Random Posts (An alternate to side discussions)

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

I don't think Tareq would fake a video, he has been into 3D stunt flying for several years and is well known in those circles:

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22TAREQ+ALSAADI%22&rls=com.microsoft:*&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=...

Yes, he does run with a gyro/autostabilizer controller, they are pretty advanced and tweakable. I have seen a nitro copter doing similar stunts, but not as rapid and precise- less power/weight and not as quick as brushless motors. Helo's like this carry several A-hr worth of LiPoly batteries and heatsinked motors.

I saw a video of a quadrotor outfitted witn a 6DOF IMU stabilizer, it was amazing at the precision it executed complex moves. I wish I could find that one again.

-AK2DM

[johnsold]

What do they need to do to maintain lift in the inverted position?

Lynn

[Todd_Lesher]

Change the rotor pitch. It's like making a fan push air backwards by bending the fan blades - kinda.

[altenbach]

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@johnsold wrote:

What do they need to do to maintain lift in the inverted position?

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It's just a negative pitch on the rotor. Harder is holding the vertical position (90 degrees between normal and inverted), they need to quickly sweep back and forth between two slightly non-vertical positions of opposite angle.

[SnowMule]

Mama bear and cub innawoods last night.  Saw a couple of turkeys on the road heading in, and a marten later in the evening.

Then... to the tower.

Been a few years since i've been up here.  Lights of Denver in the distance.

Hikin innawoods, alone, after midnight.

[jcarmody]

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@SnowMule wrote:

[...] 

Hikin innawoods, alone, after midnight.

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Unarmed... 😮

[SnowMule]

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@jcarmody wrote:

Unarmed... 😮

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Quite the opposite.  

Mama stood up and the cub trotted across the trail right in front of me. A second or two earlier and I'd have been between mama and cub.

[jcarmody]

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@SnowMule wrote:

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@jcarmody wrote:

Unarmed... 😮

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Quite the opposite.  

Mama stood up and the cub trotted across the trail right in front of me. A second or two earlier and I'd have been between mama and cub.

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That is awesome.  I thought of putting a question mark in the other post.  Somehow I 'spected that you were able to take care of yourself. 🙂  Good on you.

[Ray.R]

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@SnowMule wrote:

[...] 

Hikin innawoods, alone, after midnight.

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Nikon D90?

Tripod?

What settings?  I really like that photo..

We go wild turkey and wild women.. Don't know which is more dangerous...  😉

[SnowMule]

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@Ray.R wrote:

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@SnowMule wrote:

Hikin innawoods, alone, after midnight.

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Nikon D90?

Tripod?

What settings?  I really like that photo..

We go wild turkey and wild women.. Don't know which is more dangerous...  😉

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Yup.

Gorillapod set up on a rock (most of the shots from that evening were on the gorillapod; didn't even bring my big tripod).

Shot with my ultrawide at 12mm f/4, 58sec, ISO640.

Focus... Carry a bright flashlight with some throw to it, that'll let you light up what you're trying to focus on.  Use single-point AF-S focus.  I lit the rock at the corner of the trail, that gave me (and the camera) a good edge for the PD sensor to lock on.  Once the autofocus can "see" an edge and lock on it, switch it to manual focus either on the lens or with the switch on the lower left of the camera and frame the shot (again, use the flashlight to light up what you're trying to get in or out of the frame).

Set up the intervalometer for a 2-minute delay, then a single 1-minute shutter release.  Started the timer, hiked up the trail, and waited for the green-then-red light on the intervalometer to indicate the shutter was open.  Clicked on my headlamp then hiked back and waited for the shutter to close.  You can see a little bit of the red indicator light from the intervalometer on the rock on the lower right of the frame.  With exposures this long, every little bit of light adds up.

If you're using a VR lens, turn that off anytime you're on a tripod.  Movement from the active elements correcting for vibrations that aren't there can blur the image.  Also use the "exposure delay" feature on the camera - this flips the mirror up and waits about a second before opening the shutter.  That gets rid of any shake from the movement of the mirror.

Shoot RAW.  I go raw anytime I'm on a tripod, lets you fix a lot of things after the shot that you just can't fix with a JPG.  Exposure, white balance/tint, contrast, levels, gamma... much more flexibility with RAW. 

More pics here: http://mule.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/20130723/

If you mouse over the image on the right (or in the lightbox, click "Show Details" up top) you can click the [i] on the sidebar to pull up EXIF data. 

This shot was about 10 minutes while I was getting ready to ride home: