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2025-03-11

B&W film development (2025-03)

Since the year 2024, I sometimes shoot B&W film with film cameras. I develop the films myself at home.

I use the developing tank "AP Compact". It is quite good, but loading a film onto a reel is not as easy as I expected.

I use a Rodinal clone developer: Compard R09 One Shot.




I dilute it to a low concentration: 5ml in 500ml of distilled water. And (stand or semi-stand) develop a film for 1 hour.

I am also interested in Kodak HC-110 developer, but it is quite expensive for such a rare use.

As a fixer I use a plain sodium thiosulfate solution.



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2025-03-07

Pentax M 135/3.5: Samples [2] - FF - f/3.5

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)
Lens: Pentax M 135/3.5 at f/3.5

A nice lens, but there are a lot of [longitudinal] chromatic aberrations. However, I am not a big fan of long-focus lenses.








2025-03-05

Pentax Q: My experience

My general expectations of the Pentax Q were met.




1. I have always liked the user interface of Pentax cameras, and the Pentax Q does not disappoint. I find its interface simple and quite powerful.

2. The buttons are too small, but basically usable.

3. Overall, the Pentax Q looks like a toy, but feels like a mature digital camera. And I like its sensor-shift image stabilization, it works well (as for a camera so light).

4. The worst part is the tiny (1/2.3") sensor. It is a terrible sensor even for the time. It is very noisy and doesn't provide much resolution. The sensor of the Olympus E-PL1 (which I have) is much better. This is a camera from the same period (2010-2011).

5. The kit lens 02 Standard Zoom 5-15/2.8-4.5 is very poor. It is soft and not fast enough. The M.Digital Zuiko 14-42/3.5-5.6 (the kit lens of the Olympus E-PL1) is better and not too slow (considering the sensor sizes).

6. The Pentax Q body is really small. The Standard Zoom lens ruins it. I would  like a tiny (pancake) prime lens. There was the 01 Standard Prime lens, but it is not tiny and hard (expensive) to find.

7. Used Pentax Q cameras are overpriced. Don't waste your money, buy a Micro 4/3 camera instead. Micro 4/3 cameras are not competitive with APS-C cameras, but much better than the Pentax Q cameras.

2025-03-03

Vivitar V3600: Rare film camera (2)

I assumed that the rather rare Vivitar V3600 film camera was the Vivitar V3000 with a slightly different appearance.

And now I have the V3600 myself.




Yes, the V3600 is obviously the Vivitar V3000 with different pads. Also, the V3600 was sometimes sold under the name V3000. I have only seen a few V3000 cameras for sale that look exactly like my V3600.

Overall, this is a good camera, a simpler version of the V3800 (which I also own).



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2025-03-01

My YouTube channel (2025)

There are currently no public videos on my YouTube channel.

All videos used in the blog are unlisted, all other videos are private.

2025-02-28

End of my control over tonigy.com

I registered my oldest domain, tonigy.com, in March 2001. The Tonigy software is long outdated, but I still keep the domain and the almost original website.

However, I have decided not to renew the tonigy.com domain in March 2025. So the domain will soon have nothing to do with me.

If you want to download the final version of Tonigy and get the free registration key, visit https://malykh.com/soft/tonigy/ 

I have set up a redirect from tonigy.com to https://malykh.com/soft/tonigy/




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2025-02-27

SZ Viewer A1: That's all Folks

My developer profile and SZ Viewer A1 app have been removed from Google Play as promised.




I haven't distributed SZ Viewer A1 as APK files since 2022. APK files you find on websites may contain malware. So I strongly recommend to switch to another application.



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2025-02-21

SZ Viewer A1: Final Google Play statistics

The final statistics of SZ Viewer A1 according to Google Play.

Top "installed audience" of all time: 31734 users (in September 2024)
Top "install base" of all time: 36589 devices (in September 2024)

Google Play ratings by country (top 10):

Australia: 5
Georgia: 5
Netherlands: 5
Taiwan: 5
Germany: 4.9
Sri Lanka: 4.9
Indonesia: 4.9
Thailand: 4.9
Poland: 4.8
Brazil: 4.8
...
All countries / regions: 4.5

2025-02-19

Viltrox AF 28/4.5: Firmware update

The Viltrox AF 28/4.5 has a USB-C port on its flange.




I expected to be able to update the firmware using the USB-C port (like the Viltrox 20/2.8). However, when I connected the 28/4.5 to a PC, no new devices were detected. In fact, I was beginning to think the lens was broken.

I also noticed that there are no firmware files to download, just links to the App Store and Google Play. 



Yes, this lens updates its firmware via Bluetooth with a mobile application. The USB-C port is for powering the lens during the update.

I successfully updated the firmware from v1.05 to v1.06 using Viltrox Lens application for Android:




I dislike using a mobile application to control hardware. Are you sure that the application will still be available in a few years and that you can run it on modern mobile devices?

In addition, the Viltrox application requires you to create an account. The serial number of a lens is linked to your personal data in an unknown service. This can be used against you.



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2025-02-16

Samsung NX 50-200/4-5.6: Samples [1] - APS-C - 200mm

Camera: Samsung NX300M (1.5x crop factor, 20MP)
Lens: Samsung NX 50-200/4-5.6 at f/5.6-f/9, 200mm.

The profiled lens (distortion/vignetting) correction is disabled.








(see also Baikal chipmunks)

2025-02-14

Pentax Q: Useless mirrorless camera

The Pentax Q series was a very strange line of mirrorless cameras. These cameras are based on small sensors: 1/2.3" (5.6x crop factor, 12MP) for the first Q and Q10 models and 1/1.7" (4.6x crop factor, 12MP) for the last Q7 and Q-S1 models.

The sensors are small even for [modern] mobile phones. For an interchangeable lens camera, the sensors are terrible. The next level is 1" sensors (Nikon 1 and Samsung NX mini), which have a 2.7x crop factor - much more in comparison.

I cannot recommend the Pentax Q camera for everyday use... But I bought a used Pentax Q (the first model with 1/2.3" sensor) with the 02 Standard Zoom Pentax Q 5-15/2.8-4.5 lens.




Of course, I tried the Pentax Q for usual shooting and I still don't understand who would want to use it nowadays. But my purpose is different, I just want to do some experiments.

2025-02-11

DDR4 3000 vs DDR4 3600

I have upgraded my PC's memory. Out of interest, I repeated the tests.

Before: DDR4 32(16x2)GB 3000 CL16-17-17-36-69 1T (GDM on)
After: DDR4 64(16x4)GB 3600 CL16-20-20-39-83 1T (GDM on)

In the compile test, the difference is almost invisible. Maybe 1-3% performance gain.

In the ART/Raw test, the difference is noticeable, but quite small: about 6-7% performance gain.

2025-02-08

Sapphire Nitro/Nitro+ RX470/RX480 8GB SKUs

One of the differences between Sapphire Nitro and Sapphire Nitro+ (at least RX470/RX480 based) graphics cards is that Nitro+ cards have the dual BIOS switch: you can choose between faster ("Default") and slower ("Silent") modes.

Although the cards share the same name, there are some performance differences depending on the SKU.

Also note that the RX470 is part of the RX470-RX570-RX580 2048SP models (with 2048 stream processors). While the RX480 is part of the RX480-RX580-RX590 GME models (with 2304 stream processors).

Sapphire Nitro RX470 8GD5:

11256-17: Engine clock: 1140 (1236 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 1750 MHz
11256-26: Engine clock: 1140 (1216 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 1750 MHz

Sapphire Nitro+ RX470 8GD5:

11256-02: Engine clock: 1121 (1260 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 2000 MHz in "Default";  926 (1206 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 2000 MHz in "Silent"
11256-07: Engine clock: 1121 (1216 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 2000 MHz in "Default";  926 (1206 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 2000 MHz in "Silent"
11256-14: Engine clock: 1121 (1216 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 1750 MHz in "Default";  926 (1206 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 1750 MHz in "Silent"

Sapphire Nitro RX480 8GD5:

11260-20: Engine clock: 1202 (1306 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 1750 MHz
11260-23: Engine clock: 1202 (1276 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 1750 MHz

Sapphire Nitro+ RX480 8GD5:

11260-01: Engine clock: 1208 (1342 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 2000 MHz in "Default";  1120 (1266 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 2000 MHz in "Silent"
11260-07: Engine clock: 1208 (1306 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 2000 MHz in "Default";  1120 (1266 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 2000 MHz in "Silent"
11260-10: Engine clock: 1208 (1276 Boost) MHz, Memory clock: 2000 MHz in "Default";  1120 (1266 Boost) MHz, Memory clock 2000 MHz in "Silent"


My RX480 card is the Sapphire Nitro+ RX480 8GD5 with SKU 11260-01 (fastest version of the Sapphire Nitro+ RX480 8GD5).



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2025-02-06

Sony a7c: Three years with the camera

I have had the Sony a7c FF mirrorless camera for 3 years. And I like it a lot! It is a very good camera, pleasant to use.




The best thing is the full frame sensor. Even though the sensor is rooted in the A7III (2018), its characteristics are still good. The resolution and the noise level are sufficient for most tasks.

The second best thing is the lack of a mirror, it is not an SLR. It is possible to mount a lot of lenses of different production time. Focusing via the display or the EVF is accurate. And there is an in-body image stabilization (IBIS) with all lenses.

I like the look of the Sony a7c. It's closer to a rangefinder camera and doesn't look like an SLR with a pseudo-pentaprism cover. And the Sony a7c is quite compact for an FF camera.

The Sony a7c shoots a good 4K@24/25 video. And the recorded gyro data allows for strong video stabilization in post-production.

I am not considering about a new camera. The Sony a7cR is nice, but the sensor readout is too slow.

Overall, I would like to see a camera similar in size to the Sony a7c, but with a higher resolution sensor with a much faster readout. A global shutter is a dream, but today it is too expensive and worse in noise. And I want to a native low ISO (ISO50 or even lower).

2025-02-04

Honda Two-Motor Hybrid-Electric Powertrain (2014-2024)

A brief description of Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain (sometimes called i-MMD), all generation for the time: Honda Two-Motor Hybrid-Electric Powertrain

This article refers to the US market, but the general information is useful as well.

2025-02-02

Viltrox AF 28/4.5: Samples [1] - FF - f/4.5

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)
Lens: Viltrox AF 28/4.5 at f/4.5

When I started testing the Viltrox 28/4.5, I found a few more drawbacks. First, its minimum focusing distance (MFD) is quite long, making it unsuitable for macro-style photography. Second, it is prone to flare.

Due to a fake diaphragm there are some sunstars.

There is no profile embedded in the metadata of images taken with this lens. Ok, distortion is very low, but if someone wants to correct vignetting automatically? Only with an external profile. But after non-electronic MF lenses, it is not a problem for me.










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2025-01-30

Five-door Jimny for JDM

Finally, the five-door Suzuki Jimny is available for the Japanese domestic market (JDM) under the name Jimny Nomade.




It is still produced in India and then imported to Japan from India.








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2025-01-29

Nokia 5.3 (2025-01)

The Nokia 5.3 is still with me. As I wrote before, only Android 11 is available for this phone.

Modern Android versions themselves are not necessary for me. But Google Play requires to update an application periodically. To update SZ Viewer A1 to target Android 13 and Android 14, I used other people's mobile devices. And it is not convenient, so I looked for a new mobile phone.

Fortunately, these updates don't bother me anymore. I can keep using the Nokia 5.3 and beyond.



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2025-01-28

Zarya: Scale focus film camera with interchangeable lenses

I liked the FED-2 film camera, but the copy was not good. I was looking for a good FED-2 copy, but I found a Zarya (Заря, Dawn) camera:




It is a simplified version of the FED-2. It lacks of a self-timer and a rangefinder. Focusing is done by a distance scale. However, the Zarya has the M39x1/28.8 mount, so it is possible to use M39 rangefinder lenses (with scale focusing, of course).

The mechanics of the Zarya are very similar to the FED-2, but the appearance is quite different (and unusual for me). The viewfinder placement eliminates horizontal parallax. And the higher coldshoe allows for easier access to the shutter speed knob with an accessory attached.

The Zarya was produced between 1959 and 1961 (1959-1960 I think). So it has the modern shutter speed values: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 (+Bulb).

The first digit of the Zarya's serial number stands for the year of production: 9 for 1959 or 0 for 1960. My copy is from early 1959, it has some specific early details (the viewfinder, the advance knob, the coldshoe, the film pressure plate).

Now I have two M39x1/28.8 film cameras: the Zorki-6 and the Zarya.



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2025-01-26

Old graphics card for Gyroflow [RX480]

For several years I used a GeForce GT710 2GB based graphics card because there was no application for me that required a better graphics card.

But the great v1.6 of Gyroflow forced me to think about replacing the graphics card.

In total, Gyroflow can use the GPU for three stages:  video decoding, video processing, video encoding.




Note that video encoding with GPU is faster, but it can produce a worse result than CPU. But you can try to compensate it by increasing the bitrate.

On the GT710, GPU video decoding and GPU video encoding were slightly faster than CPU, but GPU video processing was slower than CPU! When I tested videos from my Sony a7c (4K@25fps), I could only get 2-3fps video rendering (GPU-CPU-GPU stages). This is very slow for practical use.

When I temporarily replaced the GT710 with a Radeon HD7770 card, I got 6-10fps (GPU-GPU-GPU stages). This is much better. But the HD7770 card only has 1GB of memory, which is generally not enough (even compared to 2GB).

So I bought another graphics card. This is a used Radeon RX480 8GB based card. I chose a Radeon card because of the problems with Nvidia drivers.

With the RX480 card I get 25+fps video rendering in Gyroflow (GPU-GPU-GPU). This is good enough for me.




And I have no problems with VirtualBox.



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