Brinno TLC 100

On 11 Jan 2012, USPS delivered to my home, one Brinno TLC 100.  I received the camera with the batteries and flash drive included.  I plugged the flash drive into the proper socket and properly installed the four AA batteries.  I wanted to change the interval between image capture to 7 seconds.  I could not.  The camera is programmed in Windows.  I do not have a Windows machine.  I settled on using the factory settings (7) to record time lapse images on the flash drive at 5 second intervals.

Today, all video formats are recognized by my iMac.  So I was not worried about being able to view the recorded time lapse file.  After one day of recording, I removed the flash drive from the TLC 100 and plugged it into my iMac.  QuicktimePlayer.app  opened and played the video fine.  It had captured several images of a squirrel poaching from the feeder.  Not what I had in mind when I put out a bird feeder but not unexpected, either.

I still wanted control of the camera time lapse.  In order to do that I would need access to Windows.  Ever since Apple began installing Intel processors in Macs, Windows can run natively on a Mac.  So I had several options to gain control of the camera program.

1. Purchase an inexpensive computer that runs Windows
2. Configure my iMac as a dual boot computer:Windows and Mac operating systems
3. Install a virtual application to run Windows and OSX simultaneously 

Not wanting to spend an excessive amount of money and still get access to the Windows world, I opted for an app at the Apple app store, WinOnX.

I installed the app on my iMac.  I connected the flash drive to my iMac.  I double clicked the self extracting file and the window you see above opened.  

I then opened the TimeLapse Camera app.  The date and time signature were already changed when the app window opened.  I changed the time interval.  I was satisfied I was able to make the changes without making my computer a dual boot system and buying Windows 7.


I ejected the flash drive from my iMac, disconnected it and plugged it into the waiting TLC 100.  I took the camera outdoors and mounted it onto the external side of one of the windows in the breakfast room, so that the camera was about 20" from the bird feeder.  I then held the power button until the green light lit.  I backed away from the camera, out of its field of view, and waited to hear the double beep signal warning me the camera was energized and capturing images.  I returned to the house to let the camera do what it does, capture still images every seven seconds.


I returned the next morning to find the power light off.  I pressed and held the power button to turn off the unit.  Instead the light turned on and the signal beeped twice.  That meant the camera was already off when I arrived.  I held the power button again until it beeped three times signaling the power was off.

I removed the flash drive and connected it to my iMac.  There was no recorded .avi file.  None!  I figured something was wrong.  So I opened the Disk Utility. app on my iMac.

I seems that my dragging the recorded .avi file into the trash didn't erase the file and the drive was close to full.  Not having a way to format the drive in the camera, I decided to erase and reformat it using my iMac.

In the Disk Utility.app I pressed Erase after choosing the MS-DOS (FAT) format.  Once that was finished, I dragged and dropped the two files from the Brinno website for the TLC 100 into the reformatted flash drive.  Now the flash drive was mounted and there was 3.4 MB of data on the drive as seen below.

I ejected the flash drive and removed it from the iMac.  I plugged it into the TLC 100, installed fresh AA batteries, mounted the TLC 100 outdoors, pressed the power button until the green light lit and stepped out of its field of view and waited for the two beeps.  Once it beeped I returned to the house and let the camera do its thing until the morning.

In the morning I turn off the camera, pulled the flash drive and connected it to my iMac.  The camera again didn't capture any images.


I emailed the manufacturer in Taiwan explaining my problem.  I emailed the manufacturer twice and as of today I have still not received a reply.  So I emailed the company in California that sold me the camera.  The very next day I received a phone call from the California company.


It was explained to me the TLC 100 is not Mac compatible.  I figured that out on my own.  The person on the phone had no experience with Macs and could not help me.  He did inform me their new TLC 200 is Mac compatible and a raincoat is available to make it weather resistant.


So I have this new Brinno TLC 100 that will not record images on either of the two flash drives I have.  I have two flash drives I am unable to reformat.  I am contemplating purchasing a TLC 200 that has all of the controls in the camera.  Then I won't need to use Windows at all.


I wonder how long it would take for delivery?


©Damyon T. Verbo

MacGyver Gadget Dud in Grimsby

My MacGyver gadget didn't work the way I planned.  The flash diffuser made from a 3x5 card just didn't make the grade.


If you remember, I left my flash equipment, Sunpak 611, Quantum Battery + and the LumiQuest Softbox III, behind .  It was still in London (two hours away by car), in my daughter's apartment, on top of the wardrobe in the bedroom we were using.  So I improvised a diffuser for my on-camera's pop-up flash.

                    

      

The four images above were exposed using the 3x5 card.  If you look closely at the two images on the right, you will see the shadows have low contrast.  However, the images captured with the 3x5 card were underexposed by at least two stops.  The two on the left are directly out of the camera; no post-production work.  The two on the right had changes made in post-production.  

             

As the evening wore on, I discarded the homemade diffuser and used the pop-up flash without modification.  Once I discarded the 3x5 card the images were better exposed.  As expected they had dark shadows rimming the figures, as seen in these images.  I not sure if MacGyver's gadgets worked at 100% efficiency, mine didn't. 

I always say, "If you never make any mistakes, you are not taking any chances."

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Charging My Photography Equipment for Grimsby

I ended my walk along the Cleethorpes beach and returned to the guesthouse.  Once in the room I began to prepare my photography equipment for Saturday and the English wedding reception.


I plugged in the charger for the Nikon battery.  The only other equipment that needed charging was the Quantum Battery+1.  There was one problem.  I couldn't find the gym bag with the Sunpak 611 and Quantum Battery +1.  I tore the room apart.  I checked every square inch, twice.  The bag I place out of the way, atop the wardrobe in our bedroom in my daughter's apartment, was still out of the way atop the wardrobe in my daughter's apartment in London, three hours away by car.  So much for check lists.

Learn Photography With Tom Grill

I went into MacGyver mode.  What to do about the harsh light produced by my only remaining flash, the on-camera pop-up?  A flash went off in my brain.  I remembered reading an online blog by Tom Grill about light modifiers for pop-up flashes.  I took the idea of the modifier, in the third image above, and used a 3 x 5 card to replicate the it.  I cut a small diamond shaped hole in the card to allow for some specular highlights.  I wasn't happy with myself but I thought my contraption might work well enough.  My only worry was that the pop-up flash might drain the camera battery quickly, diminishing the number of possible exposures.  I would find out soon enough.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Photography Equipment for Grimsby

One of the reasons for our visit to England was to attend a reception for my daughter and her British husband in his hometown, Grimsby.  I was invited to photograph the reception and an engagement type session before the reception.  

Source:http://silverbased.org/

I last photographed a wedding in the late 80's when I was using a 645 film camera.  I used a Lumidyne system for an off-camera strobe light.  That system included a 400WS head with modeling lamp, a 200WS power pack and three mini-batteries.  Part of the system was a Stroboframe.  A Stoboframe holds the camera on a rotating platform and the strobe high above the camera.  The rotating platform keeps the lens axis of a rectangular format camera concentric even though you change from horizontal to vertical camera orientation.

Source:http://forums.skateperception.com

Months before my departure, I found the Lumidyne was not working.  I assumed the flashtube was bad but without testing the whole system, I could not be certain.  The flashtube was the least expensive part in the system and I thought replacing it might be the easiest and most cost effective action to take.  I called around and no local store had a flashtube in stock.  I bid on several used Lumidyne systems on eBay but was unable to purchase one within my budget.  The Lumidyne was not a viable consideration.

Source;http://myworld.ebay.com/bombon-456/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Source:http://myworld.ebay.com/fotoaffar/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Years before I purchased the Lumidyne system I used a system that consisted of a Sunpak 611 and a Quantum Battery1.  The Quantum battery recycled the strobe much quicker than four C batteries that the 611 was designed to use as a power source.  I had recently replaced the batteries in the Quantum for my son to use as a movie extra portraying a paparazzo.  This system was a viable consideration.

SB-700

SB-910

The last possibility, and the one I favored the most, was to purchase a new Nikon Speedlight.  Either an SB-700 or SB-910.  Both of those strobes would work automatically with my Nikon and control the flash used for a correct exposure.  However, the SB-700 would cost at least $320.00 and the SB-910 even more.  I was going on a trip and London is an expensive city.  I thought it would be prudent to spend the least amount of money for the best results with little time remaining.  The new Speedlight was out.


I decided to take the Sunpak to England.  The Sunpak system was lighter in weight than the Lumadyne system.  The Sunpak was working.  I made my decision.  There were some issues with the Sunpak system.  Neither of the remote thyristors worked to control the light output, so I had to use the strobe at full power, all the time.  I actually had two Sunpak 611s and each had its own problem.  One didn't have a functioning on/off switch and didn't flash.  The other took a long time to recharge the condensers.  Plus the face of the strobe had a small surface area and couldn't be rotated for bounce flashes, resulting in harsh lighting.

LumiQuest

I decided to purchase a light modifier for the 611.  It would be kind of a small light box fitted to the strobe head.  A light box creates a larger light source thereby softening the shadows on the subjects.  Two days before I departed on BA flight 68, I purchased a LumiQuest Softbox III at a Philadelphia photography shop.  It increased the size of the light source 20 times.  I believed I was set with a camera strobe.  I packed all the photography equipment into my gym bag shaped carry-on with wheels and a extendalbe handle.


I placed a list of all the equipment into the bag.  A check list reduces the chance of forgetting any items.  I use this list as does an airplane pilot, not that I don't know what is necessary but to be sure I have everything both on the outbound flight and on the inbound flight.

This bag is very similar to the bag which contained my flash 

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved