Cameras!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I used to use a Canon Rebel Shot 490.  It was actually as good as a medium format DSLR.I left it out in the rain, and it got messed up.  A year after it got messed up, I put some batteries in it, and it worked like new.  I won't use it except for road trips now.  I don't want it out in the shop.Back at that time, K'kins got me a Canon Elph 170 to replace it.  It's the shop camera now, and has been for quite a few years.I love it because she got it for me.  BUT I FLAT AZZ HATE IT

The damn thing is like my trucks.  New computer technology that second guesses you.  Both my Fords have some sort of thing in the firmware that thinks that if you tease the clutch at idle, you must be mistaken, and trying to stall the motor.  In its wisdom, the stinkin' computer revs up the engine

  That works real good when trying to start the truck rolling on a sheet of ice

Anyways.......back to the camera thing.I'm gonna show you a few pics of the same weld, taken at the same time, under the same lighting conditions.

  I'm holding my hand over the weld to block the light.  I want to see a TRUE pic of the weld.  It has meaning when you're talking about how the weld was made.

  Same weld without blocking off the light.  It's a totally different animal.

  In another post, I tried to explain the rod manipulation.  This is an approximation of the movement.  I don't like weaving.  It's not good, and I don't like it.  But, this one was easier to weave, rather than do stringers.  The top of the bevel is about 3/8" wide.  It's in between the requirements.  You could do stringers, or you could do a weave.  This is a one-and-done weld.............get it out the door.  Easier to just weave it.But.......................I wanted to show that you can do a mild weave with generally good results.  That was shown in Pic #1.  It just looks like a regular weld.  Doesn't look like one of those sloppy shortcut weaves.  (That's just my opinion, not a rule)The crux of the thing is how it was made.  A straight travel across the middle, with a pause and push at the toes.  I go along the edge of the bevel, fill it, and push back into the puddle to make sure the metal is slightly above the edge of the joint.  Then travel back across to the other side, and do the same thing.  BUT, the arced shape of the ripples doesn't give a clue as to how the hand was moving.  This is the goody.  You can do a weld without showing what you did.  The second pic doesn't show this............it's just a big light blowout.  No inkling of the fine ripples that the first pic showed.I like to talk about "pushing" back into the puddle.  It's maybe a 1/16 to 1/8" movement.  The rod isn't taken out of the puddle..........it stays in, and you just push it to build metal.If you keep a close eye on the puddle, it's like you never did any hand movements.  There's just a clean arc across the face of the puddle.  You just pull it along as you go.Most of the time, I'm able to get around the problems with the camera.  Take pics at different angles, and try to take pics in the evening when direct sunlight isn't on the surface of the weld.  But......If I have to get done with something, I don't have time for that crap.  This was the last weld of the day.Bottom line...........is there a point-and-shoot camera out there that actually puts out a pic that looks like what you're seeing with your human eye????????????  The Canon works well under shop light, but sucks under natural lighting conditions when you're doing macro shots.
Reply:Back in my 35mm days I had a Canon AE-1 that I really liked so I've had a couple little Canon pocket cameras. The last one is a little bigger with a somewhat better lens , the Powershot, but still nothing near the quality of the AE-1. One of my relatives was a bit of a camera snob and liked to look down on my Canons so I actually broke down and got a Nikon Coolpix, but I really didn't like it. The wide angle lens had a tendency to "fish eye" any closeups. When I was freelancing I liked to carry the little Sony's with Carl Ziess lenses.... basically just a pocket size holder for the best lens I could get on them. The point of my parable is that I have tried a few, and I don't see a lot of difference in brands. Most of the pics I've been posting lately just came off my i-phone because it was handy. If you want a really cheap recommendation (like free) , download Picassa from Old Programs .com . It has some settings for changing color/lighting etc. and I've come to like the auto-color button... it works quite well about 80% of the time. Might be something to try before you start buying $1000 cameras that come with a Chinese encyclopedia you don't have time to read.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes