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Lee Filters introduces Solar Eclipse filter and new filter wash fluid

07 Jun

Lee Filters has announced it has a new filter aimed at those wanting to capture the phases of a solar eclipse. The Solar Eclipse Filter is a deep blue and cuts twenty stops of light to make brightness levels more manageable for regular cameras.

The company says it uses a blue coloration to remove damaging infrared from the sun’s rays, so users should expect to perform some color correction in post-production. As a starting point, Lee recommends bracketing around an exposure of F8 at 1/800sec and ISO 800, and points out that the filter is designed for the stages in which the sun is in partial eclipse so it needs to be removed to record the totality stages.

The Lee Solar Eclipse filter will be available for each of Lee’s three systems.

As we all know, aiming into the light shows up dust and dirty on our lenses and filters, so it is timely that Lee has also introduced a new filter cleaning fluid. ClearLee Filter Wash comes in a spray bottle of 50ml or 300ml and is formulated to remove grease from glass and resin filters.

For more information see the Lee Filters website. http://www.leefilters.com

Pricing exclusive of tax
Solar Eclipse Filter (Seven5 System) – £60.50/$ 95
Solar Eclipse Filter (100mm System) – £89.10/$ 150
Solar Eclipse Filter (SW150 System) – £113.30/$ 200
ClearLee Filter Wash 50ml Bottle – £7.00
ClearLee Filter Wash 300ml Bottle – £20.00

Press release

Solar Eclipse Filter

Solar eclipse photography is becoming increasingly popular, and achieving good results can be surprisingly straightforward. However, without the right sort of filter, results will be blown out and overexposed – even at the lowest ISOs and fastest shutter speeds.

In response to the needs of those who often travel the world to witness this fascinating phenomenon, LEE Filters has introduced the Solar Eclipse Filter. Available for the Seven5, 100mm and SW150 systems, the Solar Eclipse Filter is capable of reducing the intensity of light by 20 stops, bringing the exposure range down to a manageable level. It is designed to allow the user to capture the partial phases of an eclipse (the stages before and after total eclipse) with accuracy and consistency. The filter should be removed when photographing totality.

The filter simply slots into the standard LEE Filters holder, and features a foam seal at the rear, to ensure a snug fit and to avoid light leaks.

It should be noted that the Solar Eclipse Filter is suitable only for photography of eclipses, and is not recommended for general, long-exposure landscape photography. This is because it is designed to filter out some of the sun’s harmful infrared rays, and is therefore very blue in colour. Any colour cast affecting eclipse images can be corrected in postproduction, or the images converted to black and white.

Pricing
Solar Eclipse Filter (Seven5 System) – £60.50 (Excl VAT)
Solar Eclipse Filter (100mm System) – £89.10 (Excl VAT)
Solar Eclipse Filter (SW150 System) – £113.30 (Excl VAT)

ClearLEE Filter Wash

In the course of the average photographic day, filters can be exposed to all sorts of potentially damaging conditions – from rain to sand to salt spray from the sea – not to mention grubby fingerprints from being handled.

Keeping filters clean not only increases their lifespan, it also means images retain their clarity and sharpness, as the sort of softness that arises from a dirty filter can be almost impossible to correct in postproduction.

ClearLEE Filter Wash has been specially formulated to cut through dirt and grease quickly, efficiently and above all, safely, and is suitable for use on both resin and glass filters.

Supplied in an aluminium bottle with a spray top, ClearLEE Filter Wash is available in 300ml and a smaller 50ml size, which is ideal for dropping into a camera bag when heading out on a shoot.

To use, simply spray directly on to the filter, then wipe with a clean microfibre or lint-free cloth. For best results, buff the filter with a fresh cloth or tissue.

Pricing
50ml Bottle – £7.00 (Excl VAT)
300ml Bottle – £20.00 (Excl VAT)

For further information, contact LEE Filters www.leefilters.com

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The Sky’s The Limit: 14 Promising New Advancements in Solar Power

18 May

[ By SA Rogers in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

Even while it feels like certain things are moving backward, efforts to power the world with solar energy instead of fossil fuels continue to reach for the sky, innovating advancements that make a renewable future more achievable. Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are about to become commercially available, flexible solar panels are cheaper and more efficient than ever, we’re several steps closer to transparent solar power-producing windows and there’s even a product so thin and tiny it’s called ‘solar glitter.’

Solar Blinds by SolarGap

Designed with apartment-dwellers in mind, these smart solar blinds are inexpensive, easy to install, and work best when the blinds are open. If you have a window that gets a little too sunny at some point in the day, these could be an ideal gadget to reduce your electricity costs by up to 70 percent. They work best on the outside of your window, producing up to 100 watts of electricity, which is enough for one window to charge your laptop. You can use a smart app to control the blinds and monitor how much power they’re producing.

Plug and Play Smart Flower Solar Device

The Smart Flower features solar panel ‘petals’ that unfurl at sunrise, automatically directing themselves toward the sun and continuing to move throughout the day for optimal placement to produce 40 percent more energy than a static solar panel setup. Taking its inspiration from the shape of a sunflower, the smartflowerPOP will juice you up with 3,400 to 6,300 KWH per year.

World’s Largest Solar Storage Facility Works 24/7

Tesla and SolarCity opened a 13 MW solar far in Kauai, Hawaii featuring 54,978 solar panels and a 52 MWh battery bank, large enough to run twenty-four hours a day and provide up to 44 percent of the island’s power, compared to its 92 percent dependence on fossil fuel in 2011.

Wattway: The World’s First Solar Panel Road

There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of a solar panel roadway, the first and foremost being that integrating an emerging technology into infrastructure may not be the best idea for long-term success. Solar power is rapidly changing, and the tech used for France’s ‘Wattway’ and similar projects will likely soon be obsolete, not to mention the probability of the panels being damaged. But The idea could still have weight for some applications, and Wattway is expected to generate 280MWh per year.

Solar Glitter Can Make Almost Anything Solar-Powered

An innovation called Dragon SCALEs by Sandia National Laboratories acts like solar glitter, shrinking solar panels down to tiny, flexible snowflake-inspired cells that could theoretically be applied to just about anything. Making use of recent advancements in micro design and micro fabrication, the panels can be folded like paper, rapidly and cheaply installed, and turn just about any object into a solar power generator.

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The Skys The Limit 14 Promising New Advancements In Solar Power

[ By SA Rogers in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Canon wants to get you ready for this year’s total solar eclipse

19 Apr

Photographers throughout the U.S. will get a rare treat this upcoming August 21: a total solar eclipse visible throughout a significant part of the country, the first of its kind to affect the nation from coast-to-coast since 1918. Ahead of the celestial event comes a new blog from Canon titled ‘A Total Guide to Totality.’ In it, photographers will find a library of articles detailing how to prepare for and photograph the solar eclipse.

As explained by Space.com recently, the upcoming solar eclipse will be visible to the general American public across a region spanning from the coast of Oregon to the coast of South Carolina. Canon details this and more in one of its new educational articles, as well as providing info on choosing the right lenses and the right cameras to photograph the event.

Overall, the blog is no doubt slanted toward Canon’s own array of products, but the information is applicable to all photographers regardless of which brand they use. The articles on the blog are co-authored by photographer Dave Henry and Canon Explorer of Light Ken Sklute. In addition to the blog, Canon is planning to offer eclipse photography workshops in July, though full details aren’t available at this time.

Via: Canon

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Enlaps Tikee time-lapse camera packs two lenses and a solar panel

08 Jan

Tikee by French company Enlaps aims to simplify time-lapse photography by combining a 4.5W solar panel, wireless connectivity and a pair of lenses into a single capture device. The device itself is described as completely self-sufficient, weatherproof and accessible via a Web application.

The idea behind Enlaps is that long duration time-lapse photography can be difficult depending on location due to potential power source and weather issues. Tikee and its more sophisticated counterpart, Tikee Pro, solve this by providing everything necessary for time-lapse photography in a single wireless and weatherproof product.

The small solar panel powers Tikee, assuming it is placed somewhere with sufficient sunlight, while a pair of lenses capture 220-degree panoramic images. A related Web application is available from a computer or mobile device; it automatically stitches the images into a time-lapse, and includes features for ‘advanced users’ like Pan & Zoom and Time Period. Content is stored on a microSD card.

The Enlaps Tikee features Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, and saves content in JPEG format, while the Tikee Pro includes those features as well as GPS, GSM support, and both JPEG and Raw file format options. Both products were launched on Indiegogo, where the campaign has successfully resolved with €238,687 in funding. The company is demonstrating the devices at CES 2017.

According to TechCrunch, the Tikee will be priced at $ 750 and the Tikee Pro at $ 900 and will be available in April.

Via: TechCrunch

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Google Sunroof: Search to Save Money With Home Solar Power

26 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Google has rolled out a search engine with a specific target in mind: your house, more specifically how much area of your roof could be covered in solar panels, what that would save you and where you can look for companies to install a system for you.

Interested homeowners can input their addresses and get realistic illustrations of how many solar panels would fit and what their potential cost savings on energy bills are likely to be.

A complex data comprising everything from your home’s location and orientation to the presence of shade from adjacent trees or buildings – but this set is broken down into simple information for users.

Google, of course, is well-positioned to make this Sunroof tool effective, combining its Google Maps and Earth data that can sort out not just the footprint of a building but its 3D space too, and thus shadows. It also has all of the other information at hand, like average temperatures, sun exposure, cloud cover.

Users of the tool can tinker with variables, but ultimately are given a recommended installation that maximizes the potential output and thus puts more back in homeowner pockets long-term. For now it is limited to the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and a few other locations, but they have plans to expand around the country.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Hippie Bus for the 21st Century: DIY Solar Volkswagen Camper Van

03 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

hippie-camper-van-1

Iconic for its role in the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the Volkswagen Bus has seen many an amateur transformation into campers over the decades since, and now it’s gone solar electric. An Oregon couple decided to put their own spin on the classic DIY project by fusing the original aesthetics of a 1973 VW van with electric vehicle batteries and photovoltaic panels mounted to the roof, creating a modest but highly functional recreational vehicle for their family trips.

hippie-camper-van-5

hippie-camper-van-7

Brett Belen, an engineer who spent years working on solar electric vehicles before taking on the project, wanted a highway-friendly camper with a large roof surface to pack on the largest possible solar array. He mounted four 305-watt LG panels to a pop-up frame that tilts up to 40 degrees, taking in lots of sunlight on the road while flat and then positioned toward the morning sun when open and parked for the night.

camper-van-before-1

camper-van-after-1

hippie-camper-van-2

hippie-camper-van-6

The space beneath the open panel provides extra elbow room inside the van for Brett, his wife Kira and their two children. This works almost exactly like Volkswagen-produced camper vans, with the sides enclosed by waterproof tent material. A rear window allows them to look out onto the scenery of their chosen camping spot, while the inside is equipped with folding tables and storage space for gear.

hippie-camper-van-3

hippie-camper-van-4

The battery bank consists of 12 Trojan T-1275 lead-acid batteries in a custom battery box tucked beneath a bench seat in the back, providing a range of up to 50 miles per charge. While other battery types could provide more power, Brett emphasizes that he wanted to stick to materials that the average person can afford. It’s not top of the line, but the setup is still enough to take the Belens on a 1400-mile trip of the West Coast. Learn more about the specifics at the family’s website.

[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

21 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

tesla-solar-roof

Elon Musk is attacking the question of energy storage and consumption at home, first with electric cars, then with home batteries and now the final piece of the puzzle: solar panels people will actually want to show off.

tesla-material-types

Developed in collaboration with 3D, their semi-translucent Solar Roof tiles cost less than ordinary roofs, insulate better and best of all they generate energy to charge your electric batteries (Powerwall) and automobiles (Model X). This is effectively the final missing piece from the ultimate sustainable-power smart house.

teslatiles

The three-layered design features a normal solar panel at the bottom with a film on top that renders it invisible from below but operational under the sun’s rays coming from above. At the top is a tempered glass that is shatter-resistant, making it more durable than conventional clay (with a lifespan well beyond the typical 20-year roof).

telsa-powerwall-batteries

Aside from these benefits, perhaps the single biggest selling point is the array of material styles: Textured Glass, Slate Glass, Tuscan Glass and Smooth Glass. It may sound superficial but looks matter — neighbors complain and residents shy away from too-overt solar tech attached to their house.

tesla-demo-house

And people trust Tesla to do more than make better technology: they expect a high level of visual design as part of the package. Also, since they are all coming from the same collection of companies, one can expect superior installation and integration options tying Tesla cars, Powerwalls and Solar Tiles together. Between the tech and its brand backing, this development promises to boost solar adoption to new heights.

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Voltaic Array and Offgrid solar backpacks charge gear on the go

03 Nov

Voltaic has launched two new backpacks on Kickstarter, the Array and Offgrid. Both models feature integrated solar panels and removable batteries that charge when the bag is in sunlight. The Offgrid model is the smaller of the two, featuring a 6W solar panel and a 4,000mAh battery, while the Array has a larger 10W solar panel and a 19,800mAh battery. Both batteries can be removed and charged using a wall outlet, as well.

The Array model includes Voltaic’s V72 Universal Laptop Battery with selectable 12V, 16V, and 19V options for charging ordinary laptops. It also has a USB port for charging USB devices. The battery takes 12 hours to charge via solar or 4 hours to charge from a wall outlet, and it is suitable for charging a DSLR camera between 3 and 6.5 times, a tablet 2.5 to 3 times, a drone one time, a laptop up to 1.7 times, or a smartphone between 4.5 and 8 times.

The Offgrid bag model is for less demanding devices, featuring a V15 Universal USB Battery with a 5V/1A output. This battery takes 4.5 hours to charge in the sun or 4 hours to charge from USB, and it can recharge a DSLR between 0.7 and 1.5 times. If that’s not substantial enough, however, Voltaic also offers a V44 12,000mAh battery upgrade, enabling it to charge a DSLR between 2 and 4.5 times.

In addition to the solar panel and battery, both models feature easy access channels for the wires, a padded sleeve for a tablet or laptop, space for a camera and lenses, an attachment for carrying a tripod, and external carry straps for attaching other things (such as a sleeping pad) to the bag. The bags are waterproof and described as ‘rugged.’

Voltaic is seeking funding for the bags on Kickstarter, where it offers the Offgrid as an early bird unit for pledges $ 119 or higher, and an early bird Array for pledges of $ 219 or more. The company anticipates the early bird models shipping to backers this December, while non-early bird models are estimated to start shipping in March 2017.

Via: Kickstarter

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Invisible Solar: Panels Camouflaged as Wood, Clay, Stone & Concrete

21 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

solar-shingle-design

Overcoming the awkward aesthetic factor typically faced by home solar technology, these disguised panels look like ordinary building materials you would expect to spot along the sides, steps or roof of a house.

solar-camouflaged-disguised

Dyaqua, an Italian company, has developed their Invisible Solar series to look like concrete bricks, slate shingles and wooden boards, allowing them to blend into ordinary built environments. A thin top layer mimics desired materials while allowing the sun’s rays through to the photovoltaic cells beneath.

solar-material-cover

From the company: “The Invisible Solar modules are composed of a non-toxic and recyclable polymeric compound, within which are incorporated the monocrystalline silicon cells. A special surface, opaque at the sight and transparent to the sun rays, covers the cells by hiding them without prevent their operation.”

invisible-solar-panel

Instead of adding semi-reflective, black-and-grey accents to a traditional wood or masonry structure, these fixtures are designed to fit any abode, historic or modern. The company has begun production with the Rooftile, which resembles a typical reddish-brown terracotta shingle.

solar-wood-block

secret-solar-panels

From there, they aim to create blocks and boards that can be used on walls (cladding) or walkways (pavement) sure to please even the toughest community design standards boards. They are also built for strength and durability, able to “withstand high static load, tolerates chemical solvents and atmospheric agents.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Night Riding: Glowing Blue Bike Trail in Poland Powered by Solar Energy

14 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

glow-in-the-dark-path

Charged during the day and lighting up at night, this beautiful bicycle trail outside the town of Lidzbark Warmiski is designed to improve safety for riders out after dark.

glowing-night-bike-path

Luminescent phosphor can hold emit light of various colors, but blue was selected to match the surrounding landscape and conjure associations with the sky (the source of the path’s power). Once deployed, the passive system recharges itself, obviating the need for connectivity or continual maintenance.

starry-night-bike-path

Though the technologies behind the effects differ, the path in Poland was inspired in part by the Starry Night bike path created in the Netherlands by Studio Roosegaarde. Both are proofs of concept, tests meant in part to demonstrate the potential and durability of this trail-blazing lighting strategy.

van-gogh-bike-path

Other illumination options were considered, but this glow-in-the-dark approach was deemed both appealing and cost-effective by the Board of Regional Roads. Adjacent pedestrian paths are also bracketed by glowing blue lines and denoted for persons on foot with likewise-illuminated path signage underfoot.

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Posts Tagged ‘Solar’

Lee Filters introduces Solar Eclipse filter and new filter wash fluid

Solar Eclipse Filter

ClearLEE Filter Wash

The Sky’s The Limit: 14 Promising New Advancements in Solar Power

Solar Blinds by SolarGap

Plug and Play Smart Flower Solar Device

World’s Largest Solar Storage Facility Works 24/7

Wattway: The World’s First Solar Panel Road

Solar Glitter Can Make Almost Anything Solar-Powered

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
The Skys The Limit 14 Promising New Advancements In Solar Power

Canon wants to get you ready for this year’s total solar eclipse

Enlaps Tikee time-lapse camera packs two lenses and a solar panel

Google Sunroof: Search to Save Money With Home Solar Power

Hippie Bus for the 21st Century: DIY Solar Volkswagen Camper Van

Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

Voltaic Array and Offgrid solar backpacks charge gear on the go

Invisible Solar: Panels Camouflaged as Wood, Clay, Stone & Concrete

Night Riding: Glowing Blue Bike Trail in Poland Powered by Solar Energy

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Archives

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Posts Tagged ‘Solar’

Solar Eclipse Filter

ClearLEE Filter Wash

Solar Blinds by SolarGap

Plug and Play Smart Flower Solar Device

World’s Largest Solar Storage Facility Works 24/7

Wattway: The World’s First Solar Panel Road

Solar Glitter Can Make Almost Anything Solar-Powered

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: The Skys The Limit 14 Promising New Advancements In Solar Power

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
The Skys The Limit 14 Promising New Advancements In Solar Power