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Whole Plate or Compact Camera


MikeOxon

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I've been reading the thread started recently by Robin2 on "Why have moving trains on layouts?" - ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78169-why-have-moving-trains-on-layouts/ )

 

There've been lots of interesting and thoughtful replies and it has made me think. On the one hand, I couldn't build an engine without wanting to make it work satisfactorily and, on the other, I don't run trains very much but do enjoy setting up various static scenes for photography. I do find it relaxing, however, to run trains round and round a bit, after a hard evening's modelling, though the relaxation can be spoiled if some sort of fault appears :(

 

Here's an example of one of my static scenes:

 

1554301272_NarrowGauge.jpg.a10b64771727a5f86a5e81cb02658c8d.jpg

 

I've added a bit of smoke and steam with Photoshop but, looking at it now, it desperately needs some people to give it a bit of 'life' and it's only when I looked at the photo that I noticed that the pigs had fallen over!. There's no doubt that taking photos is a great way to see all the mistakes and the unrealistic bits, so it can be a stimulus to improvement.

 

I find that a small compact camera is often better for 'realistic' scenes than, for example, a more sophisticated DSLR, for a number of reasons.

 

The compact is, of course, smaller and can be put into those places that a DSLR cannot reach. A more technical reason is that both the lens and sensor in the compact are much smaller, which results in a greater depth of field (more in focus) at equivalent camera settings. The compact can be thought of as, in effect, a 'scale model' of the sort of camera that might have been used during my chosen pre-Grouping period. Out of interest, I did a few calculations:

 

The sensor in a typical compact measures about 6.2 x 4.6mm, whereas a 'whole plate' camera, as might have been used in the 19th century, had a sensitive area of 8½" x 6½" (216 x 165mm). From these figures, the compact represents a 1/35 scale model - not too far removed from 0-gauge! So, you can expect to get similar perspective and depth-of-field when using a compact to photograph an 0-gauge layout from 'realistic' locations.

 

I took the photo of my GWR 'Siphon' that appeared in a recent post with a DSLR camera and it is obvious that only a small part of the image is in focus. I've repeated the shot below, using a compact camera, to show how much more of the scene can easily be kept in focus :)(the background sky is by Photoshop)

 

GWRsyphon.jpg.9863dd5868bffaf3dfe7ee3730aa5ba9.jpg

 

 

Mike

Edited by MikeOxon
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A DSLR will do pretty much anything a compact can do, you just have to show it who's the boss! It needs setting to aperture priority mode and the smallest aperture (largest number), dialed in. Down side here is that it cuts light so exposure time goes up so a tripod is pretty essential. The other factor is distance from the subject - you will get a greater depth of field by being further away and zooming in as much as possible.

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A DSLR will do pretty much anything a compact can do

Generally true - except it won't fit into such small spaces!  To get equivalent depth of field, a DSLR must be stopped down much more, hence the need for more light.

 

Changing the distance from the subject alters perspective so, for a 'realistic' shot, I like to take up a 'lineside' position.

 

I frequently use a monopod as a camera support - more manoeuvrable than a tripod but with sufficient steadying effect for many situations.  With a compact, I sometimes simply stand it on the track, or scenery, and use the self-timer to avoid shake.

 

For the record, the settings for the shots I referred to were:

 

a.  post in "Cleminson to the Rescue" - Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens, 1/125s@f/8, ISO400

 

b.  this post - Panasonic TZ25 with 7mm focal length, 1/60s@f/6.3, ISO400

 

Mike

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Generally true - except it won't fit into such small spaces!  To get equivalent depth of field, a DSLR must be stopped down much more, hence the need for more light.

OTOH, and I cannot speak for the Nikon D300s, a DSLR will have a larger sensor and lower noise at higher ISO, so you can compensate for the higher f-stop with faster ISO.

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Thank you for commenting, Truffy.  My aim was really to point out that you don't need a sophisticated (and expensive) camera for good model railway photography.  The small camera even has some advantages :)

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This is very relevant to me just now because I need to take some photographs for publication of my own H0 layout and am not sure whether to simply use my iPhone (with a tripod rig) or to use my DSLR (also on a tripd) with long exposures (but I'm a bit limited on my smallest f stop)

 

Though it's slightly different from stills photography I found the same thing as Mike with my professional use of video cameras. Some years ago I needed to film various types of miniature (including built Airfix kits)  for toy industry testimonials and, with a Sony VX1000 - a three 1/3" sensor DV "prosumer" video camera- I got far better results using that with supplemental macro lenses than I'd ever got from any TV film crew whatever lenses they used whether on 16mm film, Beta SP video cameras using 3 2.3" sensors, the then current format for most routine broadcast  TV filming for TV was done on, or even the emerging Digibeta cameras (also with 2/3" sensors) though those did have a slightly higher vertical PAL resolution than the VX1000.

 

I always understood that it was the smaller sensor size that made that difference though for TV work you are far more limited with exposure times. The DV camera was also small enough to enable me to do things like filming on the footplate of narrow gauge locos that would have been close to impossible  with a "full size" broadcast video camera. 

 

I also find that at exhibtions I generally get better results with greater depths of field photographing layouts with my iPhone than with my DSLR (though possibly the iPhone's processor is just better at photography than I am!)

I have experimented with focus stacking but have beern advised by the editor of one of the major magazines that, for model railways, this is best avoided (or at least kept to no more than three planes of focus) as parallel lines tend to get distorted.  

 

Edited by Pacific231G
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33 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

This is very relevant to me just now because I need to take some photographs for publication of my own H0 layout and am not sure whether to simply use my iPhone (with a tripod rig) or to use my DSLR (also on a tripd) with long exposures (but I'm a bit limited on my smallest f stop)

It's correct that depth of field is greater with a smaller sensor.  There's an online calculator that can be use to explore the effect.

 

I have written more about photographing my layout at https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/15678-photographing-the-layout/

 

Mike

 

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