[Some shots in the dark.]

My eyesight is likely not that great either but with digital you can take several shots on manual focus and vary each.

I use a by now quite elderly D90 body but I love the camera and it gives good results.

I have the advantage that my daughter and her partner are pro photographers and they also use Nikon equipment several D4S bodies last time I looked so I can 'borrow' lenses or specialised flashguns if I need something to experiment with.

 

The D3400 is a decent bit of kit and unless I'm mistaken can meter down to 30secs so well up to very low light with good depth of field photography.

Trtust you are using a tripod and only advice I would offer is slowest iso probably 100 and smallest aperture probably f22 and let the meter do the rest.

And don't forget to post the results.

 

Kelvinbank is evocative and I see a mix of the elevated stations in Scotstoun with the tenement backdrop and the street level booking offices so typical of the Caley.

Quite superb and well done.

 

Dave. 

[Some shots in the dark.]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

The first and third photos are astounding. In the middle photo, the foreshortening destroys the illusion of reality for me - but is that just a consequence of the high viewpoint?

 

 No its the use of a 45mm lens with a very small aperture..up to f43..and a long time exposure in this case 6 seconds.

All this is designed to give good depth of field which was the original post enquiry but I agree it can offer too much and in doing so has the effect of foreshortening the image.

Somewhere in between is my preference.

Thanks for your nice comments.

 

Dave.

[Some shots in the dark.]

On 17/08/2019 at 12:37, Dave John said:

Fair point Truffy. I can dim all the lighting by area, here is a pic of the lighting control panel for the left hand side of the layout. ( with the classic error of the photographers reflection ) It would be mainly gas lit, with some electricity coming in for difficult to get at areas.

 

The problem is that if I dim it all down so that it does go yellow to the eye then the camera just doesn’t want to take a photo with the aperture set small for depth of field. I continue to mess about with the camera though I suspect it needs a different lens and someone far more skilled than I am.

 

 

 

 

It has always vaguely surprised me that given the popularity of railway modelling in Japan that one of the camera manufacturers has not come up with a camera tailored for close long depth of field use. Perhaps they have and I have missed it ?

 

When providing images for a magazine we photographed Alloa with among other things a low angle lens with a min aperture  of f43.

This was used for close ups but also allowed good depth of field but actually worked too well at times with the very long exposures giving clarity to a bus win an over bridge 30 feet away making the picture look unrealistic!

Cameras were Nikon bodies and all lenses Nikon but Canon Fuji or any of the other big names will all do similar lenses.

We were fortunate in that we had access to the camera bodies and hired the special lense needed which cost wise was surprisingly reasonable.

However..a decent camera phone will often give you exactly what you want without any of the expense and it can be slotted into areas where a dslr wont fit.  

 

Nikon D90 and stock short zoom f22 @ 0.5 sec showing reasonable dof.

 

 

Again Nikon body but at f29 @ 6.5 secs. Layout is 34ft long and far end in pic close to 30feet.

 

 

Finally a pic using the iphone and not even my later iphone X with the better camera but a 5S.

The ability to get the phone into places where the big cameras can't go is a huge advantage as is its ability to auto compensate for low light and gives decent dof as long as you hold it steady.

 

[A fence. Hmm....]

Looks superb and puts me in mind of the Caley down at Scotstoun with the elevated stations.

 

We have been discussing if we should buy a silhouette cutter for our new project and probably will as there will be a large number of 'repeat' on the station frontage apart from the many other details.

 

Still to decide which is best suited as regards the thickness of card it cuts and blade life etc.

Then theres the issue of who in the group will sit down and digest the programme needed to operate it!!

 

What did you purchase and whats your findings re above?

 

Dave / ScRSG 

[More Carriages- by Silhouette!]

Very encouraging and thanks for replies.

 

We will no doubt dip our toes in the water with this.

 

Dave.

[Modelu figures in 4mm - first one painted]

looks superb.

[More Carriages- by Silhouette!]

Thanks thats encouraging.

Lots of scare mongering out there from guys who no doubt have never set eyes on a cutter.

 

We are seriously considering one for our new build layout which features a large Scottish station with a lot of repeat in respect of window and door rebates plus canopy valancing and footbridge cladding.

 

We did have a limited run of etched canopy valancing produced for Alloa way back but that was before anything like this was available.

Currently working out which to go for as don't want to underspend then find we needed the next one up so to speak.

 

Interesting your comments on the programs as one of the main things stopping us jumping in right now is who amongst us has the time or resolve to sit down and digest the boring bits…no volunteers!

We are all modellers of a certain age and although I am on the Mac every day its really a tool to me and like my colleagues a bit reluctant to get involved with complicated programs and procedures.

It sounds as though the scanning and downloading of the info was easier than expected?

 

Dave.

[More Carriages- by Silhouette!]

Have you any idea about blade life?

 

I hear many varying reports and of course I know it will depend on how thick the material etc but hearing stories of new blades being required every few sheets of plasticard and blades costing £7 or so is a bit of a concern.

 

Any thoughts to report?

 

Dave.