40
votes
Accepted
Why can't my custom camera body focus to far distances?
If I have built my device with the correct distance between the flange and the optical plane, does this mean the (inexpensive) lens I am using is bad?
If you had built your device using the proper ...
- 175k
12
votes
How can I make a reflector at home?
The most available large sheet material is corrugated cardboard.
If you have a single layer sheet, you should first glue at least another single layer sheet on top of it to make it more stable. ...
- 8,504
11
votes
Accepted
Where can I find a filter similar to taking a photograph through green Ray-ban sunglasses?
The Ray-Ban B-15 created for the US Air Force. These are brownish and block 100% of all UV rays and only 15% of the remaining visual rays.
The most popular for general use is the Ray-Ban G-15, a ...
- 38.7k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I stiffen a droopy Gorilla Pod?
The following method worked for me to stiffen up a generic fakey-pod (i.e., meaningless name / brand gorillapod clone). This may or may not work for your version.
I only had problems with a few ...
- 19.6k
11
votes
Canon 18-55mm lens giving err01 after it fell down
whether lens could be repaired without loosing big amount of money?
Whatever the damage, repairing the 18-55 almost certainly isn't worth it. People upgrading sell them for not very much, just get a ...
- 21.8k
10
votes
Why can't my custom camera body focus to far distances?
If not, do I move the lens away or closer to the optical plane to fix the problem?
If the lens will focus on near subjects, but not on a subject at "infinity," then that means that the lens is too ...
- 636
10
votes
Canon 18-55mm lens giving err01 after it fell down
The black obstruction looks like a detached aperture blade. This is a seriously damaged lens. Repairing it would at least require it to be dismantled and the aperture blades replaced. Possibly there ...
- 4,089
9
votes
Will a small format lens focus correctly in a large format camera?
Focus is not the issue here. The issue is coverage.
Any lens gathers light from a cone in front of it (angle depending on the focal length), and projects it to a cone behind it (angle depending on ...
- 161
8
votes
How do welder's glass shades translate to stops when used as an ND filter?
As a welder and new to photography I recently researched the possibility of filming the welding process, my research found many sources including this site and the post to which this attached... and ...
8
votes
How can I make a reflector at home?
Automotive windshield reflectors can function well as photographic reflectors. The best ones are the shiny silver accordion-fold ones (they often have a "bubble wrap" -like core).
- 32.3k
8
votes
What should I use to re-stick the thumb rest on a Canon 550D?
Both the official Canon replacement part and many of the third party replacement parts offered on eBay show 3M tape already attached to the back of the replacement grip.
I'd follow their lead as ...
- 175k
8
votes
Accepted
How to produce smoke for studio photography
Most commercial photographers who use smoke a lot buy a commercially made "fog machine" that converts a fluid into dense vapor. The fluid is primarily made of water and glycerin. The machine simply ...
- 175k
7
votes
How to calculate the optimal pinhole size?
The earliest investigation of the right constant c that I am aware of is Petzval's 1859 On the camera obscura. The paper is predominantly about a new lens design he has created but he begins with an ...
7
votes
How can I make a reflector at home?
A large piece of foam core board (or mat board) is good for portraits. Clamped on a stand opposite of a soft box (key light) just outside of framing. It could be black on one side for absorbing light ...
- 3,606
7
votes
Accepted
Can I DIY a regular backpack to protect my camera gear?
I hike with cameras a lot, most DSLRs are much more robust than most people think, and providing you protect the lens surfaces you normally don't need much to keep it safe.
Padding
Put the camera ...
- 2,337
7
votes
How can I know if two lenses have interchangeable elements?
Sadly, you can't, without taking them apart to find out.
Unfortunately, it's not reliable to assume anything about the construction of photographic equipment.
Even if two instances of what is ...
- 977
7
votes
Is is possible to externally power my DSLR with the original battery that is connected to the DSLR by means of wires?
As far as I can tell, at least in my two Canon DSLRs you cannot wrap a wire around the battery contacts in the battery compartment. So you could have to implement some sort of connector, for instance ...
- 20.6k
7
votes
Is is possible to externally power my DSLR with the original battery that is connected to the DSLR by means of wires?
In addition to what has been said, you cannot be certain that a given camera design can deal with the extra (ohmic or inductive) impedance long wires introduce. The power supply circuit could get ...
- 7,182
6
votes
How can I know if two lenses have interchangeable elements?
Almost every piece of every modern lens from the major manufacturers has a part number. If you can access the service manuals for the two lenses in question you can compare the part numbers. If the ...
- 175k
5
votes
Is it possible to develop cyanotypes with an LCD projector, given the need for UV?
I know this is an old question but I've been experimenting with this.
Projectors WILL expose cyanotype paper - I've been using 'nature print' paper. With an additional lens to get the focusing ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
How can I make a telescope attachment for my DSLR to capture space images?
You should know that the big astronomical observatories sport giant telescopes that are actually telephoto lenses for specialized cameras. That being said, you can mount most any camera to binocular ...
- 38.7k
5
votes
How can I make a reflector at home?
For a large reflector go to a stationery shop and buy a large sheet of white paper for card. It's not as portable or durable as a proper reflector, but does the job.
- 2,337
5
votes
How can I fix a Canon lens with sand in the aperture diaphragm?
It's a lot harder than you probably think it is
Disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling a modern lens is a daunting task for anyone who does not have the proper training, experience, and tools. ...
- 175k
5
votes
How to produce smoke for studio photography
Another method of producing "smoke" is to dump some chips of dry ice (frozen CO2) in water (hot water will produce more "smoke" more quickly, but dry ice is cold enough that the water usually won't ...
- 19.3k
5
votes
What are the odds of breaking a camera by opening it?
Digital cameras are not made to be end-user reparable. It is likely that there are tiny ribbon cables and other small connectors, pieces fit into place just so, and even things glued together in a way ...
- 143k
5
votes
Why can't my custom camera body focus to far distances?
Potentially. It could also be that your measurements are slightly off.
To find the perfect distance, you can focus on infinity, and then slowly move the lens nearer, until the picture is sharp. That ...
- 2,021
5
votes
Accepted
What DIY methods exist to trigger a Lumix G3 without touching the camera?
The self-timer should work. If the camera is still shaking after 2 seconds, even with a big telephoto, you need a stronger tripod. Another choice is to use a separate card as a shutter. Set the ...
- 1,904
5
votes
What shutter can fit a lens element with large glass?
I am assuming that if I use a shutter of a smaller diameter than the lens, the properties of the lens will change (for example, it will become less fast), because of the smaller aperture ring behind ...
- 14.7k
4
votes
How to do DIY repair of rubber grips on Nikon cameras?
The rubber on the back of my Nikon D810 recently came off and whilst waiting to get the replacement part I tried some repositionable glue. It's that stuff that holds paper to other objects that can be ...
- 41
4
votes
Can I build my own focal reducer by reversing a teleconverter?
Can I build my own focal reducer by reversing a teleconverter?
... mounting its optics backwards into a mount adapter ...
Focal reducers and teleconverters are specialized lenses, and flipping lenses ...
- 26.9k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible