Playin' with cameras and lenses

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I had collected a some lenses from the US and was playing with them.
After reviewing other conversion attempts on the web, I made a few decisions. The connection had to be all metal and strong - no epoxying plastic lens caps together to make the adapters.It did not have to be permanent but on the other hand, I am pretty sure no one is going to make a FD or M42 lend mount digital camera (would be nice to be proved wrong though!). I would need auto focus confirmation on each lens - my eyesight is not what it used to be. And finally, it had to be wholly achieveable with the few tools I have.
And I believe that I have succeeded on each one of those.
One of the most difficult things to do was to figure out how far from the camera focal plane the lens had to be. We are not talking about ultra precise measurements, just within a 0.5mm or so.
The first thing was to construct a device that would hold the lens perpendicular to the camera and allow the camera to be adjusted back and forth to find the optimum separation distance. The images below show my quick setup and how it works. The device is crudely made from a few strips of wood and a macro focus attachment.
The second and third pictures show how it moves the camera back and forth. A simple ruler can measure the difference needed.

Rain Rain and more rain

This morning was a bit cloudy but by 8:30am, it had all changed.
It started to drizzle and by 10am, we were being rained on.A good, heavy steady downpour. It lasted over n hour and it was badly needed. This was repeated over the next 5 hours accumulating 2 1/2" of rain. However, I know I will be saying something different in a couple weeks when I have to cut the grass every weekend!
After a bit of work on the new house, I went into the garage and started to play with the bike. Just minor things- small adjustment here and there, checking things over before I take the big test ride.
I still have to work on the hydration / cooler system but that will come in time. Here are some pictures for now :-) First we have the cockpit - On the left is a speedometer (maximum, average, instant)/cadence(avg and instant)/ odometer (total, this ride,) timer/clock and a host of other options. The Garmin unit gives location on a map, speed, cadence, heart rate, elevation, clock, timer and more. probably too much information to be honest! In front of this is the handlebar bad that holds snacks, camera or other quick reach items.
Following photos are front rack and tires, then chainwheel and rear end. You can click on each image for a larger picture and to read the writing.

It's getting hotter

It's has been busy the last couple weeks.
It's another long weekend with the Queen's birthday being recognized on Monday. I once again took the Friday off for a 4 day weekend. It gave me a chance to run some needed errands and do a bit of shopping!
First of all, we finally have the last red card for the new house. What happened is that we are building a new home. When you make a major change, you have to get a new red card. The first change was to enlarge the second floor. The final change was to add a third floor. Now, we can proceed with final electrical and plumbing inspections and work on finishing the home. There are still trim to install, closet organizers to build/install, stairs to be covered with the flooring and a host of little things that while not needed to move in, will be easier to do before the furniture and people are there. My guess is that we will be moving in before September. I am sure Janie and others will say otherwise!

Summer is finally here and it's time for the heat to "come on down and stay awhile". We get rains in June and rains once again in September. The period between is hot and humid. Daytime temps are 90-95+. Currently, the outside temp is 90 at 7:00am which is not bad. The problem is the humidity which can be between 75-90%. It definitely makes one live with the AC in both cars and homes.

I have noticed lately that there is quite a local trade in fruit trees going on. Someone will trade you a mango tree for a banana. You will get a free hot pepper plant because they have too many. On Thursday, Janie was given a Otahiti (sp) apple tree because someone had too many. Thankfully, I have a large yard so I can always find a place for them.
Mangoes are ripening across Cayman and there are farmers selling their produce along the roadside. One such person has a small stand across from Public Beach on West Bay Road. He sells mangoes, watermelons, starfruit, and sweet potatoes on a regular basis with bananas and less common fruits infrequently. He makes an absolutely delicious fruit punch with watermelon, mango, guava and tamarind juices.
I was telling him last week that I need to start collecting points since I am stopping almost every afternoon on the way home from work to buy mangoes or watermelons. You do get recognition from people in cars when you are riding home with a whole watermelon strapped to the rear of your bicycle!

Chickens are still there and the 4 young ones are growing rapidly. Egg production is averaging 4-6 per week. I saw a nice hen with 4 chicks yesterday afternoon. I am now trying to trap the mother and young ones to add to the collection. Of course, it means I have to build a bigger chicken tractor. As I was updating this blog, I took a quick look outside and saw two young hens eating in the trap. I sprung it and now have two new hens in the tractor. I will definitely have to enlarge it now (or eat a chicken)! :-0

I have received the 3 M42-EOS adapters from Hong Kong on Thursday and have begun the conversion of my second lens, a Canon FD 35-105 F3.5-3.5 that I bought specifically for testing. I have to admit that the project was a lot simpler than initially thought. I had to make a small aluminum piece from 1/16" aluminum plate that would allow me to control the F stop setting while still replacing everything else. About 5 minutes taking measurements and another 15 minutes of cutting and filing and I have my part. It is epoxied to the F-stop ring and moves the aperture blades via an existing lever. The epoxy is drying and I will be re-assembling the unit tomorrow morning for lens to focal plane testing. It will be fairly easy to adjust the final measurement as the adapter is screwed on and spacers can be readily added or removed as necessary. Update - June 20 - Further testing showed that I have to change the design of the F-stop adjuster. These are zoom lenses and when one increases the length of the lens (i.e. - go from 35mm to 105mm), the F-stop lever drops down into the lens and is not adjustable. Back to the drawing board!

The next lens will be a 35-105 F3.5 with Macro, a lens I believe I will be using most of the time.
Tools used are a ruler, various screwdrivers, file, hacksaw, lathe and milling machine.

The randonneuring bike is 95% complete for riding. It has been assembled and I did a short test ride. I was plagued by a leak in the rear tire but it was a pinched tube caused by trying to install the Schwalbe Marathons. They are so tight when first installed that one has to use a tire lever . But after a few miles of being under pressure, they become hand installation friendly. The final choice for now is 700x25 Marathons because I have them and need to use them The actual ride tires will be 700x28s which are also in hand. The final items are a insulated water cooler on the front rack and the 2m radio for communications with home/base/support. Pictures and more details to follow.