Thursday, October 15, 2009

Fluorescence: Rudbeckia missouriensis using various light sources + filters

A quick series of tests done, showing the effects of various UV light sources + filters for UV stimulated visible fluorescence. Images just resized, straight from the cam.

[click on image to see a larger one]

0. Visible reference, 5600 Kelvin LED



1: Long wave UV lamp w. filtered mercury 2x 4 Watts lights ("blacklights"), 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



2: Cree 385nm UV LED, 3 Watts, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera (this LED leaks quite some blue light)




3: Cree 385nm UV LED, 3 Watts, filtered using 1.25" BaaderU-Filter , 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



4: Nichia 385nm UV LED, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera


5: Nichia 365nm UV LED, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



6: Nichia 365nm UV LED filtered using 1.25" BaaderU-Filter, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



7: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



8: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1, Baader UV/IR cut filter on camera



9: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1, Schott BG38 + 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



10: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1, 400-650nm dichroic cut filter on camera



Exposure times were between 15s (UV fluorescent lamp), 3-15s (UV LEDs) and 1/160s (Xenon flash), all shot using ISO400 and f11.

I did not try and make "the pattern" visible. The underlying assumption that the pattern using reflected UV and UV stimulated visible fluorescence should not be confused, since it is two completely different mechanisms and it might be just coincidential that both appear at the same time. It would be interesting to study that though, if these both are directly linked to each other (i.e. if the reflected UV pattern and the fluorescence pattern appear simultaneously and if so, why).

You may have noticed, that I tried to cut off the visible part of the exciting light source from about 395nm onwards using a 1.25" Baader U-filter in some of the tests. I wanted to see if that "leakage" of visble light (some blue usually) in the exciting light has an impact on the result - and quite obviously it has, with the exception of the Nichia 365nm UV LED, since that one has hardly any visible content. But still it makes a little, but noticeable difference.

The Xenon light source provides a continuous emission spectrum and using a UG1 like filter, I took out the UV part as exciting light. Now the question is, if the strong visible red in the results is a result of stimulated red+NIR fluorescence, or if it is caused by NIR leakage of the UG1 filter (i.e. reflected NIR). This is why I used three different  filters (BG38, Baader UV/IR cut and 400-650nm cut) to see the effect of them.

Here now the proof that IT IS indeed red/NIR leakage:

11: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



12: High Power UV flash, filtered using Schott UG1 + UV passing IR blocking filter, 400-700nm dichroic cut filter on camera



Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...


More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Schriesheim vineyard insect view impressions

Yesterday it was probably one of the last sunny October days and I grabbed my "insect vision" lens system for an excursion to the vineyards of Schriesheim, Germany and its well known castle "Strahlenburg". I hope you enjoy these special views as much as I did.

[click on image to see a larger one]































Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Even more on Relay Lens Systems...

Well, more images for your viewing pleasure shot today in Herrmannshof Park, Weinheim.

[click on image to see a larger one]































Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

More about Relay Lens Systems

More about relay lens systems today. A few images for your viewing pleasure recently shot in Hermannshof Park in Weinheim.

[click on image to see a larger one]
















Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Monday, September 14, 2009

Experiments with Relay Lenses - UV

I promised to explain what that relay system has to do with UV photography - now here some preliminary results showing that same system being used to simulated tetrachromatic vision, so here in the second and fourth image also UV will be shown (as blue).

[click on image to see a larger one]














Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Experiments with Relay Lens Systems

About relay lens systems today and what they allow to achieve. Not much technical details today, just a few images for your viewing pleasure ...

If you wonder what all that has to do with UV photography - wait a bit, you'll see soon...wink


[click on image to see a larger one]
































Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

Monday, August 31, 2009

Test Pentax SMC f1.8/85mm vs. Ultra Achromatic Takumar f4.5/85mm

Here a quick test, Pentax SMC Takumar 1.8/85mm vs Ultra Achromatic Takumar 4.5/85mm to see how that might perform. That SMC lens is said to be the sharpest Pentax ever made for that focal length.

You'll find left the SMC, right the UAT 85mm. [click on image to see a larger one]

1) Cushion on my balcony, shot at f8.

full format:


100% detail:




2) Plantane trees about 5 meters from my balcony, shot fully open (different DOF due to f1.8 vs f4.5)

full format:


100% detail:


The UAT behaves not too bad considering ....

At (nearly) infinity, it starts to look different though since the UAT was designed for close work - tile roof ca 25 meters away, my "standard test" object, shot also at f8

full format:


100% details:





that latter one I usually use to determine the amount of CA on teh black white transitions.


 
Well, here at about infinity, the UAT clearly looses in terms of sharpness and contrast against the SMS lens!

But bear in mind, the UAT was made to record from 220nm to ca 1100nm without CA (UV to NIR) i.e. without focus shift and for that it keeps up with its rival excellently (which only does visible light)!!


Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos