Bay Area Get-Together *DATE CHANGED TO 12/06/09*

[csshih]

hmm.. I was hoping for more pics..

if anyone needs help getting them up, feel free to email me!!

err.. PM first, i'll send my addy over.

 

[PCC]

I haven't looked at my camera since returning home from this. I'll check it later this evening and see if I can post something.

 

[Max_Power]

Did someone say they wanted more pics?

These photos are stored at http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/sets/72157622841517757/ - I have more photos uploaded there, in case you didn't see yourself in one of these. Next time I will take some shots of the outdoor throw demos instead of just playing around with my $15 cyclops.

If anyone wants high-res versions, I have now uploaded the full-res 4282x2848 300dpi 12 megapixel spherically-corrected versions to flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/sets/72157622990975242/ . They are quite a lot sharper, but they are also around 2 megabytes each. I used DxO Optics to do a batch process on the 11-16mm shots to make spheres (human heads) near the edges look round again. This causes some cropping which can't be avoided. It also makes some straight lines into curves. You can magnify like crazy if you click on "all sizes" and look at the "original" size. The lights in the hat are a good example to try this on.

In the process of doing this update, I deleted the existing uncorrected photos on flickr.
This might break quoted messages, so please edit your post and fix the link if you want your quote to have a picture in it. Next time I will just post another whole set instead of breaking the old one.

My favorite photo is the last one in this posting. I need to take more photos of people in order to get better at it. Been practicing mostly on natural subjects the past year.

Nice hat - looks a bit uncomfortable with all that metal in it.

Xtar Howitzer, as modeled by csshih

Klingon Maglites

The Bench - flashlight jewelry factory

The Table

Group Photo

Available light shot of the table at f/2.8

Lone Star! I see that your schwartz is as big as mine!

Jim on the right, with monster light and a backup (of course)

Flashlight lego discussion

No overt signs of flashaholism

Definitely a flashaholic - more lights are under false bottom of case!

Nerf ninjas

Proud mom

 

[Nanomiser]

Great pics; thank you :thumbsup:

 

[kramer5150]

Lone Star! I see that your schwartz is as big as mine!

I don't think anyone got detailed pics of it, but that silver-bezel D mag workerB is holding has been modded with an HID. The ballast is crammed inside the body tube, adjacent to the switch housing. It uses a modded mag-D switch.

Lots of impressive DIY work at this meet!!

 

[gimmejr]

Thank you to Modamag for hosting this. It might be to cold right now for a night hike. :thinking:

 

[csshih]

One last note - many of the photos are done with an 11mm lens, so round objects (heads) near the edges of the photo will get smushed a bit. I was hoping to correct for that in post-processing, but there's not yet a DXO module for the Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens. I'm certain that it is only a matter of time before I'll be able to fix that. Next time I'll use the 24-70 lens more for people shots.

hehe.. fisheyes.

I don't know how, but I somehow brought the wrong lens.. a 28-80 one.. too zoomy for easy shots.. it'll be a stock 18-55 next time. :shrug:

 

[Aircraft800]

Great Pictures! Sure looks like I missed a great time!
(That stretched out effect was a little hard on the eyes )

 

[Max_Power]

I agree, don't like the oblong heads.

I just upgraded to the latest version of DxO Optics Pro 6.1, which allows me to correct for that. The correction was as easy as clicking on a preset. Even without a module that covers this lens, the software did a pretty good job of automatically rounding the oblong heads. It also reduced the apparent distance of the stuff in the center.

Magic!

Now I need to apply the fix to the rest of the images taken with the 11mm lens.

(edit - this has been done...)

 

[kramer5150]

Thanks... my head feels a lot better now.

 

[unnerv]

hehe.. fisheyes.

I don't know how, but I somehow brought the wrong lens.. a 28-80 one.. too zoomy for easy shots.. it'll be a stock 18-55 next time. :shrug:

I brought my 17-55 and it was just about right, for the group shot it could have been a hair wider, although we solved that by opening the garage door.

 

[Aircraft800]

Off Topic, but great! Everyone lost about 30 lbs with the "fix" of the images taken with the 11mm lens.

 

[LowBat]

Thanks Jonathan and family for hosting. Sorry I didn't stay longer as I just wasn't feeling well. Nice new home you found. Looks like you finally got a garage big enough to hold your cars and your hobbies.

 

[gadget_lover]

Darn! I missed another one.

Looks like you guys had a blast!


I'll keep an eye open for the next one.

Daniel

 

[TechnoBill]

Gentlemen,

You Are Killing Me!

Such a hard core group of unrepentant substance abusers all relatively proximal to one another is truly a beautiful thing.

But the fact that your wives not only 1)Refrain from divorcing you, but actually 2)Attend, enjoy, and graciously host your degenerate bacchanals leaves me envious beyond words.

And you younger guys, Hear Me! Until you are so filthy stinking rich that you do not have to attend work and your children are already well established in college, STAY IN CALIFORNIA! In fact, if you can move somewhere within your state where the laws are even more restrictive, such as banning any cameras beyond 'point and shoot' devices (No Detachable Lenses) you should do so as soon as you are legally able.

And this applies to YOU Sir Craigory, most of all. MrGman has touched the precision devices to which I allude, and can confirm the perils waiting outside your state's legal borders. Perils that will make the fall of Anakin Skywalker look like a stubbed toe. Children who don't recognize their father, a heartbroken widow grieving an UnDead husband, a man who makes seven figures but lives in a cardboard box and is attempting to buy U.S. Optics {Decadence Beyond Avarice} outright, a man who overhears "it's about 9:45" and hurries away thinking "Oh no. Not the 'velocity' versus 'caliber' pseudo-argument again. Those guys should pay more attention to 'shot placement'!"

Seek his counsel. MrG, the -aholism is strong with this one. Clouded, his future is.

Elder G & Co.: Perhaps you could take up a collection and purchase Music, Sound & Physics for Sir Craigory. I have previously planted the seed in a P.M. to him, but know not whether it has taken root. A gentle nudge, a percentage of a degree of change in tack, a fulfilling life, instead of a plunge into the Black Stick Side, and a forehead tatooed with "1,000 Meters: Where Fantasy Meets Reality." Closely watched must be he, lest the last words of Sir Craigory be "Mountable on WHAT?"

 

[csshih]

such as banning any cameras beyond 'point and shoot' devices (No Detachable Lenses) you should do so as soon as you are legally able.

uhoh.. I hope you didn't notice the "canon" strap on me in the group pic.

I have previously planted the seed in a P.M. to him, but know not whether it has taken root. A gentle nudge, a percentage of a degree of change in tack, a fulfilling life, instead of a plunge into the Black Stick Side, and a forehead tatooed with "1,000 Meters: Where Fantasy Meets Reality." Closely watched must be he, lest the last words of Sir Craigory be "Mountable on WHAT?"

:naughty: I got me a weaponlight.
a tad bit busy lately to think now! finals are next week!

 

[marschw]

You can't see in that picture, but those lights in his case are sitting on a false bottom. There's another layer underneath!

 

[Max_Power]

If anyone wants high-res versions, I have now uploaded the full-res 4282x2848 300dpi 12 megapixel, spherically-corrected versions to flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3105554...7622990975242/ . They are quite a lot sharper, but they are also around 2 megabytes each. I used DxO Optics to do a batch process on the 11-16mm shots to make spheres (human heads) near the edges look round again. This causes some cropping which can't be avoided. It also makes some straight lines into curves. You can magnify like crazy if you click on "all sizes" and look at the "original" size. The lights in the hat are a good example to try this on.

In the process of doing this update, I deleted the existing uncorrected 800x600 photos on flickr and uploaded corrected versions of them. This might break quoted messages, so please edit your post and fix the link if you want your quote to have a picture in it. Next time I will just post another whole set instead of breaking the old one.

 

[TechnoBill]

uhoh.. I hope you didn't notice the "canon" strap on me in the group pic.

:naughty: I got me a weaponlight.
a tad bit busy lately to think now! finals are next week!

Good Luck with Finals Sir Craigory!

"Canon" :huh:, "Weaponlight" :huh:, It's too late MrGman. Enjoy Craig's friendship and mentor him while you can. You are witnessing the last public developmental stages of the next generation's Law Abiding Citizen. {Movie Reference}
One Possible Version of Craig's future. Hit HD version button. It ROCKS!

(NOTE) The plot summaries at IMD bear no relation to the movie. Jamie Foxx's character is a two micron deep, conniving, cowardly, heartless little weasel WAY overdue for a dressing down by reality. Gerard Butler's character is the hero. Or it's the other way around if you hold expediency over integrity. Rice (Foxx) is all Show and No Soul. Shelton (Butler) is all Soul w/ Show as a mere tool. R-Rated Dialogue Quotes

But Sir Craigory, already in the process of becoming Stealth Craigory {To Wit: The false botton noted by marschw}, will have a 'hardened' but unobtrusive residence, unlike Mr. Shelton.

About those finals, he no doubt is already practicing the craft by being seen walking through high school doors in the morning, but I'm laying odds he walks straight out the back to another car and drives to the library of a big anonymous local University where he's doing Indpendent Study of his Sophomore year at Caltech! When he leaves home to go to college he won't be lying when he says he's heading off for Undergrad. But the word "Freshman" will never cross his lips. He'll be moving to Caltech as a Junior! Spooks always hide in plain sight.

"Inversely upside down kid." Yeah, right... I believe that...

 

[gswitter]

Haven't been on the board much in the past month and a half, but it was good to hang out with everyone.

A belated big thanks to Jonathan for hosting the get together and donating his time and expertise on his lathe. I'm quite pleased with the way my bored Leupold bezel has worked out.