Through The Viewfinder!

So my wife gave me a very cool gift for Christmas:  A "monopod".  My thinking is that it will do double-duty... a nice hiking stick and a camera stabilizer.  Here's what it looks like:

It's a heavy duty monopod that should work great for camera stabilization needs like sunsets, etc, that don't require a full tripod/remote shutter release setup.  It may be a little on the heavy side for a walking stick (they sell a carbon fiber version, but it's way too expensive!), but it will do.  I got to playing around with the box it came in... put the box on the outside of my macro lens.  Kind of a fun technique.

Marguerite outside my office window.

Our wild and crazy chihuahua "Miley"

After trying out this "through the box" technique, I thought it might be an easy next step to set up a through the viewfinder system, so here we go:

 I removed the little pop-up light shade off the top of my Kodak Duaflex II.  A very simple modification.

Next, I took some measurements using my Canon DSLR with a macro lens to measure the distance from the top of the Duaflex II to the Canon when the lens was in sharp focus.  It turned out this distance was about 9".  This will vary depending upon your lens.  I cut the box down to this size.

Next, I shaped the end of the box to fit the Kodak Duaflex II.  The box was surprisingly strong and made a nice snug fit.


I took sunrise photos this morning with my brand new system.  The idea behind Through the Viewfinder (TtV) is to give the photo that old-timey look, like a film photo your parents or grandparents might have taken!  Out of focus around the corners, dust and lint in the lens, and light leaks.  Very cool!

Well, I'm having fun with my new setup.  Stop back by for more TtV pics on future blogs!  Please check out Skywatch Friday for great skies from around the world.  Have a great weekend!