We're adding a new show to the DPReview TV lineup, and you may have seen the work of our new host before. Don Komarechka is a landscape and nature photographer, and he's a master of using macro photography and simple science experiments to turn otherwise unseen worlds into stunning images.
In this series he'll share some of these projects so you can recreate them at home if you're feeling ambitious – or you can just sit back and enjoy watching a mad scientist at work. In this first episode he demonstrates the ins and outs of photographing frozen soap bubbles. Check it out – and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
Actually, I re-use the heck out of those bottles. They're mostly around the house to water plants with. We also cut some in half and fill with soil to start are plant seedlings each year, re-usable year after year. Other people have far more inventive ideas for them, though I wouldn't go as far as making a boat out of them: https://www.foshbottle.com/blog/60-ways-to-reuse-plastic-bottles
Excellent result produced by a great imagination and a good skill set.
I'm down in Canberra, Australia, extremely hot! ... I might cut a glass panel to fit the freezer opening and make a clear plastic mini studio with 5000k LED ?? As we are in Corona-19 lockdown now, ... I guess we have a bit of time up our sleeve? 47C this summer, ... Mmm back to minus 7-10C soon?
Perhaps a fish tank with dry ice?
I guess the ambient temperature of a "Freezer" presents a lot of opportunities?
Thank you for sharing your very interesting subject mater. .....Big Thumbs Up.
Looks like great fun. shame i cant try it i live in Queensland . could this be done in a freezer ? just by opening the door and placing a bubble on top of a frozen chook :-)
I'm down in Canberra, ... I might cut a glass panel to fit the freezer opening and make a clear plastic mini studio with 5000k LED ?? As we are in V-19 lockdown now, ... I guess we have a bit of time up our sleeve? 47C this summer, ... Mmm back to minus 7-10C soon?
that sounds like a great idea I have some clear acrylic then you can watch it do its magic. we are going into lock down borders closed on Wednesday night.
I suspect that what will happen is that as the clear panel cools down moisture will condense on it and obscure the view. I don't know if the freezer would continue to function well enough as a freezer with a single panel - it might for long enough to freeze a soap bubble, but a pair of spaced panes (as is done for insulating windows) might be better.
Thanks for the input Bart, .. Yes condensation certainly will be an issue, however, I plan to have all aspects ready for a rapid setup. My clip on clear panel will be de-fogged by a hair dryer . If I can't clear it this way, ..... i'll simply assemble a double glaze panel?
The freezer already has clear plastic drawers that when defrosted and then polished with microfiber cloths, stay clear for days? So my thinking being: .. Defrost and completely clean the interior, silicone polish, ... bring down to temperature with viewing panel in place and door closed setup and ready to just add bubble? When ready, ..move the panel just enough hatch the bubble onto the pre made ice surface??? Well Donald, ... we are in lock-down now in the ACT, .... Plenty of time to play. PS: avoid the COVID critters that are wearing fur coats in the freezer! :) And stay safe mate. ... Baz
I've always enjoyed him and it's great to see more of him. What a fun video! Albeit rather late for almost all of the northern hemisphere, but still, I'll book mark this as a project for next winter.
This was a deWijs 3D lens manufactured in the 1990's, though they had newer models produced as late as 2007. Sadly, they are all out of production now and rarely show up on second-hand markets. I've picked up four of them on eBay over the past few years with different magnifications.
The Lumix 12.5mm 3D lens indeed is limited. Fixed aperture, fixed focus, and the pupil distance didn't provide a dramatic effect. The lens could be modified, however, to shoot macro work. If you removed the screws that hold the lens mount to the lens body and insert some thin washers around the screws, you can effectively add an "extension tube" of sorts that shifts the lens into a macro range.
This isn't perfect - you lose a lot of overlap so when aligning the images to a proper stereo window you will throw away a lot of pixels, but it works. It's just not ideal.
My post referenced a "play-on-words"/joke on the word 3D. "play-on-words" is an English language technique where a word or phrase can have a double o triple meaning. In this case, the second meaning is physical 3 dimensional as opposed to 2 dimensional I assume your post referred to the 3D affect that some photographers claim to be able to see with certain lenses. Don't believe the marketing language or double-speak that some camera companies use to sell products. The 3D affect evidence is always subjective and has never been proven in a double-blind test. The other 3D affect is more accurately called stereoscopic. This is 2 or more lenses in a single camera which give a virtual 3D affect. I don't know if this is what your initial post was about. I was not being pedantic or ignorant and I am not autistic. I believe in the scientific method. Sorry if I confused you.
@MyReality - The "scientific method" involves investigation and observation. In this context that would involve watching the video. If you had watched the video then you'd have known that the "3D Lens" was in fact a stereoscopic lens.
I still thought your first comment in this thread was funny.
@Barty L - I did watch the video and he is using a Lumix camera with what looks like a zoom lens. He is focusing manually. He is using DOF to simulate a 3D affect. The word "stereoscopic" is not mentioned in the video. There is no such thing as a stereoscopic lens. There is a stereoscopic affect. It uses two or more lenses to make two images which are then combined to form a visual 3D affect. That is the technique used in virtual reality headsets or 3D movies. It is a simulation and not seeing in 3D like when you use your eyes. I am glad that you thought my play-on-words was funny.
@Karroly - It is not far because it is very thin, but still 3D. A picture on a piece of paper my be considered 2D unless we want to argue about the thickness of the ink or film emulsion, then we have three 3D, Paper is always 3D, because it's thickness can be measured. 2D has x, y axis. 3D has x,y,z axis.
Well, there's always the exception to the rule. Take a look at the Samsung NX 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens which created a stereoscopic effect using a single set of optics. I believe the rather complex design involved placing mirrors inside the optical path to function as a beamsplitter of sorts when the lens was switched into its 3D mode. The effect wasn't dramatic, but it was stereoscopic.
External beamsplitters like the Kula Deeper can be used to create a similar effect with normal focal range lenses, and similar products had some level of popularity in the 1950's and 60's. Normal lens, stereoscopic effect with mirrors.
That said, the term "lens" can be generalized to mean "any set of optics attached to the front of a camera" to encapsulate the twinned pair of optics in the same barrel that can be considered a 3D lens or a stereoscopic lens. I try not to get too caught up in these things though, so long as we all know what we're referring to. :)
MyReality, " It is not far because it is very thin, but still 3D" I never said the opposite... And I know the difference between 2D and 3D, thanks... ;-)
This is a great idea to explore and do at home, specially in this time of the COVD-19. Almost everyone in every corner of the planet is in quarantine. Bring or create an special section for photographers under the tag ‘projects i. Times of quarantine. Thank you so much, keep healthy.
Yup; this is a nice little creative exercise very suitable to our socially-distanced time. Not cold enough to do this where I am now, but still a cool idea. ;-)
@DPR staff... Thank you for the new photography/science project addition to DPR TV. It was informative and entertaining! In this day & age, you can't go wrong with this type of subject material. Again, thanks!
Amazing and beautiful. I love madness (and we *need* madness) when the purpose is to create beauty and make us feel like little kids staring at stange phenomenons with their eyes wide open.
Great video! It hasn't been cold enough in Philadelphia to try this, but I'll be ready for next year. I suspect a lot of DPRTV viewers will be exploring macro photography in the coming months...keep these videos coming!
Hey, great timing to start a new DPR feature like this! Don, I thoroughly enjoyed the video. I think this series will be just the ticket to help jumpstart my creativity, and I'll be looking forward to more shows : )
We're heading into Autumn where I live but it's still quite warm. I wonder if this will work with and ice/salt mix (which is anywhere between -5 to -20 degC).
Too warm here for that project but I've got to say I really do appreciate the video and the recent influx of software reviews on Dpreview... don't know how much it is a byproduct of the self quarantines but I like what I see.
I'd say this comes a bit late in the year to find the right freezing conditions, but tbh we haven't had those at all this winter in W-Europe... Add to that the house arrest many of us are living through, and it's clear there is only one solution: turn the freezer into a macro-photography studio :-)
Cool effect and, well, just really cool -freezing. I just now need to nip over to Canada to get those conditions. Oh, Dammit those Canadians closed all the doors! Oh well, I look forward to the series.
The Nikon Z30 is the company's latest 'creator' focused mirrorless camera, a 21MP APS-C model made to be more vlogging friendly than ever. Find out what it offers and what we think so far.
Nikon has announced the Z30, an entry-level Z-mount camera aimed at vloggers and other content creators. What are our initial impressions? Better watch to find out.
Sony has just released a trio of impressively small, light, ultrawide lenses for APS-C. These lenses are designed for vloggers, so Chris decided to film himself and find out how they perform.
What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.
What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
Most modern cameras will shoot video to one degree or another, but these are the ones we’d look at if you plan to shoot some video alongside your photos. We’ve chosen cameras that can take great photos and make it easy to get great looking video, rather than being the ones you’d choose as a committed videographer.
Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we've chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.
Photographer Stewart Marsden, the official photographer for the London New Year fireworks display and a National Geographic contributor, has written a lengthy tutorial that shows how to capture the best fireworks photographs possible.
Ahead of a full announcement next week, details have emerged about Xiaomi's upcoming flagship smartphone, the 12S Ultra. The phone, co-developed with Leica, will include the Sony IMX989 sensor, a new 1"-type sensor that Xiaomi reportedly developed alongside Sony.
Kosmo Foto founder, Stephen Dowling, has written a comprehensive tribute to the Olympus OM-1, a camera that set a new path for SLRs with its compact form factor and extensive lineup of lenses.
The Nettle Magic Project uses a hidden Raspberry Pi device with an IR camera to scan and decode a deck of cards marked with invisible UV reactive ink. The scan produces a full breakdown of the deck and delivers it to the performer in nearly real-time.
We go hands-on with Nikon's new compact super-telephoto lens, the Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S, to see what all Nikon has managed to pack into this lens, even without the help of PF elements.
Profoto's new A2 monolight is extremely compact and lightweight. It's about the size of a soda can and weighs around 770g with its battery and optional stand adapter attached. The 100Ws light is designed to be portable and easy to use.
DigiKam is a free, open-source raw photo management and editor for macOS, Windows and Linux. The team has recently released the latest version, bringing the app to version 7.7.0. The update adds many bug fixes, new features and file support.
The Nikon Z30 is the company's latest 'creator' focused mirrorless camera, a 21MP APS-C model made to be more vlogging friendly than ever. Find out what it offers and what we think so far.
Nikon has announced the Z30, an entry-level Z-mount camera aimed at vloggers and other content creators. What are our initial impressions? Better watch to find out.
Nikon has announced the Z30, a 21MP APS-C mirrorless camera aimed at vloggers and content creators. It has a lot in common with the existing Z50 and Z fc with a few tweaks and a lower price tag.
The Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S is incredibly compact, measuring just 104mm (4.1”) in diameter by 235mm (9.3") long and weighing 1245g (2lb 12oz) with the tripod collar. It's set for a July 2022 launch.
NASA and the University of Minnesota are working on a citizen scientist initiative alongside the Juno Mission and need your help. Volunteers are tasked with identifying atmospheric vortices on Jupiter, as captured by the Juno spacecraft.
The PROII CPL-VND 2-in-1 Filter offers a variable neutral density filter with between 3-7 stops of compensation as well as a circular polarizer filter. Independent control means you can dial in the exact type of compensation you want in a single filter.
Joining its diverse lineup of ONE R and RS action cameras, Insta360 has announced the 1-inch 360 Edition camera, co-engineered with Leica. The camera sports dual 1"-type image sensors and records 21MP still photos and 6K/30p video with a full 360-degree field of view.
Capture One Mobile bring Raw photo editing to iPadOS devices. While it's a familiar look and feel, it's clear Capture One has focused on providing a touch-first interface, designed for quick and easy culling and editing on-the-go.
Godox has announced the R200 ring flash for its AD200 and AD200Pro pocket flashes. The new add-on is a lightweight ring flash that works with numerous new light modifiers, promising portable and controllable ring light.
Even sophisticated microphones can't eliminate ambient noise and the effect of acoustics. But researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a camera system that can see sound vibrations and reconstruct the music of a single instrument in an orchestra.
Do you want to shape and create content for the largest audience of photography and video enthusiasts in the world? DPReview is hiring a Reviews Editor to join our Seattle-based team.
In our continuing series about each camera manufacturer's strengths and weakness, we turn our judgemental gaze to Leica. Cherished and derided in equal measure, what does Leica get right, and where can it improve?
A dental office, based in Germany, had a team of pilots create a mesmerizing FPV drone video to give prospective clients a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of their office.
Samsung has announced the ISOCELL HP3, a 200MP sensor with smaller pixels than Samsung's original HP1 sensor, resulting in an approximately 20 percent reduction in the size of the smartphone camera module.
Street photography enthusiast Rajat Srivastava was looking for a 75mm prime lens for his Leica M3. He found a rare SOM Berthiot cinema lens that had been converted from C mount to M mount, and after a day out shooting, Srivastava was hooked.
The lens comes in at an incredibly reasonable price point, complete with a stepping motor autofocus system and an onboard Micro USB port for updating firmware.
The new version of the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K brings it much closer to the 6K Pro model, with the same battery, EVF but a new rear screen. New firmware for the whole PPC series brings enhanced image stabilization for Resolve users
The OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II is an updated version of one of our favorite Olympus zoom lenses. Check out this ensemble gallery from our team, stretching from Washington's North Cascades National Park to rural England, to see how it performs.
The first preset, called 'Katen' or 'Summer Sky,' is designed to accentuate the summer weather for Pentax K-1, K-1 Mark II and K-3 Mark III DSLR cameras with the HD Pentax-D FA 21mm F2.4 ED Limited DC WR and HD Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited lenses attached.
Comments