The Panasonic FX37 (get the upgraded model for $144 $129(!!) here) is a great camera. Fast, wide-angle lens, (f/2.8, 25mm equivalent) in a compact package with all the modern features (image stabilization, HD video, facial recognition, etc). And it takes really nice photos. However there is one downside: its sensor seems to attract dust, which is especially noticeable when zooming in on a bright object (such as the sky).

I’m not sure if this is a matter of the case being poorly sealed compared to other pocket cameras, but it is frustrating. Thankfully, the remedy is fast and simple: by removing a few small screws, you are able to access the sensor inside the camera. A few bursts of air and a quick reassembly is all it takes to be snapping photos like the camera is brand new.

I made a quick video tutorial of how to access and clean the sensor– the entire process takes less than 10 minutes. Make things smoother on yourself by getting the tools together before starting the process. You don’t want to leave the case open any longer than necessary.

Here’s what you’ll need: Mini screwdrivers • Blower or compressed air •Lint-free cloth • Receptacles for screws and parts • Clean workspace.

Be careful disassembling your camera. This will almost surely void your warranty (a warranty that probably can be used to have the company clean the sensor for you), so be certain that you are willing to risk breaking your camera forever. I take no responsibility for any damage incurred following these instructions. Now, go clean that sensor!

The upcoming Iron Man sequel features an updated suit of armor, and now you can make a miniaturized paper version for yourself. It is a bit more complicated than beginner papercraft projects and doesn’t have a list of instructions, so make sure to keep your printer ink refreshed if you have to start over. Get the printout here.

Also, the Mark V armor (the suitcase one – how much must that weigh??) is papercrafted too. Check it out.

Speaking of Iron Man: check out the article I wrote in the current issue of WIRED magazine: Geek Justice League: Caped Crusader Billionaires We’d Like to See. A fun piece to go along with the soon-to-premiere Iron Man 2 movie. As a big comic fanatic growing up, getting to write about superheroes is still amazingly fun. And I love that Wired illustrated the “geeks” very closely to the descriptions I submitted for them. Enjoy!

A simpler but no less geekily awesome paper project is the Geoff Peterson “Cubee.” Anyone who’s been keeping up with Mythbusters’ Grant Imahara or watching the Craig Ferguson show know that Grant recently made a robot sidekick for Craig, named Geoff Peterson. It’s a work of comedic and robotic art. And now you can pay homage to a great late night talk show moment by making your own paper version. Get the file here.

Combining RC aircraft and video cameras is as instinctual as putting berries on your cereal. And as manufacturers come out with higher quality lenses and sensors, while shrinking camera size and weight, some pretty impressive (and expensive) rigs have been assembled to capture aerial footage.

However the iPhone does not seem like a good fit for a project like this. Light: yes. Fragile: very. Important to your daily life: completely. Watch as this unlucky (or perhaps, very lucky) fellow flies his iPhone-equipped airplane into a light post. Hilarity!

When I tried to shoot some nice aerial video from my iPhone equipped rc-plane I accidently crashed into a lamppost.
My aeroplane was totally smashed but my iPhone fortunately survived and captured everything on video!

I’m flying over Löberöd in south of Sweden.

Of course, done right the footage from RC aircraft can be downright cinematographic.

This video, while not aerial, shows the workings of a pretty badass flying rig equipped with a Canon G10, and shot on one of my favorite DSLRs for video, the Canon 7D (although I’m starting to like the T2i a lot – the price and quality is undeniable).

Being a regular reader of the Harbor Freight catalog I quickly noticed their signature look in the back pages of Car and Driver magazine. I also noticed the listed prices were better than the regular ones in their monthly mailer. And on top of that, the coupons don’t expire until mid-July. A pretty nice reward for the Car and Driver readers.

Here’s a scan of that ad; print it out on your company’s color laser printer and see if it works at your local HF shop. The jack stands and creeper are looking pretty useful for the project I’m working on right now…

If you’re looking for a good deals on name-brand tools, check out Amazon’s Tools & Home Improvement Value Center. A grab bag of discounts on quality goods. One example: Milwaukee 18v cordless circular saw w/o battery: List $312, discounted price $41.55.

The Baja California Earthquake on April 4, 2010 left a fair amount of localized destruction and wide-spread shaken nerves in its wake, but thankfully it was not nearly as devastating as could have been. At 7.2 on the Moment Magnitude Scale (an updated, more precise measurement than the Richter scale for large earthquakes), the quake released more energy than the Loma Prieta earthquake that knocked down many parts of San Francisco and Oakland in 1989.

This was a butt-kicking earthquake. It lasted for approximately a minute (compared to 10-15 seconds for Loma Prieta). The power of it can be seen through some phenomenal photos taken during and just after its occurrence – Route 5 heading south of Mexicali has developed massive cracks, and the dust rising off the surrounding mountains show how an earthquake this size treats the surface of the planet like someone trying to shake the sand out of a beach blanket.

Fortunately, the area where the earthquake occurred is not a densely populated metropolitan zone such as San Francisco or Los Angeles. Mexicali and its surroundings are largely agricultural, with a desert that stretches far beyond. The principal buildings are low-rise, and there is no major transportation/freeway network in the area; disruptions will be quickly re-routed. Incidentally, every time I’ve passed through the city I’ve managed to get completely lost, and once even had an early-morning police escort to the border. But that’s unrelated

Here’s how seismometers work, and how to build one of your own:

Click to continue »

Click the image to open in another window, print the coupon, stop by your local Harbor Freight and enjoy a six-piece screwdriver set for free.

From the pixelated image on the coupon, these screwdrivers look pretty cheap (of course), but sometimes a cheap screwdriver is just the tool you need. Like when you get mad and you need to throw something – don’t waste a nice Craftsman on your short temper.

And if you can get there in the next couple days, bring this coupon for a free LED flashlight for an added bonus. It expires March 24.

If you’re looking for a good deals on name-brand tools, check out Amazon’s Tools & Home Improvement Value Center. A grab bag of discounts on quality goods. One example: Milwaukee 18v cordless circular saw w/o battery: List $312, discounted price $41.55.

I’m a fan of projects that you can do at your work desk – print on the office printer, cut out with scissors and an exacto, and glue/tape together. The Dirkon paper pinhole camera might be the pinnacle of this type of project. This thing is cool – it’s a fully functional pinhole camera that looks like a papercraft SLR. It uses standard 35mm film, and actually advances the film. It has a makeshift “shutter release.” Maybe best of all, it looks super cool – the assembled version is a great decoration for your camera shelf or desktop. It’s been around for a while; I put one together a few years back myself.

The original instructions are in Czech, but have been translated with assembly tips. There are a couple sections that leave some questions, but use some intuition and it all comes together.

If you plan to use this for photography, you’ll need to use cardstock when printing it out – double-check that it doesn’t let light through (if so, line the inside to eliminate all light). Otherwise, standard xerox paper will be just fine.

Here’s the main page with writeup, notes and tips: Dirkon Pinhole Camera

This is the PDF to print out.

And while at it, check out the Rubikon 2, another print-and-fold camera that is an evolution of the Dirkon.

The pinhole.cz site also has some great information about determining exposure time for pinhole cameras.

Finally, get inspired by checking out Flickr pics of other Dirkons and the photos they create.

PDF of the Dirkon

Amazon’s 60% off Milwaukee sale has a lot of tempting prices on it.

I’ve been on the lookout for a lightweight driver and this Milwaukee 12v kit is a perfect fit. Bosch has an almost identical drill (and Rigid, it appears), which I used quite a bit while filming Rock and Roll Acid Test. I was skeptical about the small size, but the lithium ion battery actually pushes quite a bit of power and did a great job on some big builds. Too bad we weren’t able to keep those tools when we finished filming. The Bosch stuff is great.

List price $249, on sale for $99 – that’s a 60% discount. I’m down with that!

There’s a 3/8″ chucked version for $30 more if you don’t have/want the quick-release bits.

Here’s another way to save a bunch on cordless tools: buy the battery-less models of the same brand you already own. If you’re a Makita person, or DeWalt or whatever, search for “bare tool” and find the tools that you can pop your battery onto. Try to make sure they’ll fit – more and more manufacturers have made universal batteries for their tool lines, but it’s not always the case.

The folks at diyphotography.net have a good post with seven easy DIY projects that will help beef up your photo studio. Beauty dish, dual speedlight mount, ring flash, softbox, snoot, suction cup mounts (very clever), and a PVC light stand. All of them are useful tools.

I like the beauty dish project as an easy, cheap way to get that softbox look. These things can range in price from the $50 range to a well over $200. The version described here will cost next to nothing, especially if you source the supplies at the local thrift store.  Here’s a good example of what a beauty dish does for lighting:

(no, that’s not me – it’s just an example I found online)

UPDATE: You can find an active coupon for this deal on the Harbor Freight website. Good from April 15 to May 16, 2010.

Just saw this last night – print this coupon out, bring it to your nearest Harbor Freight tools and get a free nine-LED aluminum flashlight. A handy tool and good for dismantling and using for projects. Or use it as a bike light. I’ll be stopping by for mine later today. Offer good until Mar 24, or while supplies last.

If you’re looking for a good deals on name-brand tools, check out Amazon’s Tools & Home Improvement Value Center. A grab bag of discounts on quality goods. One example: Milwaukee 18v cordless circular saw w/o battery: List $312, discounted price $41.55.

Not a bad deal either: Thermo Tech infrared thermometer with a 12:1 distance to spot ratio and a top limit of 1022ºF – perfect for pizza ovens (my current IR thermometer craps out at 600º). 50% off today on Amazon. $39.99 final price.