Splash photography kit

Hello - I want to try my hands at splash photography. Two options for the kit are MIOPS and Pluto. Anyone recommendations on which one to use. I saw some reviews complaining about MIOPS accuracy and repeatability. But Pluto is a really bare bone one and requires an additional trigger

Indiglo50 wrote:

Hello - I want to try my hands at splash photography. Two options for the kit are MIOPS and Pluto. Anyone recommendations on which one to use. I saw some reviews complaining about MIOPS accuracy and repeatability. But Pluto is a really bare bone one and requires an additional trigger

Well, have you considered just using a Canon PowerShot with CHDK and a little Lua script? It's fast enough to trigger on lightening flashes, so should trivially handle triggering for a splash.

ProfHankD wrote:

Indiglo50 wrote:

Hello - I want to try my hands at splash photography. Two options for the kit are MIOPS and Pluto. Anyone recommendations on which one to use. I saw some reviews complaining about MIOPS accuracy and repeatability. But Pluto is a really bare bone one and requires an additional trigger

Well, have you considered just using a Canon PowerShot with CHDK and a little Lua script? It's fast enough to trigger on lightening flashes, so should trivially handle triggering for a splash.

I don't have cannon Powershot - I believe buying a kit will be a cheaper option then investing in a new camera

Indiglo50 wrote:

ProfHankD wrote:

Indiglo50 wrote:

Hello - I want to try my hands at splash photography. Two options for the kit are MIOPS and Pluto. Anyone recommendations on which one to use. I saw some reviews complaining about MIOPS accuracy and repeatability. But Pluto is a really bare bone one and requires an additional trigger

Well, have you considered just using a Canon PowerShot with CHDK and a little Lua script? It's fast enough to trigger on lightening flashes, so should trivially handle triggering for a splash.

I don't have cannon Powershot - I believe buying a kit will be a cheaper option then investing in a new camera

No, they're dirt cheap. For example, the ELPH 180 is $89 at Frys, and I know it's a decent CHDK camera because I've been using a bunch of 'em. It's $109 at B&H. It's not going to blow away your large-sensor camera in image quality, but scripting is a wonderful thing.

Before you get some random powershot model, you just need to make sure it's supported by CHDK: https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK

drynn wrote:

I don't know these items (I made my own trigger) but in case you are not aware, it is the speed of the flash that captures the splash, not the camera shutter speed.

If you already know that then sorry for interrupting

Good point... with some caveats.

Some (not all) Canon PowerShots under CHDK can do mechanical shuttering to 1/30000s -- much faster than flash period for most flash units, but you'll need bright lighting for that. You also can sync the shutter firing to within about 1/1000s using CHDK to get everything ready and then wait for sensing of the USB port; the 1/1000s imprecision comes from the OS scheduling interval (jiffy) being 1/1000s. The CHDK motion detection function is slower because it is based on the live view stream, generally triggering within about 1/20s -- 1/20s after the droplet is seen is probably soon enough, and you can program additional delays in 1/1000s steps. I've used these CHDK features many times, but never for splash photography -- perhaps I'll try it and post some shots here (I'm rather busy right now)....

Most conventional cameras are pretty lethargic in responding to an external signal to fire the shutter, but you'd have to be working in a dark space to get away with just using a very slow shutter speed (seconds) and pulsing the flash. A typical flash pulse has most light emitted during between 1/3000s and 1/500s. In such a case, you usually trigger by audio -- a mic hearing the splash -- which has a little delay too. A laser diode & detector having the beam broken by the droplet is faster and more precise.

The unit discussed earlier in this thread doesn't actually sync the shutter nor flash -- it looks like it releases the droplet and knowing when that happens, can trigger camera/flash with a programmable delay.

ProfHankD wrote:

drynn wrote:

I don't know these items (I made my own trigger) but in case you are not aware, it is the speed of the flash that captures the splash, not the camera shutter speed.

If you already know that then sorry for interrupting

Good point... with some caveats.

Some (not all) Canon PowerShots under CHDK can do mechanical shuttering to 1/30000s -- much faster than flash period for most flash units, but you'll need bright lighting for that. You also can sync the shutter firing to within about 1/1000s using CHDK to get everything ready and then wait for sensing of the USB port; the 1/1000s imprecision comes from the OS scheduling interval (jiffy) being 1/1000s. The CHDK motion detection function is slower because it is based on the live view stream, generally triggering within about 1/20s -- 1/20s after the droplet is seen is probably soon enough, and you can program additional delays in 1/1000s steps. I've used these CHDK features many times, but never for splash photography -- perhaps I'll try it and post some shots here (I'm rather busy right now)....

Most conventional cameras are pretty lethargic in responding to an external signal to fire the shutter, but you'd have to be working in a dark space to get away with just using a very slow shutter speed (seconds) and pulsing the flash. A typical flash pulse has most light emitted during between 1/3000s and 1/500s. In such a case, you usually trigger by audio -- a mic hearing the splash -- which has a little delay too. A laser diode & detector having the beam broken by the droplet is faster and more precise.

The unit discussed earlier in this thread doesn't actually sync the shutter nor flash -- it looks like it releases the droplet and knowing when that happens, can trigger camera/flash with a programmable delay.

Looks like I got to read up about this Cannon route. But I am still not convinced about the cost - Miops is only 20 bucks more. Why buy a new camera with inferior image quality. Are their other advantages that I am missing

Indiglo50 wrote:

ProfHankD wrote:

drynn wrote:

I don't know these items (I made my own trigger) but in case you are not aware, it is the speed of the flash that captures the splash, not the camera shutter speed.

If you already know that then sorry for interrupting

Good point... with some caveats.

Some (not all) Canon PowerShots under CHDK can do mechanical shuttering to 1/30000s -- much faster than flash period for most flash units, but you'll need bright lighting for that. You also can sync the shutter firing to within about 1/1000s using CHDK to get everything ready and then wait for sensing of the USB port; the 1/1000s imprecision comes from the OS scheduling interval (jiffy) being 1/1000s. The CHDK motion detection function is slower because it is based on the live view stream, generally triggering within about 1/20s -- 1/20s after the droplet is seen is probably soon enough, and you can program additional delays in 1/1000s steps. I've used these CHDK features many times, but never for splash photography -- perhaps I'll try it and post some shots here (I'm rather busy right now)....

Most conventional cameras are pretty lethargic in responding to an external signal to fire the shutter, but you'd have to be working in a dark space to get away with just using a very slow shutter speed (seconds) and pulsing the flash. A typical flash pulse has most light emitted during between 1/3000s and 1/500s. In such a case, you usually trigger by audio -- a mic hearing the splash -- which has a little delay too. A laser diode & detector having the beam broken by the droplet is faster and more precise.

The unit discussed earlier in this thread doesn't actually sync the shutter nor flash -- it looks like it releases the droplet and knowing when that happens, can trigger camera/flash with a programmable delay.

Looks like I got to read up about this Cannon route. But I am still not convinced about the cost - Miops is only 20 bucks more. Why buy a new camera with inferior image quality. Are their other advantages that I am missing

Hackability. You can rather massively reprogram a camera using CHDK.

For example, it takes fewer than a dozen lines of Lua code to turn a CHDK PowerShot into a non-contact digital tape measure. Or a programmable metronome for playing music. Or a digital ambient temperature thermometer.  I know that's not what you usually buy a camera for... but it's still cool. 

On the other hand, the Miops device seems very purpose-built, and it probably will be the best documented, easiest, way to do the one thing it is designed to do.

MIOPS is a great piece of kit.  Just need to be sure to thoroughly dry it out after you're done.  I've used mine several times, and it does a nice job.

Pay special attention to the spacing between the water and the unit, trying to stay within 11-12 inches.  The app works well and is fairly straightforward.  One of the previous posters noted that the flash is what freezes the action, which is correct.  It takes some practice, but it is fun.  There are some good videos on YouTube that show you how to use the unit.  Examples below are from my Facebook, so it's nowhere close to original quality.  Just trying to give a couple of general examples.

Enjoy!

DJMusic wrote:

MIOPS is a great piece of kit. Just need to be sure to thoroughly dry it out after you're done. I've used mine several times, and it does a nice job.

Pay special attention to the spacing between the water and the unit, trying to stay within 11-12 inches. The app works well and is fairly straightforward. One of the previous posters noted that the flash is what freezes the action, which is correct. It takes some practice, but it is fun. There are some good videos on YouTube that show you how to use the unit. Examples below are from my Facebook, so it's nowhere close to original quality. Just trying to give a couple of general examples.

Enjoy!

Nice shots. I have my unit and did the first run over the weekend. My hit rate is pretty poor - but I guess that will improve with practice.

I ran into some issues with Xanthan gum mixture - I think I made the mixture too thick. Any drop below 40 ms wouldn't come out and any over 100 will be a stream rather than a drop. Any thoughts here?

I have not used a thickened mixture. I tried to make some xantham gum mixture, but I wouldn't put that in anything mechanical. Great for pudding and sauces, not so much for MIOPS Splash.   Anything you do to the liquid can change the outcome of your work

If you want to thicken the liquid, I'd do so in moderation. Glycerin might be a better choice, but even that sparingly. The real trick is the drop timing, both initial shot and the secondary shot. Look up PhotoRec TV ON YouTube (How-to: Create EPIC Water Drop Photos). He has some great recommendations, as well as specific starting points.  There are certainly others out there who do this type of work, and the videos can be very helpful.

It's fun to put different backgrounds behind the drops.  The very colorful one is actually almost flat silver when you look at it.  It's a piece of scrapbook paper that has a bunch of different irradescent specks on it.  The light brings them to life.

If you ever get to the point where the solenoid won't fire, just contact support and they will give you the cleaning protocol. It's simple, and they respond quickly.

I also have the trigger unit. It works well, but I just need more practice with this one. Does a fantastic job on fireworks!

Best wishes in your experiments.

Try "The Aurora Chasers" on YouTube as well.  Just watched a good video there.  He mentions xantham gum, again in moderation.  Cheers!