Losing my marbles !

**Desmond** · 06-09-2009, 08:59 PM

but it's fun

My sound activated switch is working out quite well . These pictures are early experiments and once I get the right settings I'll concentrate on refining the pictures .

Initially I had too much blur from ambient .

It took a few attempts but eventually I hit the pile ...

Last night it was triggering too early and the sound of the air rifle was triggering the flash before the balloon even popped .

Eventually I found that moving the mic caused enough delay to catch a 'pop' but eventually I will get the timing and lighting right and maybe have some water in the balloon as well .

Hopefully once the nights get a little warmer I will be able to spend more time outside where I can destroy things without worrying too much about making a mess .

**Ashley Daws** · 06-09-2009, 09:04 PM

Cool experiment. I think those marbles could make quite and interesting shot

**Klickit** · 06-09-2009, 09:04 PM

#'s 4 & 5 grabbed my attention - flying marbles!!

**Desmond** · 06-09-2009, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by North of Auckland

Cool experiment. I think those marbles could make quite and interesting shot

Originally Posted by Klickit

#'s 4 & 5 grabbed my attention - flying marbles!!

Eventually I will take the time to block the flash from the background and get a more professional shot . I have a bunch of old lightbulbs waiting to ' get the hammer ' when I move the setup outside

**picktchaplz** · 06-09-2009, 11:55 PM

this looks like fun, how sensitive is the required noise for triggering? the thing i want to try is using light gates to set up a light trap for birds.

**Desmond** · 07-09-2009, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by picktchaplz

this looks like fun, how sensitive is the required noise for triggering? the thing i want to try is using light gates to set up a light trap for birds.

It has a sensitivity adjustment . If I blow lightly on the front of the mic it triggers . Clicking my fingers doesn't trigger it unless it is close . Talking [deeper sound ] triggers it easily . Someone suggested I could put it inside a lampshade for a parabolic effect or even in a directional tube but at the moment for the stuff I'm doing it's working well . If you had the mic right next to where the bird flaps its wings I'm sure the air would trigger it .
{I got it as a kit from Jaycar}
The Casio EX-F1 is designed for stuff like those bird shots . You can leave it set up and choose 'enter frame ' or 'exit frame' depending on whether you want it to take pictures as the bird arrives or as it leaves - but that means buying a whole new camera but it does have other cool features like video up to 1200 fps !

**flashpoint** · 07-09-2009, 02:19 PM

dude, where the heck did you get your sound trigger from?
i've been hunting NZ sites to no avail
i have found one from overseas within my acceptable price range but i've heard mixed reviews on it/

...was the sound trigger from jaycar?
do you have a link or a price?

cheers

**Desmond** · 07-09-2009, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by flashpoint

dude, where the heck did you get your sound trigger from?
i've been hunting NZ sites to no avail
i have found one from overseas within my acceptable price range but i've heard mixed reviews on it/

...was the sound trigger from jaycar?
do you have a link or a price?

cheers

Yep , a Jaycar diy kit for $17 . A mate of mine assembled it for me because they don't come with instructions . I added the solid state relay so it works much faster .

**flashpoint** · 07-09-2009, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Desmond

Yep , a Jaycar diy kit for $17 . A mate of mine assembled it for me because they don't come with instructions . I added the solid state relay so it works much faster .

$17 ... good grief
i was looking at triggers with a zero attached to the back of that.

i hate electrical/electronics tho',... wouldnt want to build it myself

(edit)
that looks an aweful lot like a Gamo CFX to me