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How to take photo of beam shape with digital camera?

Nvloc

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Jun 18, 2014
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I just received a laser from a vendor here which was built for me but the beam appears to be flat and won't focus correctly. I would like to take a picture of it on the wall or something so I can post in the help section on how to repair it...
The pics I've taken so far just shows a really bright spot and I've tried the red goggles I front of the camera.
Can I put a welding lense in front of the camera or something?

It's an Olympus underwater digital point and shoot if that matters.

Help appreciated in advance, thank you!
 





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Even with the goggles in front of the camera, if it didn't work then, it won't work with that camera. Try a different camera. I have a difficult time taking photos too, my cameras don't do well with lasers, especially the dot, even when unfocused, it's too bright for the camera. The low quality camera in my Android phone works better with lasers than my Nikon.

Alan
 

Reiign

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if you can adjust the iso or shutter speed etc then you would want to do it that way. So with shutter speed try something like 1/200ish and a low iso. also auto focus (half press) on something that is around the same distance as the spot on the wall, Then move the camera back whilst holding the half shutter down then take photo!
 
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With some cameras it helps to move back and then zoom in on the spot.
Also try aiming it at different colored surfaces.
Aim it at a dull (flat) and not a shiny surface.

BTW, do realize that certain 445nm diodes emit a rectangular shaped spot and not a round dot. Therefore what you are seeing may be perfectly normal.


By "flat" do you mean like a rectangle instead of a round dot?
If so, see here = http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/there-something-wrong-my-beam-spot-59400.html
 
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Nvloc

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Well thanks for the advice, I screwed around for 45 mins with the Olympus and the Canon T3i and couldn't come up with any decent pics, they're all too bright or too grainy. Tried all the advice given but I probably didn't use the best surface to shine the beam at. Ended up using the bottom of a ceramic oven dish but its new so really white and therefore too bright. It'll burn the Teflon coating off a pan and burns the wall instantly among many other things. Ran out of ideas for now...

Could be that laser is supposed to have a beam that's shaped like this, it's just the second one I've bought from the same vendor in the same wavelength but other one has a smaller focal point. This one is more powerful and not sure what lens it has.

At 8 feet away from an object the beam is about 1/8" by 1/2", not really a rectangle I quite flat...
 

Pman

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Since you are having so much trouble taking a pic can you at least post what you purchased such as a direct link to it or at least seller and description? This would greatly clear up what you are talking about;) I think you are talking about a very thin line that some lasers show and this is normal. It is likely that a 3 element lens will help this issue. Lots of us prefer to sacrifice some power for a nicer dot.
Also, just because it is the same wavelength doesn't mean it will be the same beam specs at all. Take a look at DTR site as a lot of the diodes he sells have pics showing what the dot will look like. I bet it's normal and you have a G or single element lens on it. I think a single 3 element lens runs about $10.

Take a look at the pics here (yes I realize yours are blue)
https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/diodes/mitsubishi-635nm-500mw-diodes
 
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Nvloc

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Thanks for that link Pman, one photo in the link is nearly identical to what I'm seeing. It appears to be a G2 lens as there are a bunch of thin lines at 25' so I guess its just normal. I might try and order a G3 and sacrifice some power then
It's a DTR module and registers just over 2.8watts
:thanks:
 

Pman

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Thanks and you're welcome.
Will say that it's just a 3-element lens and not a G3. Never heard of a G3.
Have fun and be safe.
 

Nvloc

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Sorry meant 3-element.... I was shopping for Simms fishing waders yesterday and had G3 on my mind ;)
 
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try using a dark gray background-
ND filters should help
welders goggles are NO GOOD for our eyes but may be fine for pics of actual spot-
when asking about this you need to tell us the 'specs' of your laser-

445 blues never make a round dot (w/o correction) it just 'looks' like a 'dot' at its smallest-- same for C-mounts-

hak
 
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Manual mode with the highest f and shutter
speed, lowest ISO and work from there
Bracket and filter with a welding mask.
The mask goes in front of the camera, not
the laser or it will start burning.
 

Nvloc

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Jun 18, 2014
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I would've posted specs but I think it might give away who I got it from. The fact that it burns stuff is great, just what I needed. But the service I received from this vendor was brutal, so I'm choosing not to say anything negative toward them directly or promote their business because in my opinion they don't deserve that from me

Thanks to Pman's link I no longer think there is an issue with the beam on this laser, therefore I don't really need a beam spot photo anymore. But if I do in the future I will definitely use this advice gained. Thanks for the inputs!
 




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