Mb 149 Demonstrator!

[Makar]

I am trying to embed a bit of video that I took with the 'nightshot' function switched on my 10 year old digital camcorder. I reckon many members will be able to see through their pens with their camcorders too! Rake it out and give it a try! I await some admin help re embedding video - I have exhausted my trial and error approach with HTML code sections...

 

The 'clarity' of the pens is not as good as the images produced by ecox but that is because the Infra red illuminator on the camcorder is pretty weak. From what I have read since, you need to pick up a good infra red torch (IR illuminator) and illuminate further.

 

Pretty cool - and thanks again ecox for distracting me so heavily...

 

Stephen

Edited May 10, 2011 by Makar

[fuchsiaprincess]

I want :puddle:

[raffaele from turin - italy]

very useful to find little cracks...if i knew before buying my 149....

[ecox]

Really nice pics,

I'm just curious, how did you do it?

Just an old film camera with infrared film, or something more fancy? What lighting was used?

Some technical details would be appreciated.

Cheers!

 

How'd I do it? I used an old Sony digital camera that has the nightshot feature. But I also put a Tiffen 87 IR filter on the lens, which is why the pictures look clearer than merely shooting in nightshot mode. Then I put the pen under my desk lamp, which has a regular lightbulb in it, and took the pictures. Voila!

 

At the risk of going off topic, IR shooting is really fun -- here's sunglasses in normal light and in IR. Notice also the leaves on the trees become white in IR:

 

http://rwec.smugmug.com/Weddings/Rachel-and-Erik-Coxs-Wedding/DSC00690/33097783_mFn3v-L.jpg

 

http://rwec.smugmug.com/Weddings/Rachel-and-Erik-Coxs-Wedding/DSC00689/33121926_NqsAP-L.jpg

 

-Erik

[osnofian]

Thanks for the elucidation! I'm quite tempted to give it a shot

[JLS1]

Nice pictures, ecox!

 

A little OT, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that you could use an camera with an IR (aka Nightshot) setting to help verify the authenticity of an MB. As I recall, I think that the resin in an authentic MB will be transparent in IR (as we see in ecox's pictures) whereas the resin in fake MBs won't...anybody with a fake MB care to confirm?

[hari317]

In the IR pictures, do the whiter areas indicate that the object absorbs less IR and the darker areas indicate that the IR is absorbed by the material?

[ecox]

In the IR pictures, do the whiter areas indicate that the object absorbs less IR and the darker areas indicate that the IR is absorbed by the material?

 

I believe the white areas are where IR is reflected back, and dark areas are where IR is absorbed. For an extreme example, here's some IR I did on Bora Bora.

 

http://rwec.smugmug.com/Weddings/Rachel-and-Erik-Coxs-Wedding/DSC00780/33098255_Qy58w-L.jpg

 

http://rwec.smugmug.com/Weddings/Rachel-and-Erik-Coxs-Wedding/DSC00781/33110755_sRwDh-L.jpg

 

-Erik

[daenghafez]

Thanks for sharing the beautiful 149 'demo' photos! I was almost conned by this demo photos and thought you have purchased that illusive 149 demo..

[mlr8]

Hi Erik,

Amazing photos! Thanks for sharing.

I like JLS1’s idea to see how the fake one looks like in the photo. I have a fake MB pen with resin barrel. I would like to post it to you for testing if you do not mind.

Mark

[kareth]

are MB149s prone to cracks, for that matter all precious resin barrels. whenever a reference is made of MB149, barrel cracks are the first negative aspect( if this model has any) being said of.

 

are all MB149s (both new as well as used) susceptible to cracks.

 

what would be the probability of cracks appearing in an MB149 - true, its used with utmost care.

 

(please note - not deviating from the original post. has read a lot about cracks and shattering of MB resin barrels, hence my apprehension)

 

thanks

[hari317]

I must check my camera to see if it has this mode. i think this is a powerful way to inspect a pen without opening it up!

[kcunvong]

Nice photo! You had me fooled, looking for the bubblegum glue.

 

This is very cool. And, no pun intended, illuminating. What really interests me is that you can clearly see a few micro-cracks in the barrel. They are by the ink window and well captured in your fourth photo. These are visible in demonstrators as the following picture shows:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/149MDemonstrator/149ThreeDemonstrators_03.jpg

 

I remember when I first saw these micro cracks I was worried the pen was compromised. But then I looked at the ink window of many of my 149s and saw they were present.

 

Thanks for sharing,

Sean

 

Are these all your pens?!

[cwnidog]

Just too cool!

[SubodhK]

Splendid idea and very well executed. I am now eager to rush home and try this on a variety of materials.

[breaker]

excellent review

thanks!

[Juan in Andalucia]

Bravo !!!

 

Juan

[BrandonA]

That is groovy. I've dug out my old camcorder and it works on my pens too. The 147, Dostoevsky and Christie give the best results as they have the most resin, I can see inside the whole of these pens. Of these only the Christie is inked, if I move the pen around I can see the ink moving behind the resin.

 

For my Woolf and Fitzgerald I can see inside the cap. I can see slightly inside the piston twisting part of my Wilde/Poe/Fitzgerald and Proust.

[CS388]

Excellent stuff, Erik. Crystal clear!

 

Was also interested to see the micro cracks on the barrel, like the demonstrators seen on here previously. Wonder why this is the stress point?

 

I noticed the sky and clouds (in the Bora Bora shots) kept their integrity.

 

Great idea. I'm sure you've started something, here. We'll all be having a go. Thanks.

[Bryant]

Wow! I was so hoping this was a real pen. That! Is a grail pen... Nice shots, thanks for sharing.

Bry