Little Muddle

[KNP]

7 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

The new lighting makes a big difference Kev, not that your photos haven't always been good, but to me it seems that these are much sharper.

 

I remember a discussion I had with someone some while back, who said that for digital photography in particular, and especially for macro photography (which is essentially what this is) the more light you can cram down the lens the better, even to the point that the lighting looks positively garish to the human eye.

 

Your results seem to bear this out.

 

Al.

 

Thanks

I totally agree, if you walked in the railway room with both pelmet lights on the twin cat2 overhead strip lights on you would reach for your sunglasses...

but the camera appears to love it allowing it to get sharper, crisper pictures with no editing at all.

 

I have to say these light have been a resounding success and well worth the cost and effort to fit them.

Recommend anybody thinking about layout lighting to give some thought to this form of illumination and when you have made the decision which lights - then double the number and have dimmers fitted you won't regret it

 

Bear in mind as well I had to remove the original seven strip lights and then fit two 6m lengths of led's over the centre of this layout without dropping anything.....!

[Alister_G]

Just now, KNP said:

Bear in mind as well I had to remove the original seven strip lights and then fit two 6m lengths of led's over the centre of this layout without dropping anything.....!

 

Yes, I bet you had to have a lie down after that...

 

 

Al

[KNP]

And for no reason other than I took it to see the effect, not with any idea of posting.

Here is some trees and a gate...

 

 

Edited March 23 by KNP

[Alister_G]

Are your gates scratch built Kevin or are they bought in?

 

Al

[Simond]

Kevin

 

forgive me if you already did, but could you please post a photo of the lighting itself?

 

ta

simon

[KNP]

On 14/06/2019 at 20:12, Simond said:

Kevin

 

forgive me if you already did, but could you please post a photo of the lighting itself?

 

ta

simon

 

Simon

 

The lights where obtained from a well auction site and are:

 

Superbright 5630 5730 LED Strip Lights Waterproof IP65 240leds/m 220V+EU/UK Plug (white and warm white) - I know they are waterproof but I reckoned the plastic cover would protect them whilst fixing and bending around corners.

 

 

 

A quick, slightly grainy picture of the lights taken on the iphone.

Warm white on the left and white on the right.

 

To facilitate fixing 2 x 1 battens where fixed to the underside of the pelmet, this allowed easier fixing of the silicone brackets as I was working upwards!

 

 

Edited March 23 by KNP

[KNP]

11 hours ago, Alister_G said:

Are your gates scratch built Kevin or are they bought in?

 

Al

 

Good question and I will answer when I can remember exactly but I think they are Wills with their level crossing posts.

 

Update - I now believe the gate is Slater's and posts Wills.

Edited June 15, 2019 by KNP

[KNP]

Then a few moments ago my son came down the Bugatti with the working lights fitted after a battle that tried his patience.

I said you should building some steps for a GWR autocoach...!

He replied - why would I do that

 

I see his point

 

Rather impressed with the end result so here she is lit up

 

 

 

[stock_2007]

3 hours ago, KNP said:

 

Good question and I will answer when I can remember exactly but I think they are Wills with their level crossing posts.

I think it came from B&Q as in that lighting it looks real

[Neal Ball]

12 hours ago, KNP said:

 

Simon

 

The lights where obtained from a well auction site and are:

 

Superbright 5630 5730 LED Strip Lights Waterproof IP65 240leds/m 220V+EU/UK Plug (white and warm white) - I know they are waterproof but I reckoned the plastic cover would protect them whilst fixing and bending around corners.

 

 

A quick, slightly grainy picture of the lights taken on the iphone.

Warm white on the left and white on the right.

 

To facilitate fixing 2 x 1 battens where fixed to the underside of the pelmet, this allowed easier fixing of the silicone brackets as I was working upwards!

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this Kevin. Why did you decide to have two strips together, rather than just the one strip?

 

Plus why two different shades?

 

Apologies if they are silly questions!

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Neal Ball
Typos

[Titanius Anglesmith]

13 hours ago, KNP said:

And for no reason other than I took it to see the effect, not with any idea of posting.

Here is some trees and a gate...

 

 

At first glance I thought that photo was real  It was only the Encombe Daries sign that gave it away

[bridgiesimon]

You use different shades of LED lighting to get a more natural colour than simply using the white or the warm white - the white has a bluish tinge, the warm white is almost too yellowy so using them both gets a mix and works well.

 

Best wishes

Simon

[KNP]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks for posting this Kevin. Why did you decide to have two strips together, rather than just the one strip?

 

Plus why two different shades?

 

Apologies if they are silly questions!

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

 

 

No problem, others before me have posted on the RMWeb which I read and considered there comments so I thought I would do the same.

 

I had worked out the luminaries per metre given off for the existing strip lights and found the same amount for the LED's so went originally for 240 LED's per metre in white.

Though bright I (me personally here) found them to white so after a bit of research both on the internet and the RM Web I added the warm whites to balance the lighting colour and the results I think speak for themselves.

This gave me a whopping 480 of them per metre and though the room is very bright they give not only good photography lighting but when working on the layout as well.

Shadows are now very minimal

The other thing I have noticed is the age old problem with digital cameras is that though most can take pictures in low light you do loose the sharpness due to noise as the ISO creeps up but now I am having no problems at all.

Having dimmers also gives me the option to vary not only the quantity of light given off but the balance between the shades as well - not tried this as I have been sorting out the best results for the camera first before adding anymore complications - but I will.

[KNP]

At last some movement at Little Muddle.

4825 and the auto coach arrives with the afternoon service.

 

 

Edited March 23 by KNP

[KNP]

Leaping to the other roof, same picture but from a slightly different angle

 

 

 

I think this one is better as it shows more of the platform and buildings behind.

Gives a better idea of the station being within the town.

Edited March 23 by KNP

[KNP]

Now I like this picture because you can see the rest of the layout disappearing around the corner over the viaduct.

 

 

 

Makes the layout seem much bigger.

Must think up a name for the viaduct.....anybody got any ideas?

Edited March 23 by KNP

[KNP]

 

Edited March 23 by KNP

[Shedman5]

Great pictures Kevin, maybe the viaduct could be named after some local dignitary or local business?

 

Cheers!

[St Enodoc]

29 minutes ago, KNP said:

Must think up a name for the viaduct.....anybody got any ideas?

I thought it was Pons Fluminis...

[SR Chris]

3 hours ago, KNP said:

Must think up a name for the viaduct.....anybody got any ideas?

 

How about Pontfawrdrosnantfach Viaduct? Or Wasornby Viaduct? Would it be named after the stream passing under it which is ....

 

I'll get me coat ....

[Neal Ball]

8 hours ago, KNP said:

 

No problem, others before me have posted on the RMWeb which I read and considered there comments so I thought I would do the same.

 

I had worked out the luminaries per metre given off for the existing strip lights and found the same amount for the LED's so went originally for 240 LED's per metre in white.

Though bright I (me personally here) found them to white so after a bit of research both on the internet and the RM Web I added the warm whites to balance the lighting colour and the results I think speak for themselves.

This gave me a whopping 480 of them per metre and though the room is very bright they give not only good photography lighting but when working on the layout as well.

Shadows are now very minimal

The other thing I have noticed is the age old problem with digital cameras is that though most can take pictures in low light you do loose the sharpness due to noise as the ISO creeps up but now I am having no problems at all.

Having dimmers also gives me the option to vary not only the quantity of light given off but the balance between the shades as well - not tried this as I have been sorting out the best results for the camera first before adding anymore complications - but I will.

 

Thanks Kevin,

The final part of getting Henley up and running is LED lighting. At the moment Im relying on fluorescent lights on the ceiling which are a lot further away when compared to the old set up in the shed back in the UK. Which obviously makes it a lot darker than is ideal.

 

I'm inclined to buy from eBay as you suggest as I can then get dimmers - the packs sold here are only sold as on/off.

 

I will give it a go and post the results. Thanks again, Neal.

 

 

[Harlequin]

LEDs can either be dimmed by reducing the current flowing through them or by pulse width modulation (PWM).

 

PWM is the most common method and it works by switching the LEDs on and off thousands of times a second. The human eye doesn't notice this but digital video cameras do when set to a high "shutter speed", which may be the case in automatic mode.

 

What happens then is that when the camera captures a frame there's a chance that the LED light might not be on and so the resulting video has a lot of flickering. (You can see the same sort of thing on slow motion shots of modern cars on Top Gear or The Grand Tour - the running lights appear to be flashing for no reason.)

 

Er, so what I'm saying is: Videos might flicker under dimmed LED lights and you might have to play with the shutter speed or other workarounds to get rid of it.

 

P.S. Is Little Muddle on the estuary of the river Mudd?

[KNP]

9 hours ago, Harlequin said:

LEDs can either be dimmed by reducing the current flowing through them or by pulse width modulation (PWM).

 

PWM is the most common method and it works by switching the LEDs on and off thousands of times a second. The human eye doesn't notice this but digital video cameras do when set to a high "shutter speed", which may be the case in automatic mode.

 

What happens then is that when the camera captures a frame there's a chance that the LED light might not be on and so the resulting video has a lot of flickering. (You can see the same sort of thing on slow motion shots of modern cars on Top Gear or The Grand Tour - the running lights appear to be flashing for no reason.)

 

Er, so what I'm saying is: Videos might flicker under dimmed LED lights and you might have to play with the shutter speed or other workarounds to get rid of it.

 

P.S. Is Little Muddle on the estuary of the river Mudd?

 

Thanks for this, it explains something that I noticed the other day.

When the camera is on Post Focus it takes a very short video on MP4 which when viewed in the reader, prior to editing the individual focus frames, it has a strobing effect.

Doesn't appear to effect the end result but I wondered what it was, now with your excellent simple explanation the answer has been provided.

Haven't shot a video yet under these new lights so must do to see what effect it has.

Thanks again

 

Here is one of the post focus pictures from yesterday, hopefully showing the strobing

 

 

[KNP]

Strobing aside, general view from roof of engine shed.

Why the roof, well I can rest the camera, carefully, on the ridge to reduce shake..

 

 

Edited March 23 by KNP

[KNP]

Holding the camera against the backscene to steady a long shot down the entire length of the room.

 

 

 

And as an added bonus the edge of the layout and door into the room...!

 

 

 

Edited March 23 by KNP