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2023-04-13

Hyundai/KIA Premium Gasoline Engine Oil SAE 5W-20 (API SL/ILSAC GF-3)

The Hyundai/KIA Premium Gasoline Engine Oil SAE 5W-20, just API SL/ILSAC GF-3, 4L (05100-00421):




I prefer this old engine oil to the imitations available today that only pretend to meet specifications. At least, the oil is suitable for the M13A engine of my Suzuki Jimny.

And I still use xW-20 oils.



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Posted by malykh в 00:04 0 comments

2023-04-11

Mitakon Creator 85/2 II vs Vivitar 85/1.8

I have two Chinese 85mm manual focus lenses: the Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator 85/2 II and the Vivitar [OEM] 85/1.8 (see also). Both are Nikon-F mount without electronics and without aperture actuator, the aperture is controlled directly by a ring.

The Vivitar on the left, the Mitakon on the right:



Both have 6 elements in 6 groups ("separated" Planar). This is a rare optical design.

The Mitakon:



The Vivitar:

(the text information about the design is wrong)


I tried both lenses (on my 24MP FF Sony a7c) and came to the following conclusions:

1. The Vivitar (available under several names as OEM) is noticeably cheaper.

2. There is no quality control. The Mitakon has a tilted focal plane. The Vivitar, I think, can't focus to infinity (only a thinner adapter helps) - UPD: I was wrong.

3. The Mitakon is more comfortable to operate, the focus ring and the aperture ring are more convenient. The Vivitar's very strange aperture scale is uncomfortable.

4. The Mitakon has a built-in hood. The Vivitar has a detachable hood (comes with the lens).

5. Both lenses have a 55mm filter thread. But the Vivitar only comes with a 72mm cap for the hood. You should find a 55mm cap if you don't want to use the hood.

6. The Mitakon is slightly larger.

7. The Mitakon weighs 365 grams (without caps), the Vivitar weighs 292 grams (without the hood and caps).

8. The Vivitar has only 6 aperture blades, while the Mitakon has 10.

9. The angle of view of the lenses is virtually the same.

10. Resolution in the center is about the same, but on the edges and especially in the corners the Vivitar is noticeably better.

11. The vignetting of the Mitakon is stronger than that of the Vivitar.

12. The Vivitar's distortion is almost unnoticeable. The Mitakon has a little barrel distortion.

13. Both lenses have a rather long minimum focusing distance (80-90cm). This results in poor macro capabilities (maximum magnification about 1:8, x0.125). But the Vivitar has a little more maximum magnification.

14. Both lenses have noticeable longitudinal chromatic aberrations (see Vivitar's example).

15. The Mitakon produces better sunstars than the Vivitar.

16. At the same shutter speed and ISO, the Vivitar at f/1.8 is about 0.3EV brighter (in RAW converter) than the Mitakon at f/2.

17. With the same white balance settings the Mitakon has a greenish cast or the Vivitar has a purple cast.


Everything looks like the Mitakon is more comfortable, but the image quality is better with the Vivitar. Still, I want to compare the out-of-focus area blur in more detail. This could be a meaningful difference.

Posted by malykh в 00:12 0 comments

2023-04-09

Eastern Sayan (August 2006)

The Eastern Sayan (Sayan Mountains). August 2006. The horizontal panorama:



Higher resolution:  6478x2844 4395.5KB

Pentax *ist Ds (1.5x crop factor, 6MP) + unknown manual focus lens



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Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-04-07

3" LCD Magnifier on Samsung NX300

I once bought an LCD magnifier (3" x2.8) for my Samsung NX500. But I never used it.

Now the Samsung NX300 cannot be used outdoors because of the AMOLED problem and the lack of a viewfinder. So I decided to try on this magnifier as a possible solution to the problem.



Unfortunately, the frame of the magnifier is too small for the wider 3.3" screen of the Samsung NX300. I will look for another solution.



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Posted by malykh в 00:07 0 comments

2023-04-05

JDM Suzuki Jimny recalls (JB23W, JB33W, JB43W, JB64W, JB74W)

UPD: 2025-06

JDM Suzuki Jimny [Wide/Sierra] recalls.

1998-2018 (JB23W, JB33W, JB43W) and 2018-... (JB64W, JB74W) generations.

Source (in Japanese language): https://www.suzuki.co.jp/recall/car/



JB64W-101560 ~ JB64W-134664
JB74W-102720 ~ JB74W-111240



JB64W-202124 ~ JB64W-205521
JB74W-138880 ~ JB74W-139603



JB64W-100092 ~ JB64W-112388
JB74W-100036 ~ JB74W-102725



JB64W-100092 ~ JB64W-181143
JB74W-100036 ~ JB74W-130721



JB64W-164514 ~ JB64W-164863
JB74W-124721 ~ JB74W-124947



JB64W-159617 ~ JB64W-16767



JB23W-695655 ~ JB23W-782034
JB43W-560904 ~ JB43W-584701



JB64W-100093～JB64W-107264 (MT)



JB64W-100092 ~ JB64W-121516



JB23W-741129 ~ JB23W-782034
JB64W-100092 ~ JB64W-117815
JB43W-581117 ~ JB43W-584701
JB74W-100036 ~ JB74W-105819



JB64W-111194 ~ JB64W-111356



JB23W-500005～JB23W-533066



JB23W-652973～JB23W-713388
JB43W-450212 ~ JB43W-562353



JB43W-580544 ~ JB43W-580668



JB23W-680014 ~ JB23W-708971
JB43W-560008 ~ JB43W-562052



JB43W-200760 ~ JB43W-201107
JB43W-300004 ~ JB43W-300749



JB23W-516994 ~ JB23W-520773 (MT)
JB43W-301139 ~ JB43W-301278 (MT)



JB23W-415329 ~ JB23W-415499



JB23W-100059 ~ JB23W-125412 (AT)
JB23W-200010 ~ JB23W-208859 (AT)
JB23W-210001 ~ JB23W-242251 (AT)
JB23W-310014 ~ JB23W-348640 (AT)



JB43W-110004 ~ JB43W-111374



JB23W-324514 ~ JB23W-324854 (MT)



JB23W-100052 ~ JB23W-125380 (MT)
JB33W-100057 ~ JB33W-115897 (MT)


Posted by malykh в 00:06 0 comments

2023-04-03

Sony a7c: My custom key settings

On the Sony a7c, I first map the down button to invoke the magnification of the focus area (needed to work with my non-electronic lenses). But this button is not handy to press.

Since the a7c has only a few buttons (and "Custom" is assigned by me to lock the exposure), I decided to compromise with the video recording button. I always switch to video mode, I never start video recording from photo mode.

So I assigned the focus magnifier to the video/movie button:



In video mode it is similar (inheritance behavior):



But to start recording in video mode with the main shutter button, you need another setting:



I also use ftp transfer a lot. It is available in my user menu. But even more convenient is the assignment of Fn in view mode:



After that, the button mapping of the Sony a7c is fine with me.



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Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-04-01

UAZ-31512 and earlier thoughts on clutch booster

When I drove the UAZ-31512, I did not like many aspects, but I was particularly annoyed by the stiff clutch pedal (and this after cars with automatic transmission).

So much so that I thought about installing some kind of booster. Since the clutch control is hydraulic, the idea was to use a hydrovac brake booster from Moskvich-412.



Especially since I already had that booster. But then I realized that it makes no sense to upgrade this UAZ. The idea stayed just an idea.


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Posted by malykh в 00:02 0 comments

2023-03-31

Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator 85/2 (Second Version)

The first version of the Chinese Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator 85/2 lens was plastic, cheap, with a 52mm filter thread and 6 aperture blades. The second version became metal, with a 55mm filter thread and 10 aperture blades, but noticeably more expensive. I have right the second version with the Nikon F mount.



Yes, the filter thread is 55mm.



The pure Nikon F mount with no electronics and no aperture actuator.



The aperture is controlled by a ring directly. There are clicks in the 2-2.8-4-5.6-8-11-16-22 positions (16 is not marked), but you can set intermediate values quite smoothly:



The aperture has 10 blades, but no rounding. Even at f/2.8 it already looks angled:



There is a built-in metal hood that can be pulled forward:



The lens covers the full-frame format. The optical design is 6 elements in 6 groups ("separated" Planar), which is very rare:



The lens feels weighty and metal, in the style of older lenses. Focusing is smooth and fine, but I can see focusing beyond infinity, which may be due to the Fotga adapter used.

First impressions (with my Sony a7c, FF 24Mp):

1. Not bad mechanical.

2. Very poor corners, which slowly improve as you close the aperture. There is also a tilt of the focal plane (some decentering of the lens elements): one corner is better than the other three. This is a common complaint about this lens. There seems to be no quality control.

3. Soft unusual out of focus blur. It looks like a software rendering. This seems to be the nature of the lens. I hope to present sample images later.

4. Resolution in the center isn't bad, especially with the aperture slightly closed.

5. Unexpectedly, good sunstars due to 10 straight blades.



I have another Chinese 85mm lens: Vivitar [OEM] 85/1.8, which also has 6 elements in 6 groups, although it's cheaper. And it has a quite different rendering. Perhaps I will do a comparison of these two 85mm lenses.

Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-03-29

Constantly charging phones: swollen batteries

There is a task, for which I have been using different [unneeded] Android phones. The phone is constantly running an application and constantly charging for many months.

And this is very bad for phone batteries. The result of such use:



These are Lenovo A789, Samsung Note, Samsung Note 3 batteries: 



They all swell because of constant charging. But at least they are removable and can be replaced.

Worse is the Huawei Ascend Mate 7, which has a non-removable battery:



The swollen battery caused the screen to separate from the body (reminds me of my old Apple MacBook Pro A1211, whose battery also swells).


The Samsung Note 3 is currently being used for this task, but the battery has been replaced. I have several.

Posted by malykh в 00:09 0 comments

2023-03-27

About Angarsk (TM-1957, in Russian)

The magazine article "A town in the taiga" (in Russian language) about Angarsk, Irkutskaya oblast. It was printed in the Техника молодёжи (Tekhnika Molodezhi, "Technology for the Youth") magazine 1957, #4.





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Posted by malykh в 00:06 0 comments

2023-03-25

Sony a7c: readout speed (photo mode)

I wanted to measure the readout time of the Sony a7c (24MP FF) sensor in the Silent Shooting (fully electronic shutter) mode. I had already done this with the Samsung NX500 (for photo, for video) using guitar strings and a 100Hz (50Hz powered) strobe.

This time for the Sony a7c I decided to use a fast blinking LED with an NE555 pulse generator.



The frequency was set to about 500Hz. There is some inaccuracy, but at this frequency it is not that important.

The period (LED off and LED on) is about 2ms. Since the readout of the sensor is much longer, there will be multiple pairs of lines (dark line and light line) visible in the image. The number of line pairs must be multiplied by 2ms to calculate the readout time.

To measure this, I used a tripod to photograph (in ARW) an out-of-focus reflection of the LED at a shutter speed of 1/640s in complete darkness. I did not test the video recording this time (maybe later).

A total of 4 photo shooting modes that affect the readout time in the Silent Shooting mode (fully electronic shutter) of the Sony a7c:


1. Full-frame 14-bit mode

Main (for ARW) but slowest reading mode.



About 31 pairs, 62ms, 1/16s. Very slow.


2. APS-C 14-bit mode



About 20.4 pairs, 40.8ms, 1/25s. Smaller area means faster reading.


3. Full-frame 12-bit mode

There is no explicit setting to switch between 14-bit and 12-bit mode on the Sony a7c. Normally 14-bit is used, but when [lossy] compressed ARW and continuous shooting are enabled together, the camera switches to 12-bit mode.

The 12-bit mode is also used when shooting in JPEG only.



About 17.7 pairs, 35.4ms, 1/28s.


4. APS-C 12-bit mode



About 14.6 pairs, 29.2ms, 1/34s. Fastest reading.


Summary:

The Silent Shooting mode of the Sony a7c has a rather long readout time:

FF 14-bit: about 1/16s (62ms)
APS-C 14-bit: about 1/25s (40.8ms)
FF 12-bit: about 1/28s (35.4ms)
APS-C 12-bit: about 1/34s (29.2ms)

This is far from the capabilities of a mechanical shutter (x-sync 1/160 for the Sony a7c). Although it is possible to use it (I use it very often), but be aware of potential artifacts from camera or object movement (rolling shutter) and artificial lighting (banding). By the way, image stabilization can help prevent rolling shutter caused by small movements of the camera.

Visual readout time measurement lets to know if 12-bit or 14-bit reading mode is being used. I have checked and made sure that when shooting in [lossy] compressed ARW without a continuous drive, the 14-bit reading mode is used. But when shooting in JPEG only, the 12-bit reading mode is always used.



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Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-03-23

Pulkovo Airport (June 2004)

St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI), June 2004.


 


Pentax Optio 450 (4MP, 1/1.8").



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Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-03-21

Cheap T2-M42 adapter and Mosler Photoguard 35/2.8

I bought a cheap T[2]-M42 adapter for the Mosler Photoguard 35/2.8 lens (which now has an adapter for the Pentax K).



But I couldn't get it fully screwed onto the lens. There is a clearance, therefore it is impossible to focus to infinity.



The end of the lens rests on the internal of the adapter.

For comparison, here is the adapter for Pentax K:



But the T[2]-M42 adapter sits on the Five Star 500/8 lens with no problems.



Some adapter modification is required.

Posted by malykh в 00:02 0 comments

2023-03-19

Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and special lenses

A special and very expensive the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 lens allowed Stanley Kubrick to film indoor scenes of Barry Lyndon (1975) by candlelight only.

The Planar 50/0.7 without a front mount converter (narrower angle of view):



The Planar 50/0.7 with a front mount Kollmorgen converter as 36.5/0.7 (wider angle of view):



More info:





Ironically, a similar technical result (filming indoor scenes by candlelight only) can now be easily achieved with amateur digital equipment.



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Posted by malykh в 00:03 0 comments

2023-03-17

GM Special Lubricant High Temperature: application for lenses

I maintained the Юпитер-3 (Jupiter-3) 50/1.5 lens with applying GM Special Lubricant High Temperature (12345879).



There were some doubts about very cold weather handling. But this winter I shot outside with this lens and the focusing was still quite smooth. And the smell of grease has almost disappeared. So I will continue to use this lubricant in lenses.

Posted by malykh в 00:02 0 comments

2023-03-15

How to put on a camera strap

I had previously used the option shown on the left (which is generally the manufacturer's recommendation).


But I have switched to the option on the right for my photo cameras.



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Posted by malykh в 00:08 0 comments

2023-03-13

Baykal Port (2006)

Lake Baikal, the source of the Angara River, Baykal Port, early 2006. The horizontal panorama:



Higher resolution: 7274x2985 5025.2KB

Pentax *ist Ds (1.5x crop factor, 6MP) + unknown manual focus lens



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Posted by malykh в 00:05 0 comments

2023-03-11

Two section tripod extender

There's one more enhancement to my SLIK PRO 500DX tripod (besides the plate adapter). This is a two section aluminum tripod extension tube:



It is for use between a tripod and a tripod head.

1/4" mounting for a head. 3/8" or 1/4" (with the included adapter) mounting to a tripod.



Two sections:



Extra height from 22 to 39 cm. Of course, at full height with the extender the tripod loses stiffness significantly, but sometimes this is acceptable.

Posted by malykh в 00:14 0 comments

2023-03-09

990NZ-78R60-000: Radius arm mounting guards for Jimny 2018+

There is a Russian accessories catalogue for the Suzuki Jimny 2018+:



There I found radius arm mounting/bracket protection/guards with the part number 990NZ-78R60-00.



This is a typo, the correct part number is Suzuki 990NZ-78R60-000 (with three zeros) or 990NZ78R60000. But it is OEM for Russia only. 



The year 2021 is stated, I don't know if this kit is currently in production.

From left to right: rear parts, front parts.



This kit contains four big protective washers for the rear, four big protective washers for the front (including one trim washer), four spacers for the rear, four spacers for the front, and four mounting bolts with four small washers and four nuts.

The installation manual (in Russian language):


Size of the big protective washers: 90x12.4x6 (mm, rear), 84.2x12.4x6 (mm, front).



This protective washers have a larger outer diameter while 80mm is usually used. And the thickness is as much as 6mm, instead of the usual 4 or 5mm.

Size of the spacers: 32.3x12x10 (mm, rear), 38.3x12x10 (mm, front) 

The mounting bolts are M12x1.25 120mm class 10.9.


Looks like the 15541831 (1/55418/31) bolt for Russian heavy trucks.

I am going to install these guards on my Suzuki Jimny [Sierra] 2005.



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Posted by malykh в 00:02 0 comments
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