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camera trick

These big old Tek 11801 scopes don't put screen snaps on memory sticks or anything fancy like that, so I photograph the screen for manuals. To get a nice flat field, you have to back off some and zoom, and then you need a tripod to hold the camera steady. Light level is low, so the camera takes a long exposure. When you push the button, that jiggles the camera. The delayed exposure thing takes too long.

Here's the trick, which works with my camera: deliberately shake the camera as you push the exposure button, and step back. The camera's anti-shake logic will wait until it thinks it's steady, then shoot.

This seems to make sharper pix than any other way.

Zoom up on this one:

formatting link

I post-process with Irfanview.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc

jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

Precision electronic instrumentation
Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators
Custom laser drivers and controllers
Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links
VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro   acquisition and simulation
Reply to
John Larkin
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There used to be camera mount that you could buy that slotted onto the front of the scope.

I'm damned if I can remember where I used it - either EMI Central Research thirty odd-years ago or Cambridge Instruments more than twenty years ago - but it did make life a lot easier.

-- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

Reply to
Bill Sloman

The old Tek 545 types had a special bezel that the Tek Polaroid camera would hook onto.

The 11801 has a big, somewhat curved screen, magnetic deflection, and you have to get a few feet back to get a reasonably flat field. Interestingly, the older b+w scopes look a lot better in photos than the color ones. I think the color scopes (11801A and such) used shadow mask tubes, so look pretty pixeleted.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc

jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

Precision electronic instrumentation
Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators
Custom laser drivers and controllers
Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links
VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro   acquisition and simulation
Reply to
John Larkin

No GPIB? I wanted to avoid it but I'm thinking about getting some GPIB gear to make screendumps. There seem to be several software package that support various Tek scopes.

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to
Nico Coesel

It has GPIB, but I don't. I does have RS232, which I've used for jitter analysis. All a nuisance. And I kind of like how the real pictures look in manuals, sort of authentic.

All the new scopes will dump a pretty color jpeg onto a memory stick.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc

jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

Precision electronic instrumentation
Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators
Custom laser drivers and controllers
Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links
VME thermocouple, LVDT, synchro   acquisition and simulation
Reply to
John Larkin

It will print to a HP LaserJet nicely.

Reply to
tm

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Anchor Steam OBA can fix that problem nicely :-)

Nah. I have a Prologix GPIB-USB adapter. Those also come for Ethernet and you could probably have your scope on the company network that way. The GPIB-USB works like a champ and I get "module spec ready" plots that way.

The only thing I've always wondered about is that red glow behind the HP3577. The Prologix has that illuminated all the time if a PC is connected. So I guess if it was a laptop it'll tug on the battery all the time. It's eerie, the big switch is in the "Off" position and there's something aglow.

I must admit yours really do look authentic and more lively. But when preparing docs for highly "official" use, like for agencies, I guess they'd frown if I did that. Or my clients would, who have to submit this stuff.

Some take half an eternity to complete though.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Reply to
Joerg

[snip]

Anyone have any tricks to do remote shutter on a camera not so-enabled? ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Thread a hole in the top of the shutter button, and attach a legacy "remote" button actuator. They work by air pressure bladder and a hose usually.

I know, the button likely would not take to drilling well, and is likely plastic too.

Cheaper to simply buy a new camera. There are hot offerings out there for cheap. You get more than remote shutter enactment too.

Reply to
SoothSayer

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Which Camera?

If it?s a Canon, then maybe with CHDK and a USB remote hack.

formatting link

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I usually use the self timer on a small tripod. That way you don't need to touch the camera during the exposure.

Reply to
tm

Olympus SP-800UZ ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Most of the new scopes have USB host on the front, why not simply hit the save ?

For those that don't have that on the front, many have the serial link option.

Also, I found using a web cam works well getting images from CRT scopes. I did noticed however, if you hold the camera slightly at an angle instead of straight on it seems to work better? I think it has something to do multiple reflection.

Jamie

Reply to
Jamie

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Oh that one ;)

Looks like your out of luck unless you hobble something together. What about a strap-on? (grin)

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

Hey, I put pics of whiteboard sketches in proposals and manuals.

--

John Larkin                  Highland Technology Inc
www.highlandtechnology.com   jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com   

Precision electronic instrumentation
Picosecond-resolution Digital Delay and Pulse generators
Custom timing and laser controllers
Photonics and fiberoptic TTL data links
VME  analog, thermocouple, LVDT, synchro, tachometer
Multichannel arbitrary waveform generators
Reply to
John Larkin

I have a local machine shop here (Horizon Machine) that's been doing some innovative work for me... maybe I'll just design my own "strap-on" ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Quite a few camera makers sell wireless remotes - although you do have to make sure it works with your model. Otherwise look for gadgets sold to birders and amateur astronomers for afocal photography through a telescope scope that essentially wrap around the camera and allow for a traditional cable release to press the shutter button.

You could make one yourself from 2mm alu strip.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown
Reply to
Martin Brown

That one does have a self timer I notice. (2 or 12 sec)

Reply to
Rheilly Phoull

My scopes and spectrum analyser don't have that. I tried a floppy-to USB emulator but that was too cumbersome to use.

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to
Nico Coesel

That's ok and makes them look alive. But a module spec for formal agency blessings is different, that would almost be like putting some smileys into a court document.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Reply to
Joerg

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