# Just bought this...Review coming soon!



## PenMan1

After a several homemade, back breaking, hard to move, always in the way, plug in 85 different plugins and changing the white balance and complicate everything light boxes, I finally screamed "uncle". So did PenWife1 who is in charge of product photography.

The fold up tent things just don't work for us either.

This will arrive monday and it'll get a good workout on Tuesday. We'll post results next week. It looks like a good product for us.......We'll see.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150620332922&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


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## corian king

Hello That looks very interesting.I am not very good at my pics but then again I don't have a high dollar camera either. I would really like to know how this works out for you. Good Luck!!
JIM


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## MarkD

I will be very interested in your opinion of this product. I sure looks nice! 
I have been considering making something like this to replace my cardboard box version, this may be the way to go...


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## leestoresund

Boy, are you in trouble!
On the copywrite post you said you don't post photos of your pens.
Here you tell us you are going to give a review.
I'm looking forward to this.
Christy's the only good looking thing you have! LOL

Lee


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## Steve Busey

Hmm, does it come with those mysterious semi transparent flying cameras?

Steve "Been Watching Too Many Twilight Zone Reruns on Netflix" Busey


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## thewishman

That looks cool. Much better than clamp lights and towers of books and sundry items to hold the clampers.


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## IPD_Mr

The lights bug me on this. I am not sure how good they will be. 

I love the concept that it will close up.  We have an African Grey and a Cockatoo and we are always fighting the feather dust these two create when doing photos.

Looking forward to hearing how this works for you.


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## GoodTurns

thewishman said:


> That looks cool. Much better than clamp lights and towers of books and sundry items to hold the clampers.



hey, that's my set up!

Andy,  very interested, you may turn out to be this guy's best salesman if it's a decent product!


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## PenMan1

leestoresund said:


> Boy, are you in trouble!
> On the copywrite post you said you don't post photos of your pens.
> Here you tell us you are going to give a review.
> I'm looking forward to this.
> Christy's the only good looking thing you have! LOL
> 
> Lee



I didn't say I'd post MY pens. I'll post pen pix. A Mont Blanc and Cross side by side should give a pretty good idea 

And you are right... PenWife 1 IS and shall remain the best looking thing in my shop!!!


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## wolftat

IPD_Mr said:


> We have an African Grey and a Cockatoo and we are always fighting the feather dust these two create when doing photos.
> 
> .


 Looks like more feather blanks coming if they keep it up. I heard they taste like pigeon.....LOL:wink:


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## renowb

That's looks interesting Andy. Can't wait to see the pics!


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## Whaler

I have seen that before and it is interesting. I recently got tired of fighting my old light tent and tossed it so I am in the market for something. I am anxious to see your review.


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## PenMan1

Whaler said:


> I have seen that before and it is interesting. I recently got tired of fighting my old light tent and tossed it so I am in the market for something. I am anxious to see your review.


 
I am pretty excited about it, Dick. It sounds like you have been tripping over, working around big clunky home built set ups, too.

My plan is to pull it out of the box, take pictures of a gold Cross (to see how it handles the glare), a black Mont Blanc Meisterstuck (to see how it handles shadow details with dark). Additionally, everyone here has seen those two products in person and can judge how well the picks look as opposed to the "live" product.

I plan to use two cameras of extremely different quality. A Nikon D50 SLR and an old Nikon CoolPix.

My idea is to test the box, not the camera. I must admit that IPD_MR has me a bit worried about the lights. It was a concern when I ordered it, but I decided to go ahead. AND it has a 30 satisfaction warranty.


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## moke

Andy, 
In all my years in the photo industry, on both sides, studio and store, I have never seen anything like this.  I too, share yours and Mr_IDP's concern.  The lighting must be diffused somehow to allow for no hard specular highlights.  I do not see an explanation of the lighting at all, unless I missed it.  Just that little diagram.

The neat thing about a "tent" is it controlls the lighting.  It takes hard or soft light and softens it to eliminate some or most of the specularity and softens the shadows....I can't see how this will do that.  I am looking forward to your "review".
Keep us appraised!!!


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## Timebandit

It looks like they are diffused with a regular frosted plastic lens like you would see in a flourescent light. You can see it here http://ebay1.savingtosaving.com/ProImages/PHOTOSTUDIO/IMAGESET/LS20/LS20_03.JPG and herehttp://ebay1.savingtosaving.com/ProImages/PHOTOSTUDIO/IMAGESET/LS20/LS20_04.JPG
You can see the bulb through the lens there.

And if need be you could probably tape a few white cloths over them to help diffuse a little more.


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## PenMan1

Moke:
I did a little research on this and it uses four puck led lights. See the link below. My concern is not so much about shadows and glare as the pucks are diffused. Instead, I just hope it is ENOUGH light.

As my luck usually runs, the first ones will only sorta work and I'll have to upgrade to the 6 watt pucks

http://www.led-lighting-factory.com/html/classifiedproduct-led-gx53-puck.html


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## moke

Justin thanks....I am not sure at that output they could stand any more diffusion!!!! Just maybe...Andy could try plugging it into 220..... lol

Andy---if they are a little dim...that is what God made tripods for....I have shot many things at multiple seconds...make sure to use a cable or your timer. The hard thing is the first time, after that it is just repetition. With all that Minolta learnin' you had in the 70's, I have full confidence in you


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## GoodTurns

moke said:


> maybe...Andy could try plugging it into 220..... lol



twice the power, twice the light, right?  my lathe runs twice as fast on 220!


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## PenMan1

moke said:


> Justin thanks....I am not sure at that output they could stand any more diffusion!!!! Just maybe...Andy could try plugging it into 220..... lol
> 
> Andy---if they are a little dim...that is what god made tripods for....I have shot many things at multiple seconds...make sure to use a cable or your timer. The hard thing is the first time, after that it is just repetition. With all that Minolta learnin' you had in the 70's, I have full confidence in you


 

USE A CABLE? Now we are really just showing our age:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
Can you still buy a cable release?  I know it is extremely hard to find for a Hassie. All my "new fangled" Nikons use garage door openers:biggrin:


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## PenMan1

Moke:
Please check out this thread and give me your opinion. I know you are a Canon guy, but with your experience, I know you know this lens, I'm sure they make this exact lens in a Canon mount. 

The Nikon Macro requires a promissory note of a first born male child and a left testicle, just to process the order!
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82026


AND for the record, it's IPD_MR. IDP is one of my Trademarks (Idiots doing pens)


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## moke

Sorry Andy--I am showing my age by using that term---when I say cable, I mean those 4 or 5 pin wonders they produce now.

I did not comment on Whalers Sigma lens, because I really like Whaler and greatly respect his abilites. And I do not like Sigma lenses. Sigma has been periodically problematic in the past, like...bad. After this store being in exsistance more than 50 years, I am in the process of shutting down my retail store and concentrating on my Studio, so I have not kept up with recent developments. 

I am a firm believer in the camera manufacturer lenses. Almost all after-market lenses are made in China sometimes to specs that a manuf. designates, sometimes to their own, then they are marketed under multiple names. Patents are of little concern to the Asian manufacturers as a whole, but are here in the US. Sigma at one time chose to ignore that fact and manufactured a Minolta mount lens that was not licensed. The court system did not aloow them to be repaired under warranty and I am not sure as allowed Sigma to touch them. Sigma made it the consumers problem to deal with....additionally they continued to market that very lens, just stamped the bottom "unlicensed"---- When the wide angle to extreme telephotos came out, Sigma was at the forefront. While this is a good idea on paper, despite what reviews said they had issue with sharpness at both extremes an was one of the poorest constructed lenses I ever saw. 

In the Photo institute I attended at the turn of the last century (Moses was in the class ahead of me and he had short hair) I took a quarter of lens design and basic abberation correction. I only learned that you should never try to figure out a lens!!! I did hear many horror stories in that class about after market stuff and have contiued to hear similar stories most weeks to this date. While there are many "would be" experts, I decided long ago, there are _really_ about 100 people accross the US that can really tell what is good or not in costruction and design, and me not being one of them, I decided to sell very limited after- market lenses after the advent of auto-focus. I have only used manufacturer lenses in my Studio and 95% of my sales were also. 

We ran the last Camera Repair place in Iowa, and closed it in 2004. While I only employed repair people and never touched a repair myself, the repair people seemed to agree. I have seen many after market lenses, most where not impressive in their construction. Having said that, there have been A-M lenses that I thought were really neat. 

I hope with my comments I have not ruffled any feathers, that is not my intention, this is just my opinion.


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## PenMan1

Thanks, Moke, for your honest response. I, too, have a GREAT deal of respect for Dick and his abilities!

I also have to confess that the Sigma lens at less than half the price of the Nikon lens was VERY appealing to me!

Since I don't HAVE to have a new macro lens tomorrow, I can continue to use my old Nikkor AI Macro, non auto focus, manual set only lens, until Dick has time to play with his lens.

The VERY COOL thing about Dick is that if this lens continues to meet his expectations, he will tell us. If not, HE WILL ALSO TELL US.

I had similar experience with Chinese lens in the past, but I also know that their QC efforts have improved dramatically!


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## moke

Nikkor AI Macro?  Really?  Now who is showing his age.....How do you mount that...a pipe wrench?


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## PenMan1

moke said:


> Nikkor AI Macro? Really? Now who is showing his age.....How do you mount that...a pipe wrench?


 

Pipe threader:biggrin::biggrin:


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## Haynie

Just get a 4x5 and extend the bellows way out.  Shoot film and scan.


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## wouldentu2?

Hey that looks like a nice hobby!!


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