Waterdrop with macro lens - effect not in focus..

[drynn]

I developed with a Mega as the Nextion is very particular about its use of serial comms - you cannot use the Nano or Uno as you need spare lines for debugging (and the Nextion is not intuitive, so there was a degree of debugging necessary).

I did use a Nano in the finished article as it makes life very easy: it can handle 12V on Vin, which is what the solenoid needs, and it can provide 5V to the Nextion. The signal to the camera is via an optocoupler so the camera is electrically isolated. The signal to the solenoid is via a TIP120 (iirc).

I have also added three LEDs to make it look more gadgety: mirror is up, solenoid open, shutter activated (as if you couldn't tell the shutter was activated either by its noise, or by the flash activation ;-) )

I ran it off a breadboard originally as I didn't expect it to last but eventually soldered it on vero and put it in a small housing. The flashing lights certainly impress nerds and boy scouts!

On a separate note; the Nextion is a great device but I only use it to pass the parameters to the Nano. It could do a lot more processing itself but I only needed a GUI and documentation for the Nextion is not too good as it is a stand alone device, not an Arduino add on.

I have used the Nano on a bunch of projects as I was getting them from China for less than £2.00 including postage, and I still have several left over.

 

[drynn]

I am pretty sure this is what I ended up with as it is the only record I can find. It looks right but double-check components for your own installation.





The optocoupler is just closing the circuit via the camera's remote release input - ignore the reference to focus as I use manual focus on waterdrops.

The Nextion attaches to Nano 5V, Gnd, RX and TX.

The Nano is listening for the Nextion start signal and then pulls data from the Nextion. It then starts the sequence but also listens for Pause or Reset signals from the Nextion, and reacts accordingly.

I would not release my code as it contains all previous versions (REMd out) and would need a lot of editing to make it readable, but really it is very straight forward - could be written in Basic: read parameters, loop for the number of shots, raise mirror, drop drops with specified delays, fire shutter (camera activates flash), drop mirror, delay to wipe bubbles, listen for Pause or Reset, loop.

I don't think I could have made it more simple. Have fun.

 

[Piranha215]

I see from you use of the £ symbol that you are in UK. I am in the USA but originally from UK, Scotland in fact. That is another interesting connection. £2.00 is dirt cheap for a nano, you have a real deal going there.

My original unit is in a Radio Spares project box and incorporates the Arduino UNO. Luckily, I found a case that fits my requirements for functionality. I still use the original for testing my changes to coding, since I can connect to my Mac through the USB part. The finished product has no USB connection because I originally intended to market it and didn't want users hacking the code.

I live mostly in Italy now, but my workshop is in Colorado so I do not have access to my prototype. Recently I made a few significant changes to the software but had no quick means of carrying out testing. My use of JSDs (Jackson Structure Diagrams) paid off yet again and the changes were successful first time. In my career I always insisted on using this these, even though some would complain about the extra time involved in development. I never tired of pointing out that code developed without such strict discipline usually has to be debugged, often at great expense once the product has been released.

My plans to market the unit were put on hold when one of the sensors I use underwent a geometrical change and no longer fit in this case. I have recently sourced the original unit, however, and have made other significant improvements. Now that I am officially retired, I might resurrect the idea of launching it as a product.

I get similar results to yours, but perhaps a bit less than 95% success, once the parameters are tuned in. Being an engineer, I have striven to eliminate variables and have the solenoid at a fixed height above the water bowl. I can increase the water pressure to simulate height, but that is not yet an exact process.

Where are you located in UK?

 

[mawyatt2002]

Thanks guys. I'm a EE also (chip designer) so this stuff is fun. I understand about the code and wouldn't want you to divulge your IP. My intended application (if I end up doing it) is macro (chip imaging) related so I had thought about getting a micro board like Andurio.

Very helpful and nice work & images,

Best,

 

[mawyatt2002]

I see from you use of the £ symbol that you are in UK. I am in the USA but originally from UK, Scotland in fact. That is another interesting connection. £2.00 is dirt cheap for a nano, you have a real deal going there.

My original unit is in a Radio Spares project box and incorporates the Arduino UNO. Luckily, I found a case that fits my requirements for functionality. I still use the original for testing my changes to coding, since I can connect to my Mac through the USB part. The finished product has no USB connection because I originally intended to market it and didn't want users hacking the code.

I live mostly in Italy now, but my workshop is in Colorado so I do not have access to my prototype. Recently I made a few significant changes to the software but had no quick means of carrying out testing. My use of JSDs (Jackson Structure Diagrams) paid off yet again and the changes were successful first time. In my career I always insisted on using this these, even though some would complain about the extra time involved in development. I never tired of pointing out that code developed without such strict discipline usually has to be debugged, often at great expense once the product has been released.

My plans to market the unit were put on hold when one of the sensors I use underwent a geometrical change and no longer fit in this case. I have recently sourced the original unit, however, and have made other significant improvements. Now that I am officially retired, I might resurrect the idea of launching it as a product.

I get similar results to yours, but perhaps a bit less than 95% success, once the parameters are tuned in. Being an engineer, I have striven to eliminate variables and have the solenoid at a fixed height above the water bowl. I can increase the water pressure to simulate height, but that is not yet an exact process.

Where are you located in UK?

Nice looking product!!

Best,

--
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

 

[drynn]

That looks good, very professional. If you do get it into production I wish you much success.

I use flow charts and a Top Down approach to programming and although I never programmed professionally (apart from Excel macros), I had some formal education in programming as part of a Computing degree that I completed (just for fun) in the 1980s. Home computing was always a hobby, second only to photography.

I am from the SE of England but widely travelled in US (Alaska, Colorado (Breck), Hawaii, Florida (where I owned a home for 12 years), Nevada, Arizona and the New England states; Europe everywhere apart from Portugal; China; HK; Taiwan and Australia.

I am currently working on connecting a stepper motor to my Manfrotto macro slide, and controlling it via an Arduino and a Nextion for programmed focus stacking. I may post here when I have finished - but I am some way to completion due to the very nice weather we are having in the UK right now.

 

[Piranha215]

Are you familiar with the company StackRail? They have won awards for their systems that can process macro shots to simulate a useful depth of field. DoF is also a challenge with water drops, but, of course, one only gets a single image, so trade off with macro scale is necessary.

You certainly are well-travelled; was this work-related? Do you have photograph albums from all your adventures? I spent my early career in the British Merchant Navy so I traveled a lot also. Sadly I was not a photographer at the time, partly because it seemed such a complex subject.

We are currently laying over in New York, on our way back to Italy. I am eager to implement some focusing ideas that have occurred to in recent days.

I'm delighted that you are having nice weather in England. Long may it continue.

 

[mawyatt2002]

Have had a Stackshot focus system rail since as far back as ~2010. This is an excellent focus rail system and is supported by Zerene which is an excellent focus stacking software tool.

There are other more affordable focus stacking systems available now, the Wemacro system is quite popular amongst macrophotographers.

I specialize in chip images (I've designed, our team designed and others). Have done stacks that required almost 800 individual images, and a stack & stitch image which required 19 stacking sessions with a total of over 6000 images. The final rendering was 19,000 by 16,000 pixels, and working towards 30,000 by 20,000 pixel chip image. Most chip images I cant show publicly, but a few older less involved ones you can see here.

NIKON IMAGE SPACE

Anyway, many folks like to build their own focus rail systems which can be a challenge but fun to accomplish. I've had to construct a number of focus rail systems for my chip imaging needs, and evolved though a number of systems to my latest challenge to support the massive stack & stitch upcoming effort. This is based upon a combination of a Thor Labs optical horizontal & vertical base setup with surplus precision THK KR20 linear rails modified for focus stacking, amongst a hoard of other issues like controllers, lighting and whatnot.

Custom designed/built lens specifically tailored for ultra high resolution chip imaging are another never ending quest for image perfection, and constant drain on one's pocket book!

Here's great site dedicated to macro photography and mostly focus stacking.

www.photomacrography.net

Best,

 

[Piranha215]

Wow, those chip images are impressive. I see you do photography professionally, whereas I am a simple hobbyist. I was a late adapter of digital photography, and with good reason. Before moving to the US I worked in Aberdeen, in the oil exploration support industry. The small company I worked for specialised in underwater photogrammetry, for measuring the rate of crack propagation in oil rig installations. This was a lengthy process, as it involved loading a remotely-operated underwater vehicles with a pair of cameras and a flash, and guiding it to the target site. Once the (hopefully successful) shots were taken, the film had to be developed and specially processed, to give the stereo effect. We came up with a crazy idea to cut this time enormously, submitted the idea to the proper authority and were awarded a government grant to develop a ..... digital camera. I designed and built a working prototype, based on the 68332 Motorola microcontroller. It was primitive by today's standards, with only 1 Megapixel resolution, in black and white, and took ages to transfer the image to a PC. Nonetheless we were proud of our achievement but sadly there were no takers and we went bust. For years I avoided digital photography out of sheer resentment. I suspected that big companies such as Nikon had cheated by employing more than one electrical engineer, lol.

 

[mawyatt2002]

Not exactly a professional photographer, like you with the digital camera I developed the technique to support our/my work. All the camera stuff is mostly out of pocket expense, over the past 10~15 years. I've probably spent over $50K of my own $ to develop the techniques required to create these chips images, it's been an evolutionary process.

A couple years back the CTO of IBM semiconductor was blown away by these chip images, and you can find them in the executive conference room of IBM, now GF. You can also find them in at a famous west coast company, multiple universities, a few government agencies and even DAPRA has a few.

This concept has been helpful in letting others know the beauty in chips, but that's up to interpretation! Some folks distain technology, others accept it, others use it, others capitalize on it and others worship it, so whatever floats folks boat is fine with me.

Anyway, glad you liked the images. Someday maybe I'll be allowed to show the others.

BTW I did some real time programming with the 6502 way back when the Apple II came out. Designed and programmed a digital oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer that utilized the Apple II.This was a card that fit into chassis and on the Apple bus, probably was around 1981. After that project I decided I didn't want to program for a career, to tedious!!

Cheers,

 

[drynn]

You certainly are well-travelled; was this work-related? Do you have photograph albums from all your adventures?

I started hitchhiking around southern England at weekends and school holidays in my mid teens, when I used to race with friends to see who could get to a certain place the quickest - losers bought the beer.

That got me interested in travel generally, and in my early twenties I did a European hitchhiking tour one summer, just myself, a girlfriend and a tent. I also did a similar European tour by car the following year. I should really turn it into a movie because here I am nearly 50 years, and two children later, with the same girl (woman) still doing pin-in-the-map travels except we now fly, use taxis and stay in hotels ;-)

And yes, I took and take photographs all the time. I have over 30 albums with prints, and around 10,000 digital pictures, a lot of which I turned into books using Lightroom and Blurb. I have just finished digitising that first European tour and am currently putting it into Blurb format.

My work did take me to the Far East as I was involved in the European distribution of consumer electronics for various major FE companies. I was also head of operations in Europe, so I was constantly flitting backwards and forwards between all of the European countries and the UK - my record was 30 business flights in one month! On more than one occasion I flew London to Barcelona for a morning meeting, and then on to Prague (or Frankfurt, or Paris, or Warsaw) for an evening meeting - believe it or not, I used think that was fun!

Anyway, that is all in a past life as I finally retired, hence the hobby electronics now enhancing my photographic hobby.

Good Luck.

 

[Rodger in Edmonton]

Hi again, I cleared the dust off my poor man's drop kit , but I am quite rusty in drop photography so I went a bit artsy to cover up the excess noise ( too much ambient light too ) , and diminished sharpness 1/64 - 1/32 manual seemed to work best,I will improve my lighting set up.

Will order Miops for sure, had forgot just how addictive these little fellows are.




















10 % coffee cream











--
Rodger in Edmonton
Quaecumque vera

 

[drynn]

10 % coffee cream

--

I do like this coffee cream crown. I might give this a try when I dust off the gadgetry later in the year - once summer is over.

 

[Piranha215]

I would recommend it. Water drop photography can be so engrossing.

 

[Venu Bharadwaj]

Good evening all

apologies for not replying earlier. i was in hibernation and "lost" in my own world to figure out how to take liquid drop photography..



Today finally managed to take a "better" picture - this is still work in progress and will keep trying to get a better one and share the technique i used soon.

 

[Venu Bharadwaj]

thank you for your suggestion, will use this my next attempt.

 

[mawyatt2002]

Wow, the droplet images all you folks are showing are beautiful indeed!!! Please keep them coming

Best,

 

[pauljames34]

An option is to film in complete darkness and then have the camera on bulb, say 10 seconds, drop the drop and manually trigger the flash with the flash at low power.

It's hit and miss, but it's fun.

 

[Piranha215]

I am happy to keep them coming and I am delighted with the continual improvements I have made in my technique.

 

[Piranha215]

There is no "hit or miss" with my system. This is an example of using flash, with the camera in bulb mode. Although I am operating in darkness, my controller gives step by step instructions, operates the flash and closes the shutter after the shot is taken. There is no need to use water just to maintain the shape of the balloon, and so a lot of mess is avoided.





This one does not require flash and so avoids the "washed out" look, seen so often with water drop photography.