World's OFFSHORE VESSELS

[Sterkoder]

Not completely comfortable with my camera yet, or is it the rainy day light...?
I don't know, but personally I'm fairly tired and fed up with snow and winter at this time. I want sunny, hot and clear bright days!!!!!!
Anyway, here are some vessels from a drive around town a couple of hours ago, and we start with "Normand Subsea" at Storkaia


"Far Seeker" further down the same dock


"Eldborg" behind "Far Seeker"


And a panorama from Innlandet shows Sørsundet inlet to the left, via the silvery Rica Hotel and the old style Thon Hotel to the right, with "Skandi Captain" and the new building for the Port Authorities in the far back


By dock #1 at Vestbase is "Edda Flora" preparing for another trip out in the ocean

[pakarang]

I think the images are great!... but as you say Sterkoder, I'm also tired of the winter, the darkness and the cold season...

Can't wait to the return of summer... ! Ahhhh.....

[Sterkoder]

Well...., I'm pulling my hair in frustration, because now I miss my old camera!
I don't know what's wrong, but it seems like I can't get my images in focus. Look how unfocused the bow of "Eldborg", starboard side of the stern and houses are....
If you look at the picture below of the supply vessel "Eldborg", it looks like the image is in focus in the center, but off and blury on the endges. It's so irritating!!!
I will read the owners manual tonight, to see if I have been pushing a button or something one time too many.....


The new "Stril Mariner" in way too much headlight

[Clipper]

Well...., I'm pulling my hair in frustration, because now I miss my old camera!
I don't know what's wrong, but it seems like I can't get my images in focus. Look how unfocused the bow of "Eldborg", starboard side of the stern and houses are....

Hi Big S,

At the risk of telling you something you already know, many cameras (film and digital) benefit from a half-press of the shutter button, with a deliberate delay of maybe a second before the full-press to take the picture. This gives the metering/focus system to time to adjust. It's possible that the new camera requires slightly more time than the old one. It's frustrating because this is seldom discussed in all but the most detailed camera reviews. I generally use Steve's Digicams. (It's not the only one).

Steve's Digicams (or similar) would be a good place to compare your pictures with those from another example of the same camera to see if maybe the model is prone to the effect you observe, and maybe Steve will provide some insight into getting the best out of the camera.

If you post the make/model of your camera, I would be happy to browse through the review for you. (Steve's reviews run to several long pages in well written English).

Clipper

[Sterkoder]

Thank you, 'Clipper'!
Yes, I use the half-press of the shutter button every time I take a picture, and the camera gives a sign, both visible and sound when it's finish focusing. Worked out perfect in my old camera.

Make and model of my new "troublesome" camera: Fujifilm FinePix S1500

Read the owners manual yesterday, and could not find anything that I do specially wrong to get such pictures.
I focus at the right point, my camera delivers same "quality" pictures even if it's in 'Auto' or operated manually, my ISO is all right, I use the double IS system and all in all I operate my new camera as I did my old one.

The new camera has a bit more zoom capacity and more megapix. Maybe it's something here that mean I should've used a tri-pod or any other support, but the light conditions now are not different from when I drove around with my old equipement.

A bit confused I am, because this S1500 should be so much better in every way than the old FinePix S5500

[pakarang]

You may be seeing the un-sharp areas better in the original image, but in your posted image, it's not that bad.

The first thing that comes to my mind, is maybe that a center averaged focus is selected as opposed to an overall viewfinder focus area. (Does that make sense?).

Generally, I think your new camera delivers better images with a lot less grain-ness, and therefore they appear sharper than before.

Maybe in the new camera thread, could you post a crop off the full scale image (the unsharp areas, so that I could have a closer look)? That could possibly help me see how unsharp the image is.

[Sterkoder]

The first thing that comes to my mind, is maybe that a center averaged focus is selected as opposed to an overall viewfinder focus area. (Does that make sense?).

My thought exactly. I just don't find out how I might change from center averaged focus to overall viewfinder focus...., if that's a changeable perimeter in my camera....

Will post an uncroped fullsized image when I come home from work.

[Seagull]

....I just don't find out how I might change from center averaged focus to overall viewfinder focus...., if that's a changeable perimeter in my camera....

I have been trying to help (though probably more trying than actually succeeding ) – see the camera thread.

[Sterkoder]

Great help, Cecilia..., thanks! All I have to do now is to try it out.

To all you others; sorry for bringing up a photo technical issue in the wrong thread (but hey..., you know me, the OT-guy).

[Clipper]

Make and model of my new "troublesome" camera: Fujifilm FinePix S1500(

Big S,

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camer...om-review.html

In Steve's Digicams' Conslusion, it says the Fuji FinePix S1500's picture quality is "average ... in the price range" and that "sharpness and exposure are not up to par" however in such a sophisticated and competitive market, that still means "damn good" in my (Clipper's) opinion. Steve's sample photos show that this camera can take really great photos.

Things to Try

From the review I would suggest the following:

Lock the ISO at 400 or below, and/or cap the Auto ISO setting to either 400 or 800 when using P/S/A/M/C modes. This shouldn't affect outdoor daytime photography but it's worth trying.

Make sure you select the correct type of battery cells you are using via the Battery Type option in the Setup menu.

In the "Shooting Mode" menu (which applies to P/S/A/M modes), experiment with:

• Photometry (metering: Multi, Average, Spot)
• Focusing (Continuous AF or Single AF)
• AF (Auto-Focus) Mode (Centre, Multi, Area, Tracking)
• Sharpness (Soft, Standard, Hard)

Approach

Personally, I would do all my experiments in Aperture Priority mode at f8 or f11 in good daylight (maybe difficult in Norway in February?). Also, don't use "SR AUTO" while experimenting as it takes control of a bunch of things (though I am sure it can be very useful in normal use). That should give you every chance of getting as sharp an image the camera is capable of.

I recently helped a friend with an exercise like this. We drew up a test plan before we started, listing all the combinations of settings we wanted to explore. Then I read out the changes, which he implemented before taking each photo; we recorded frame numbers on the plan so we knew which settings applied to each photo. The exercise would have been impossible without the plan. The second person to help implement it was very useful but not strictly necessary.

Good luck.

Clipper

[Sterkoder]

Very helpful! Thank you so much, 'Clipper'!!!!!

You know, when using my old camera, I used 'Auto' 95% of the time, and I was fairly satisfied. I was rather surpriced that I was unable to automatically () use 'Auto' with my new one.

But when time and daylight comes, I'll most certainly go out and try out several settings.
(The gallery in Steve's link certainly looked sharp enough).

[ombugge]

I visited Loyang Offshore Base, Singapore a few days ago and here is some of the offshore vessels spotted there.
First three large Norwegian vessels.

MPSV "Rem Etive", Fosnavaag, built 2007:

Dive spread and an ROV on deck at the moment.

Seismic vessel " Viking II", Haugesund, built 2002:


Construction Support Vessel "Normand Fortress", Skudesneshavn, built 2006:


At the other end of the scale. Survey Vessel "Genesis":


An old Tidewater AHTS, "Durham Service":


A newer Tidewater AHTS "Guidery Tide":


There were a large number of vessels of various types moored alongside each other while waiting for work:

The vessel I was visiting was number 16 from the wharf, with another three or four moored outside.
They were moored bow-to-stern and every third vessel had an anchor out.

This is the vessel I visited, SOV "Ullswater", built at Batam 2008.
Here she is as seen on DP trails off Batam in Jan. 2009:


While climbing across the various boats I came across this imposing fellow:

He didn't broker any arguments. Always ready and prepared to defend his ship.

[janihudi]

the " power express"



"hos achiever"



"manta III"



"seven atlantic"

[Sterkoder]

Tried to take this picture of "Skandi Captain" as a test in comparison with "Eldborg" at the same position in my post #243.
Satisfied...? Nope! I expect the houses in the background to be sharper.
Tried many settings, but couldn't find too many differences. The two images coming forward was this one ('Auto') and the one I took before (Single AF, AF Mode Center, Photometry Average, Manual 200/F.5).

Anyway, don't let me bother you with my camera any more. I'm tired of the camera already, and dissapointed by Fuji



"Havila Mars"

[Clipper]

Satisfied...? Nope! I expect the houses in the background to be sharper.
.....
Anyway, don't let me bother you with my camera any more. I'm tired of the camera already, and dissapointed by Fuji

I have to agree with you Big S. You have a right to expect better results. If it can't be resolved with settings, then I think you have to conclude it's a bad example of a good camera.

Back in 2002, I bought a digital Pentax, which was absolute &*@!. It refused to focus properly and all the pictures had a cyan cast. Your photos are not nearly as bad, but it does show that you can get bad examples even from a well respected brand. My friend bought one at the same time and his was exactly the same, so they were probably from a bad batch or maybe counterfeit.

I had bought mail order and paid with a credit card and got my money back.

Good luck.

Clipper

[ombugge]

Newbuilt Jack-up Rig "EL Qaher 1" seen in Tuas, Singapore a few days ago:


Still a bit to do before she is ready for delivery.


Ever wondered how they build and install those long legs on the J/U Rigs?
Well, here is one way: The top leg sections are placed on temporary cantilevers at each side. The rig is elevated until the top of the installed legs are just below this level.
Then the top sections are skidded across to line up with the bottom section and the hull is lowered until there are contact.
Welders goes to work and join the two sections together.

Here is one rig with top sections placed on cantilevers, ready for installation:


Actually this is a bit unusual for rigs built in Singapore these days as there are Crane Barges available which is able to set the top sections while the rig is still at the yard.

The reason may be the high cost and availability of the largest Crane Barge, Asian Hercules II, or her smaller sister, Asian Hercules, seen here installing leg sections at Keppel FELS Yard:

Or could it be that the rig is going somewhere where they have to pass under a bridge or power cables, like Lake Maracaibo?

[ombugge]

.................................................. ........................

[pakarang]

Pardon my ... ehhh.. Italian, but that newbuilt El Quaher is butt ugly...

[ombugge]

Pardon my ... ehhh.. Italian, but that newbuilt El Quaher is butt ugly...

Drilling rigs are all ugly and this one is no different, only that the top leg sections are carried on on temporary cantilevers at each leg.

Beuty is not an issue, as long as it can drill holes in the ground.
(Freely from Deng Shao Ping; "colour of the cat doesn't matter as long as it catches mice")

[Sterkoder]

Drove around to try out some settings on my camera in the bright sunny day we have here in Kristiansund today.
The difference in these images from the blury first one, is that I'm moving away from the 'Auto' in some cases, and I set
the ISO to 64. I also got out of my car to prevent pictures being taken through heatwaves from my car cabin.
Hopefully these images are at least a bit better than the earlier ones.
"Skandi Captain" at Devoldholmen


"Normand Ferking" at Storkaia with "S' Captain" in the background


"N' Ferking"


"S' Captain" from another angle


"N' Ferking" with ex. NSSR vessel "Hagbart Waage" at the Pier



("Hagbart Waage" for sale, if you got NOK 5,8 millions)