Author Topic: Technical Advice  (Read 4854 times)

Offline T. Mahan

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Technical Advice
« on: October 01, 2011, 11:21:04 PM »
Gang,

See attached picture....

It seems I can never get the whole train in focus, on the attached image, you see the pilot, knuckle, rail, and ballast are in pretty good focus.  But look at the numberboards, second unit, and signal masts... looks a bit blurry doesn't it?  I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.  I will admit, I shoot with autofocus rather than manual, AF is set on AI SERVO.  Any advice on what might I need to improve on or a better setting?  Also thinking it might be my exposure time, 1/320 might show a little hand shake blur, maybe 1/500 next time?

CANON XS
f/7.1 (auto)
exp. 1/320 (manual/Tv mode)
ISO - 200 (may have been on auto, usually have ISO set at 400
Focal Length - 163 mm



T.J. Mahan
Green Cove Springs, FL
www.facebook.com/tjm6515

Offline T. Mahan

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2011, 04:21:33 PM »
Also if it matters I was using mu Canon IS 55-250 lens with the Image Stabilization on, sometimes I think IS may be the problem?  Also if you look at the trees to the left of the lead loco, a bit of motion blur too...

Thanks Again!
T.J. Mahan
Green Cove Springs, FL
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Offline E.M. Bell

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2011, 04:41:11 PM »
Set your AF for One Shot, and pre-focus on the rails or ballast or some other object you want the train to be at in the frame, or is you have enough time, on the nose of the engine. I find the servo mode to do a lot of "hunting and pecking" at certain angles, and it will get you that result.

I also keep my AF point set to the CENTER of the viewfinder only. That way I know what it is focusing on..if you have a multi-pattern enabled, it will tend to focus on the closest object to the lens (which might be a tree, a rock, a rail ect)

While I fully admit to being old fashined and shooting total manual all the time, I do use AF unless I am in a low-light situation or trying to be all artsy and stuff.. The servo mode has never worked for me (shooting trains) on any of the Canon cameras I have had., 

E.M. Bell, KD4JSL
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Offline E.M. Bell

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2011, 04:49:43 PM »
BTW, I just noticed a rather odd thing in your pic (not related to your camera)...do you see something there that just don't really look right??
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Offline csx6900

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2011, 04:58:59 PM »
BTW, I just noticed a rather odd thing in your pic (not related to your camera)...do you see something there that just don't really look right??

I think I see what you're talking about.  Perhaps the crooked handrails on the lead unit?  Looks like the 9905 might have had a run-in with a vehicle or tree or something of the like.

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Offline Badhorse79

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2011, 05:04:40 PM »
I think it's the red over yellow on the same track the trains on

Offline T. Mahan

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2011, 05:09:04 PM »
I think the yellow color is an 'optical illusion' from the exhaust heat distortion... Looks like the pony on the nose isn't quite right?
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Offline E.M. Bell

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2011, 05:39:12 PM »
The signals showing a "Diverging Route Approach" is what caught my eye. I have seen that before, as those old searchlights "cycle" as they change, but that should have been all red well before the train showed up.

Sorry to steal your thread TJ...Stuff like that just pops out at me!
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Offline csx6900

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2011, 06:00:13 PM »
I'm with TJ on that one; I think it's an optical illusion.  The dispatcher board would not let a signal be cleared at an interlocking when there is a train within the control point.

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Offline lwjabo

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2011, 07:50:46 PM »
The windshields seem to turn color. You can get the same thing inside the engine. I tend to think the tint in the glass makes it change color. I never noticed it on the old engines before they used tint. As far as signals I have seen them show the wrong aspect many times. If they do they get and approach before the signal so you want be running on clear. If you are old enough to remember Mr. Hilton at DeButts he was Superintendent of the Georgia Division before he got to DeButts. A north bound runs into another train in the interlocking at Summit. It was very foggy and the crew kept saying they had a Clear Signal at Summit. So one of the trainmasters walks back and sure enough the signal still showed clear with a derailment between the signals. Next stop Debutts Yard.

Offline csx6900

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2011, 10:14:53 PM »
Well, that's not to say that fluky things don't happen every now and then, but 99.9% of the time, signals don't just go green (or yellow, in this case) while a conflicting train is in the circuit.  A problem like that would be a rare and majorly dangerous occurrence, as demonstrated by your Summit account.  If that signal in the picture were actually displaying a diverging approach indication, then something is seriously wrong with that interlocking.  I would hope that an experienced railfan and railroader like TJ would notice and report a situation like that.

EDIT: On the camera side of things, I have noticed that in some of my videos, the recording makes a red signal out to look like a yellow signal.  I believe you are seeing the same effect here, coupled with the heat from the exhaust that TJ mentioned.

And great photo, TJ!  Hope I didn't hijack your thread too bad.

-Evan
« Last Edit: October 02, 2011, 10:18:49 PM by csx6900 »
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Offline Conductor

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2011, 11:28:14 PM »
If I were to encounter that signal, I would call it a stop signal.  I kinda see the odd-shaped front handrails.
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Offline T. Mahan

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Re: Technical Advice
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2011, 11:55:33 PM »
A bit late but... it is red/red in the original images, maybe color, temperature, and contrast tweaking caused it to appear yellow.
T.J. Mahan
Green Cove Springs, FL
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