Produce stand (photomicrography of 35mm slide)

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:17 pm

I've been playing around with photographing sections of 35mm slides with the microscope. Here a a few images from an old slide of a produce stand at Pike Place Market in Seattle. The image was a wide angle shot with all sorts of vegetables and fruits displayed. The proprietor was standing behind (near an incandescent light.... hence his red color). These sections of the slide were photographed at either 8X or 20X on sensor.

I had to dig back to find a higher speed Ektachrome shot to get the effects I wanted. Most of my latter film shooting was Fuji RVP (Velvia) and it really lacks the interesting "grain" patterns and textures of some of the older and higher speed films. Kodachrome 200 also looks really nice. Some of the Zeiss lenses I used back then actually look pretty impressive when scrutinized on the Velvia slides. It also was impressive to see at these magnifications how nicely and delicately the highlights of film went to "white" compared to the brutal transition often seen in digital images.

Stand proprietor

Baskets of raspberries

Pears

Cherry tomatoes

Bananas

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:59 am

Wonderful, Charlie.

Celebrating the good old days.

If you compare this with pixels or digital grain there is a difference in size of the grains in this analogue material. I wonder if there is a photoshop filter that could come close to this.

best regards, Wim

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:41 pm

Wim,

I wonder if there is a photoshop filter that could come close to this.

Quite a few I think. Here's one that I think comes closest:
http://powerretouche.com/Film-Grain_plugin_tutorial.htm

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:59 am

Hello Charlie,

Of course. I should have known. And the results are pretty close to the real grain.

Now, talking about techniques. I have been thinking of something that would be realy nice. I don't believe it is there yet but I am sure they are working on it. For what we do, I mean the super close up and microscopy, what would be realy great is be a camera that shoots a series of focus stacks in an instant. I know you are much more into the technical bits than I am (I am very sensitive to information overload

) But I have not seen anything like that yet.

So you need a camera with micro lens with a mechanism that shifts the focus over a range of 1 or 2 centimeters and the shutter (or other way to separate the images) should be connected and work sync to a flash unit that shoots a strobe sequence. So when you shoot a picture it takes 100 images in less than a second.

It would come close to shooting a high speed film sequence. I wonder if there would ever be a market for such a camera but it would be fun to make super close-up stacks of living organisms this way.

Just day dreaming.

Wim

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:24 pm

what would be really great is be a camera that shoots a series of focus stacks in an instant.

So when you shoot a picture it takes 100 images in less than a second.

... Just day dreaming.

Just a picture? How about extended DOF video! Here you go Wim... let me know how it works!

http://www.highspeedimaging.com/pdf/Foc ... V-100C.pdf

canonian · Post by **canonian** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:13 am

Wow ! It would be great if all this technology was integrated in 1 single lens.
Although you still need a camera to shoot at that speed...and loads of processing power.

For the purpose Wim is sketching, maybe the approach of a small Frazier Lens, adapted for camera would fit his dream.
This lens has a huge DOF and stacking would not be necessary.
I don't know if this adaption to camera can be realized, otherwise Jim Frazier, or someone else, would have marketed it already.

Guess I'm getting a bit off topic now...

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:14 am

Fred,
Plenty of "controversy" over the Frasier lens. I seem to recall that the DOF claims were debunked, and the patent was annulled. But the incredible versatility of the lens, and its ability to be positioned in, and film from, very "tight" locations and unusual positions have still made it a valuable tool for film makers.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 10:28 am

Charles Krebs wrote:I seem to recall that the DOF claims were debunked, and the patent was annulled. But the incredible versatility of the lens, and its ability to be positioned in, and film from, very "tight" locations and unusual positions have still made it a valuable tool for film makers.

All true; see discussion and links in THIS THREAD for more details.

--Rik

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:46 am

That microscope is a nice idea. And I guess it is a matter of waiting for faster computer technology. I still think such fast mechanical stacking techniques would be more interesting for super macro of insects and for field use. On a microscope I don't really need it.

That frazier lens is quite something. What a strange story. But I guess this is a subject for the equipment forum.

Wim