The Rip Track

Okay, so I've been busy and not getting anything posted here for quite a while. Well, a new toy arrived in the mail today. It's called "Lens in a Cap" and it gives me a near pinhole aperture on a very small lens. The entire lens is about the size of a body lens cap and it has a setting for f/64. While it's almost impossible to see through the lens to compose an image with the aperture so small, using that and the optional Lubot 10x loupe, I got some amazing macro shots of some models....

All of the models that I shot are N scale factory painted, unmodified models.

The first model that I shot was an unlettered Atlas GP9 in Union Pacific style yellow and grey (Milwaukee Road used this paint scheme on their later passenger trains too).

I never noticed those T joints molded on the handrails until I saw this image on my computer screen. Way cool!

Next, I grabbed a MicroTrains covered hopper...

Wow! Even the microprinting on the lower side sill is crisp and readable. Sure, MicroTrains costs more, but with this kind of quality, it's definitely worth it.

For comparison, I next looked at a Precision Masters covered hopper.

Well, it's pretty obvious that they will need to work on their paint application process if they want to bring up the quality of their models, especially when compared to the others that are shown above. There is some bleed from all the lettering and it looks like there's dust in the paint itself. Using the 2-foot rule, however, I'm not going to run out to strip and repaint them.

For a little something different, I looked at Athearn's N scale fire truck.

Nicely done on the painting here too, and nice detail, Athearn. I knew these looked good in the blister packs, and now I know they'll look good as foreground models too.

The last model I looked at today was a LifeLike C-Liner.

The Milwaukee Road logo is a little bubbly at this magnification, but the lettering at the lower edge of the side is crisp and the color separation line is nice and straight without any visible bleed. Nice work.

I bought the Lens in a Cap with model railroad photography in mind, and after trying it out today, it looks like it will become a handy tool when I really get into superdetailing and painting my models. If I can get the flaws so they aren't noticed at this range, they'll really look great on the layout.