I love it when a plan comes together!“
One flash
The setup for the “one flash” photo shoot was exactly the same as the “two flashes” version except I used one fewer external flash unit.
The following composite image has higher contrast than the first. Although I like the look, I was curious to see how adding a second flash would affect the final result.
Toy dinosaur plus NSTA plastic ruler.
I’m still undecided about which version I like more, but the order in which they are presented in this post provides a big hint. Which version do you prefer — is less more?
Related Resources
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Let me say at the outset I love my Fujifilm X-T3 digital camera. That being said, I bought the Fujifilm X-T5 almost as soon as it was released.
There are many reasons I decided to buy the Fujifilm X-T5 but the number one reason is the X-T5 features both Auto- and Manual mode focus bracketing while the X-T3 is Manual only.
At some point I’ll revisit MANUAL mode focus bracketing, but this post will focus on AUTO FOCUS BKT. Using AUTO FOCUS BKT, the photographer sets the beginning and ending focus points and the camera selects the step size and number of frames automatically.
Sample output
The following composite image was created using Helicon Focus to focus stack 96 JPG photos taken automatically using my Fujifilm X-T5 set for AUTO FOCUS BKT. The composite image was created using unedited JPGs straight out of the camera.
Toy lizard plus NSTA plastic ruler.
As you can see, both the toy lizard and NSTA plastic ruler are in focus from front-to-back without any focus banding. The process worked surprisingly well and could be a game-changer for creating focus stacks of relatively larger macro subjects.
Step-by-step instructions
The next two images are screenshots from the online version of the Fujifilm X-T5 Owner’s Manual. From the Table of Contents, click on “Shooting Menus”; from the sub-menu that appears on screen, click on “Shooting Setting (Still Photography).” Click on Drive Setting; navigate to the section entitled “FOCUS BKT SETTING” and look for “AUTO.”
Steps 1-3 …
Image Credit: Fujifilm X-T5 Owner’s Manual.
Steps 4-5 …
Image Credit: Fujifilm X-T5 Owner’s Manual.
Here’s my interpretation of the preceding outtakes from the Fujifilm X-T5 Owner’s Manual. I suggest you follow the set of step-by-step directions that makes more sense to you, although I think they are complementary.
First, a few words of caution about something that can and probably will trip you up the first time you try focus bracketing, using either MANUAL- or AUTO mode. (That’s the voice of experience talking.) You need to make settings in several places including one setting on the camera itself and two MENU settings. All of those settings are highlighted in boldface red text.
When you are setting focus for Point A and Point B, you can use any method that works for you including simply turning the focus ring on the camera lens. I prefer to use back-button focus. When the camera is set for Manual focus mode (M) the “AF ON” button is used for back-button focus by default. Try it — I think you’ll like it and it just works right out of the box.
I set Point A for the tip of the lizard’s nose and Point B for the tip of its tail.
Tech Tips
X-T5 camera/lens settings: f/11; ISO 200; 1/250 s. White balance set for AUTO WHITE PRIORITY WBW. Single point focus. Number of Focus Points set for 425. “Focus mode selector” set for “M” (Manual focus).
Bear in mind I didn’t really worry about lighting the subjects properly. I chose to use one external flash unit that I knew from experience would work reliably at 1/8 power. I’m pleased to report there weren’t any “dropped frames” due to flash failure.
Interval: 5 s ← Note: The built-in camera timer doesn’t work when using focus bracketing (except for the first photo) so I recommend you increase the Interval to 10 s in order to give your camera time to settle between shots and plenty of time for your external flash units to power-cycle.
Subject: Toy lizard plus NSTA ruler = 96 frames (selected by camera automatically).
What are the take-aways?
My goal was to test the Fujifilm in-camera photo bracketing process using “AUTO” mode. Zoom in to look at the full-size image — the detail is impressive! I’d say the test was a complete success. Well, mostly successful. For details, see “More testing…” under Related Resources.
Related Resources
Post Update
Chris Lee, also known as “pal2tech,” released a related YouTube video after I published my blog post: “Why I LOVE This Fujifim Lens! (30mm Macro),” by pal2tech (11:26). Although the main theme of the video is a detailed review of the macro lens, there is an embedded segment related to how to use AUTO FOCUS BKT and Helicon Focus beginning at the 05:05 minute mark and ending at ~07:47: “How To Focus Stack With Fujifilm Macro Lens.” Well done, Chris!
It’s worth noting I disagree with Chris’s recommendation of the Fujifilm XF30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro lens. Regular readers of my blog know I’m all about macro photography and don’t need much of an excuse to buy more gear. I considered this lens carefully when it was announced and rejected it as a bad fit for my needs.
Chris has valid reasons for liking the lens and I have valid reasons for disliking it — we just disagree, that’s all. For example, Chris raves about how close you can get to the subject with this lens. Sounds good, but the reality is a small working distance makes it much more challenging to light the subject properly. And Chris readily concedes the lens isn’t perfect, optically speaking.
Bottom line: I strongly recommend the tutorial segment of Chris’s video while cautioning my readers to carefully consider whether this lens would be a good fit for your macro photography needs.
How to do screen captures on Apple iOS devices
Since my last blog post, I discovered it’s possible to record a movie of the screen display for Apple iOS devices that features both video and audio.
As you know, when you swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen, the “Control Center” menu appears. Tap and hold the “Screen Recording” button and the following sub-menu appears.
Apple iOS | Control Center | Screen Recording / Microphone On
Tap the “Microphone” button to toggle recording on/off. As you can see, my iPad mini 6 is currently set for “Microphone On.”
This feature could be useful for creating instructional videos that show and tell how to use apps such as “RadarScope” (shown in the background of the preceding screenshot), my favorite weather app.
Comedy of errors
Going back to mid-March 2023, my blog post entitled Comedy of errors included the following composite image. Did you notice the dark blob on the coin? I did! It’s located in Theodore Roosevelt’s imaginary line of sight, above the horse’s neck. Once you see the blob, you can’t un-see it.
Composite image created from 192 of 328 photos.
The discoloration was a mystery to me, since I washed the coin with soap and water (twice) in preparation for the photo shoot. I’m happy to report the mystery was solved, by accident, when I was watching another YouTube video recently.
Turns out the dark blob is a chemical reaction that can occur on some coins as they age. In this case, the quarter is made of silver (in part) and the simplest explanation of the dark blob is it’s a place where the coin is tarnished. It’s not exactly the same thing as tarnish, but you understand.
Some coin collectors refer to the discoloration as a “burn.” In most cases, a burn doesn’t reduce the value of a coin, but in some rare cases it can add to the value substantially.
Related Resources
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Still photos
Most people know how to take a screen shot of the display on an Apple iOS device by pressing a combination of buttons on the device. For example, simultaneously press the Power button and either one of the audio volume buttons (up or down) to take a screen shot using my Apple iPad mini 6.
Video
Did you know you can also record a movie of the screen display? If you swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen, then the “Control Center” menu appears. Press the “Screen Recording” button, highlighted by the red square (shown below), to start recording the screen after a three-second countdown timer. Whatever you do with the device will be recorded in a movie that is saved to the “Photos” app by default.
When you’re ready to stop recording, press the small red button in the upper-right corner of the screen (highlighted by a red rectangle, as shown below). A pop-up window appears on screen; click the “Stop” button (also highlighted by a red rectangle). Your movie is saved to “Photos” automatically.
Related Resources
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Regular readers of my photoblog might remember when I experimented with using my GoPro HERO4 Black to record time-lapse videos. The process I used is simple and straightforward and works fairly well.
Did you know the Apple “Camera” app can record time-lapse videos on iOS devices? I didn’t. (More about that in “Tech Tips,” below.) As it turns out, the process is simpler than using my GoPro.
How to shoot time-lapse videos on Apple iOS devices
How to shoot TIMELAPSES on iPhone (7:15), by Matthew Vandeputte, time-lapse guru, is a helpful how-to video that provides step-by-step instructions for shooting time-lapse videos using the “Camera” app on an iPhone. The same process works for Apple tablets too.
Testing 1, 2, 3 …
I devised a simple test for Matthew’s directions using my Apple iPad mini 6 and my older iPad mini 2. I used the “Camera” app on my iPad mini 6 to record a time-lapse video of the real-time display of the “Alarm Clock” app on my iPad mini 2. Clever, huh?
The following time-lapse video shows approximately five (5) minutes of elapsed time compressed into 23 seconds of video (0:23).
YouTube video (0:23).
As you can see, the process works and works surprisingly well. Exactly how it works is almost magical. Matthew Vandeputte’s video provides an overview of research done by Dan Provost. For more details, be sure to refer to Dan’s article.
User interface
The following image shows the default screen for the Apple iOS “Camera” app. The camera lens is covered in order to help the viewer focus on the user interface for the app.
Three options for setting the camera appear along the lower-right sidebar (from top to bottom): Video; Photo; and Square. Is there any indication there are more options for setting the camera? In a word, no. I suggest this might be a good place for a scroll bar.
Apple iOS “Camera” app (default screen).
If you scroll down, then you should see “Pano” …
Apple iOS “Camera” app (scroll down).
… and if you scroll up you should see “Slo-Mo” and “Time-Lapse.”
Apple iOS “Camera” app (scroll up).
Who knew all of these options are available? Not me. I realize Apple has fallen in love with “clean” user interfaces but when form impairs function it’s time for a reality check. I’m just saying, in case Apple is actually listening.
“Camera” app video settings
By default, the Apple iOS “Camera” app is set for “High Efficiency.” High Efficiency Video Encoding (HEVC), also known as the H.265 video compression standard, might be the standard of the future but is currently incompatible with some social media platforms.
I prefer to set the “Camera” app so that it will record movies using the H.264 video compression standard, also known as .MP4, one of two video formats recommended by Facebook and YouTube.
Video settings: Apple iPad mini 6
Navigate to “Settings,” select “Camera,” then select “Formats.” Change the default setting from “High Efficiency” to “Most Compatible,” as shown below. Note: “High Efficiency” is the default setting.
Set “Record Video” for “1080p at 30 fps.”
Video settings: Apple iPad mini 2
The following screen capture shows the camera settings for my Apple iPad mini 2. As you can see, the default settings for “Record Video” just work.
Related Resources
Copyright © 2023 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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