Gemological Intro

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jimsfault
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Gemological Intro

Post by jimsfault »

Hi all. I'm a working gemologist out of Los Angeles and I am in love with inclusions in gemstones. They're always so evocative.
I've been on this site for a while, just absorbing what I can but not contributing. SO!
I finally coupled my 5Dii to my nikon SMZ1000 (1x plan apo) about a month ago. There are a host of problems with my setup and I'm really hoping to discuss it but ... just so I can feel like I'm part of this awesome community:
here's a really great inclusion - garnets in topaz @ 40x
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rjlittlefield
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Re: Gemological Intro

Post by rjlittlefield »

jimsfault wrote:so I can feel like I'm part of this awesome community:
here's a really great inclusion - garnets in topaz @ 40x
Well, I'm hoping that worked from your side, because it surely did from this one! :smt023

This is very nicely done. Can you give us some more details about how you illuminated this subject? Also I'm assuming this is stacked -- is that correct?

--Rik
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jimsfault
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:22 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by jimsfault »

yes, indeed! a small stack: 11 - in helicon.
it's continuous. i lit it from 4 sides. i have a darkfield base that was only glowing, really. from east, west and north I had FO lighting blasting away. i had to shadow it - just a hair on the east because one of the faces on the big xtal was getting a little blown out.

it's really the vibration that's killing me. even with live view (mirror lock), even with longer exposures to let the vib. dampen out... the camera's hard-mounted to the scope. i've got to separate them some how. eg bellows.
there are so many awesome and creative macro set-ups, focus blocks, on this site. my challenge is to re-imagine how to get my scope and camera separated but to move in concert once they're the right distance.
and preferably vertical.
oh- and then of course have it made.
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rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

jimsfault wrote:it's really the vibration that's killing me. even with live view (mirror lock), even with longer exposures to let the vib. dampen out... the camera's hard-mounted to the scope.
Shooting with Canon 5D Mark II, you can kill camera-induced vibrations by shooting in Live View so as to utilize the camera's EFSC (Electronic First Shutter Curtain). See http://www.krebsmicro.com/Canon_EFSC/.

--Rik
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jimsfault
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:22 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by jimsfault »

yes. thanks rik, i only shoot with the EFSC. it's a life saver.
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rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

OK, so then I'm confused. What vibrations are killing you?

--Rik
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