Microcrystalline Wax Techniques?

Leo Mandy · June 4th, 2005, 08:58 PM

I saw the achromats, but did not see the condensers - it is somewhere else?

Oscar Spierenburg · June 5th, 2005, 05:16 PM

So, two days later, the wax GG still holds...no cracks, dust or bubbles! My theory to keep the wax on the sides of the GG (like this: http://s01.picshome.com/a48/filterwax.jpg) turns out to be true.
This GG took me about ten minutes to make.

I use a macro tube as lens mount and two thin condensers. I post a pic of the setup on my wax site: http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html
Tomorrow I'll start looking for microcrystalline wax again (in stead of Paraffine).

Dan Diaconu · June 5th, 2005, 07:20 PM

yeah, ten minutes to make....on top of MONTHS of work in perfecting the technique...The images are beautifull. Bravo Oscar! Now..., work on "someone's hair"...(hehehe)so we can see the resolution!(and leave the cat out of it)....rotf

Jim Lafferty · June 6th, 2005, 07:06 AM

Oscar,

Sorry if I've missed this, but what cam are you shooting with?

- jim

Oscar Spierenburg · June 6th, 2005, 12:20 PM

For the tests I used a consumer Sony camcorder, not a bad one, but one CCD.
But I've developed (and discussed in a thread) a system with two identical camera's (the same Sony) filming two halfs of the 35mm frame on the GG.
In short: The camera's are placed on their sides. One camera films the left side of the GG, the other one is placed in 90 deg and shoots the right side of the GG through a mirror. Everything is syched by a remote.
Finally I put the footage together on the PC and end up with a 720 X 1040 image.

So...when I get this set again for the wax adapter, I'll post these higher res. footage.

Daves Spi · June 6th, 2005, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oscar Spier

Finally I put the footage together on the PC and end up with a 720 X 1040 image.

I took note about this some time ago, very interesting idea, and I do not exactly know how you did the shutter speed, iris etc ... so both half look same... Watching also your prism... You are full of interesting ideas :) When I started with my movie, I was thinking about two things... Make it stereo or use 35mm adapter. Finally I decide to use 35mm, due the synchro problems between two cameras...
You are hardworking devil... I like it :)

Oscar Spierenburg · June 6th, 2005, 04:55 PM

Daves, you're quite a DOF devil yourself! Hard work, but what fun when it works, in the end...

I didn't shoot "someone's hair" just yet, but I put a frame-grab of the focusing pattern I use (letter size) on my site. And I shot my brother, he was asking for it... See the first three images below the setup image:
http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html

Dan Diaconu · June 6th, 2005, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oscar Spier

And I shot my brother, he was asking for it...

Good God! You sound like "Billy-the-kid" :cat's gone, brother's gone.. you'll be pretty soon alone! (;-)<
But the rez chart looks VERY GOOD!!!(I do not know if two innocent lives were worth it though...)

Oscar Spierenburg · June 6th, 2005, 06:12 PM

I'll shoot a girl tomorrow, for the hair I mean...I'll blame you Dan, you asked to work on "someone's hair". Better stop these jokes, before the FBI misread them.

EDIT: I forgot, I bought some new wax today, I'll start experimenting with that in the next few days.

Dan Diaconu · June 6th, 2005, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oscar Spier

I'll shoot a girl tomorrow, for the hair I mean.

No, no no... you got it backwards. Invite her to dinner first and you'll get all the hair you want (for the real shooting) I can bet she'll be delighted to play target!

Leo Mandy · June 6th, 2005, 08:51 PM

Oscar,

Is the softness from the focus or the GG in the new pictures?

Oscar Spierenburg · June 7th, 2005, 07:04 PM

Leo, some of those pics were a bit soft (not the res chart or the boot), I think because of focusing on a tiny LCD, but they also look kind of gray because it was a rainy day.

Today I shot some better focused footage, ie. 'work on someone's hair' Dan said:
http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html
At the last shots the sun was going down so those have a bit of back light and grain.

Dan Diaconu · June 7th, 2005, 08:09 PM

Very nice Oscar, third pic shows sharp only on a central section, the rest going soft. Very nice. So.... are you happy now? What lens did you use?

Leo Mandy · June 7th, 2005, 08:33 PM

Wow, you really have managed to get rid of the hotspot entirely! Great job on that especially with such a thin wax GG. I think the footage looks great Oscar!

Oscar Spierenburg · June 8th, 2005, 05:34 AM

Thanks. Dan, the third pic has such a small DOF because I used a macro ring to get closer. Of course I'm not happy Dan....no, seriously, I'm happy that I can work with this GG and I need to find the balance between the apertures on the adapter and the camcorder.

But to answer that question differently, I just bought some new wax...I think it's microcrystalline.
The lens I use is an old, but pretty good Minolta 58mm F 1.4.

June 6th, 2005, 07:06 AM	#274
Jim Lafferty Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 636	Oscar, Sorry if I've missed this, but what cam are you shooting with? - jim __________________ Realism, anyway, is never exactly the same as reality, and in the cinema it is of necessity faked. -- J-L G

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June 4th, 2005, 08:58 PM	#271
Leo Mandy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 749	I saw the achromats, but did not see the condensers - it is somewhere else?

June 5th, 2005, 05:16 PM	#272
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	So, two days later, the wax GG still holds...no cracks, dust or bubbles! My theory to keep the wax on the sides of the GG (like this: http://s01.picshome.com/a48/filterwax.jpg) turns out to be true. This GG took me about ten minutes to make. I use a macro tube as lens mount and two thin condensers. I post a pic of the setup on my wax site: http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html Tomorrow I'll start looking for microcrystalline wax again (in stead of Paraffine).

June 5th, 2005, 07:20 PM	#273
Dan Diaconu Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 804	yeah, ten minutes to make....on top of MONTHS of work in perfecting the technique...The images are beautifull. Bravo Oscar! Now..., work on "someone's hair"...(hehehe)so we can see the resolution!(and leave the cat out of it)....rotf

June 6th, 2005, 12:20 PM	#275
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	For the tests I used a consumer Sony camcorder, not a bad one, but one CCD. But I've developed (and discussed in a thread) a system with two identical camera's (the same Sony) filming two halfs of the 35mm frame on the GG. In short: The camera's are placed on their sides. One camera films the left side of the GG, the other one is placed in 90 deg and shoots the right side of the GG through a mirror. Everything is syched by a remote. Finally I put the footage together on the PC and end up with a 720 X 1040 image. So...when I get this set again for the wax adapter, I'll post these higher res. footage.

June 6th, 2005, 04:55 PM	#277
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Daves, you're quite a DOF devil yourself! Hard work, but what fun when it works, in the end... I didn't shoot "someone's hair" just yet, but I put a frame-grab of the focusing pattern I use (letter size) on my site. And I shot my brother, he was asking for it... See the first three images below the setup image: http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html

June 6th, 2005, 06:12 PM	#279
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	I'll shoot a girl tomorrow, for the hair I mean...I'll blame you Dan, you asked to work on "someone's hair". Better stop these jokes, before the FBI misread them. EDIT: I forgot, I bought some new wax today, I'll start experimenting with that in the next few days.

June 6th, 2005, 08:51 PM	#281
Leo Mandy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 749	Oscar, Is the softness from the focus or the GG in the new pictures?

June 7th, 2005, 07:04 PM	#282
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Leo, some of those pics were a bit soft (not the res chart or the boot), I think because of focusing on a tiny LCD, but they also look kind of gray because it was a rainy day. Today I shot some better focused footage, ie. 'work on someone's hair' Dan said: http://doublecam.250free.com/wax/wax.html At the last shots the sun was going down so those have a bit of back light and grain.

June 7th, 2005, 08:09 PM	#283
Dan Diaconu Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 804	Very nice Oscar, third pic shows sharp only on a central section, the rest going soft. Very nice. So.... are you happy now? What lens did you use?

June 7th, 2005, 08:33 PM	#284
Leo Mandy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 749	Wow, you really have managed to get rid of the hotspot entirely! Great job on that especially with such a thin wax GG. I think the footage looks great Oscar!

June 8th, 2005, 05:34 AM	#285
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Thanks. Dan, the third pic has such a small DOF because I used a macro ring to get closer. Of course I'm not happy Dan....no, seriously, I'm happy that I can work with this GG and I need to find the balance between the apertures on the adapter and the camcorder. But to answer that question differently, I just bought some new wax...I think it's microcrystalline. The lens I use is an old, but pretty good Minolta 58mm F 1.4.