Sailboat
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2010
- Messages
- 72
I noticed most threads with orange peel discussions usually involve the phrase, "I tried to take a picture of the reflector."
Of course, this shows how hard it is to take a picture of a reflector
We can take beamshot pictures, but that just tells us what the reflector is achieving, not what it looks like.
If you want to show how great a mirror is, it's simple, take a picture of how clearly a mirror reflects light. If reflector quality was based on how clear it was, that would be beautiful. Unfortunately, we don't want to see how well a reflector reflects light, again, that is the role of a beamshot. Instead, we want to refract the light, so that we are seeing how each component of the reflector surface is behaving; we want to see the reflector at work.
I have accidentally stumbled on a solution, and I searched if anyone else had done so, it appeared not. Sorry if someone has posted this before..
It's very simple. I am using a Vivitar Series 1 varifocal lens, but anything with which you can properly focus the light should work. I believe the concept here is similar to mounting a lens backwards on a camera. We are taking a macro "picture" of the reflector and shining it on the wall.
My "rig" involves either holding the light between my knees or in my hand with the lens. Unfortunately, all my good photographic equipment is film based, so I took these pictures with my cellphone.
Here is my 6P in hand with the lens,
Here is the 6P orangepeel, in good detail. Focus was a little bit off but it still shows the pattern and density.
Here is a Maglite reflector. Big hole, some reflector scratches visible from an abrasion test. I was really lazy focusing this, it was more a proof of concept than a useful picture anyway.
Here is a faceted reflector. Filament is very visible. Again, just showing that this should work for any reflector if you can get it focused on the wall.
Here is a multicolor LED array I found in my desk drawer.
If you don't have good photographic equipment, pick up an old, manual focus SLR lens on Craigslist for $10 and shine your lights through it. This is a very good, easy, cheap, and consistent way to get pictures of your reflectors! It's not perfect, but it's much clearer than taking a picture of a reflector itself.
I hope this is of use to people who are trying to compare reflectors.
Sailboat
Of course, this shows how hard it is to take a picture of a reflector
We can take beamshot pictures, but that just tells us what the reflector is achieving, not what it looks like.
If you want to show how great a mirror is, it's simple, take a picture of how clearly a mirror reflects light. If reflector quality was based on how clear it was, that would be beautiful. Unfortunately, we don't want to see how well a reflector reflects light, again, that is the role of a beamshot. Instead, we want to refract the light, so that we are seeing how each component of the reflector surface is behaving; we want to see the reflector at work.
I have accidentally stumbled on a solution, and I searched if anyone else had done so, it appeared not. Sorry if someone has posted this before..
It's very simple. I am using a Vivitar Series 1 varifocal lens, but anything with which you can properly focus the light should work. I believe the concept here is similar to mounting a lens backwards on a camera. We are taking a macro "picture" of the reflector and shining it on the wall.
My "rig" involves either holding the light between my knees or in my hand with the lens. Unfortunately, all my good photographic equipment is film based, so I took these pictures with my cellphone.
Here is my 6P in hand with the lens,
Here is the 6P orangepeel, in good detail. Focus was a little bit off but it still shows the pattern and density.
Here is a Maglite reflector. Big hole, some reflector scratches visible from an abrasion test. I was really lazy focusing this, it was more a proof of concept than a useful picture anyway.
Here is a faceted reflector. Filament is very visible. Again, just showing that this should work for any reflector if you can get it focused on the wall.
Here is a multicolor LED array I found in my desk drawer.
If you don't have good photographic equipment, pick up an old, manual focus SLR lens on Craigslist for $10 and shine your lights through it. This is a very good, easy, cheap, and consistent way to get pictures of your reflectors! It's not perfect, but it's much clearer than taking a picture of a reflector itself.
I hope this is of use to people who are trying to compare reflectors.
Sailboat
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