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How-to make decent photographs for forum posts/articles/publications?

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TiN:
Hi to all pixel-nuts.
Few times people were asking me how to take good hardware photos. So I decided to bodge up quick article about this topic, instead of writing paragraphs of text to each and everyone personally.

It took a while to make everything described, but article is out now.  :P

Some common bad practices are busted, as well as examples of few photos and used setups provided.



Try to read IC labels on SDRAM and PCB on photo above, or what is exact voltage displayed on DMM?

Same photos after reading article and NOT using flash:



Good Keithley 2002 ADC pic as example



What gear you are using? What tricks you think useful for EE-related photography?

Show your stuff, let's improve on content we produce in 2016!  :popcorn:

chicken:
If the PCB is reasonably flat, use a flatbed scanner. Works very well for smaller stuff like for example boards out of point & shoot cameras (my guilty teardown pleasure).

BravoV:
Great thread !  :-+

Yeah, flash is a big no no  :--

Also imo, most bad ones especially close up shots were made because of unsteady camera, as common using cellphone camera as it can not be  secured to a steady base like a tripod. Heck, even el cheapo $10 tripod and cheap P&S camera will make huge differences compared to a handheld, high end cellphone camera.

Sharing my much simpler setup with a little trick to get crt screen like below as I don't have the special hood/shade for shooting it -> Shooting CRT Based Scope Screen

tautech:
IMHO it's not just about how the pics are taken, how they are presented is important too.

In a thread by c4757p how he's done the imagery is the best that I can remember:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/tek-485-repair-and-restoration-prologue/

Image files have been uploaded in the normal way to EEVblog's server leaving the normal thumbnails at the foot of each post.
But instead of inserting the images throughout his post by way of the "Insert Image" tool, he's used a "Insert Hyperlink" leaving a link where an image might be. This method offers 3 distinct advantages:

1. The page loads FAST. I have slow internet and threads like this are a joy.  :)
2. It allows an easy work-around for the forum restrictions of pic size, by using an external pic host and with a corresponding URL great pic detail can be offered when/if needed.
3. By using a URL, a click opens a new browser page yielding a FULL page pic of far higher detail than be attached within a post by using the SMF "Insert Image" tool.

deadlylover:
Trying to get everything in focus on a larger PCB pisses me off, any tips? X(

Here's the first notch filter board on my Panasonic 7722 audio analyser, gonna have to upgrade one or two of those ancient opamps, most likely the NE5534, it likes to have a 2nd harmonic peak at the -120 or -130db range when used in active twin-t or bridged t notch filters. Swapping it for something like an OPA1611 should suppress the 2nd harmonic by 7-10db.
Not sure how much I can improve the unit though, lots more work to be done on the amplifier stage before the notch....but that's for another thread, or not, folks here don't really like talking about audiofoolery stuffs.

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