What moves?

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm working on a project and I need something that moves at a relatively constant rate that isn't too fast or too slow.

Here's my project. I want to set up a scene. I want to photograph it with ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, with shutter speeds of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, and with apertures f/22, f/16, f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8, and f/2. That's 6 ISOs, 10 shutter speeds, and 8 apertures, for a total of 480 different photos (one for each combination of settings).

Why? To help people understand exposure better. I'll post all the pictures online and have a web page that makes it easy to compare two pictures with different settings. To show people the effect of aperture on DOF, I'll have near, middle, and far objects along with a ruler. To show people the limits of dynamic range, I'll have a white textured paper towel and a black textured strap. They'll be able to see the how noise increases with ISO. Most importantly, they'll be able to see how changing one setting requires them to change another to keep the same exposure level.

The one thing that I want to demonstrate that I haven't got a subject for is motion. I want something that moves fast enough to be extremely blurry in a 1 second shot and frozen in a 1/500 second shot. I tried a fan, but it moves too fast. What's small and cheap and moves quickly enough but not too quickly?

Any other ideas on the subject are also welcome, but that's the big one that I'm struggling with.

 

[scoot241]

Toy train, or some other windup toy?

 

[coloneldebugger]

first thought is some type of young kid/baby toy or game.

electric train set comes to mind. maybe a friend or family has one.

a wind up toy car.

dropping a slinky.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

How about a metronome? Stays in one spot with motion that you can set to whatever speed you want. And thanks for doing this Mark. It will reach alot more people than just explaining it.

 

[spinetnglr]

Scott beat me to it ... I was going to say maybe your boys have a windup toy of some kind that spins or moves.

I have a cuckoo clock that has a water wheel that spins every hour and it would be perfect so I was trying to think of something that spins or moves at about that same speed. One thing I thought of was a music box of some kind that has a spinning figure or something like that when you wind it. You can find those pretty reasonable and then give it to one of the young girls in your neighborhood when you are done with it.

 

[boBQuincy]

A phonograph turntable is a classic device for something like this, the speed is slow enough and is accurate. At 33-1/3 rpm it takes a little less than two seconds to make a full revolution (1.802 to be more precise). 45 or 78 rpm are good for faster shutter speeds.

By placing a protractor on the turntable you could even check the accuracy of your shutter speed!

What's that? You threw away your turntable when CDs took over?

Of course there is always the Disney model monorail!

 

[Master Mason]

ceiling fan, they move much slower

 

[MICKEY88]

a clock with a pendulum, such as a schoolhouse clock..

 

[YesDear]

I was thinking of a desk clock that had a spinning pendulum.

Sounds like a great project. I wish I lived closer and could help!

 

[budmonster]

What about a Newton's Cradle. It's constantly in motion.

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[annnewjerz]

What about a Newton's Cradle. It's constantly in motion.

[/IMG]

Too funny. I was just thinking about this and was going to post---but unfortunately I was going to call it "one of those clackity metal ball swinging things that sits on your desk" Newton's cradle, huh? I'm going to put that one in the memory bank for next time.

 

[WDWFigment]

Windmill? Chainsaw?

 

[budmonster]

Too funny. I was just thinking about this and was going to post---but unfortunately I was going to call it "one of those clackity metal ball swinging things that sits on your desk" Newton's cradle, huh? I'm going to put that one in the memory bank for next time.

LOL I didn't know what it was called either. So I googled "five metal ball on a string" you should have seen some of the responses I got So I reworded it and google gave me Newton's Cradle.