Author Archives: Steve Mays

DJI Osmo Pocket 3: Face tracking and remote mic

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In this 3 1/2 minute video I play with face tracking features of the Pocket 3 and the sound quality of the remote microphone.

Face tracking feels like magic. To be able to move around and have the camera follow and keep me in frame creates a lot of possibilities. As far as I can recall, every video I ever recorded was a solo effort which meant the camera had to be stationary and I couldn’t move around. This feature should make for more interesting shots.

As for the remote mic… I’m impressed. I’ll have to figure out the best levels and settings but the quality is as good as anything I’ve ever used. And I’ve used a lot of microphones.

I’m looking forward to recording a uke song with this camera/mic. If I can get good audio from the uke as well as my voice, I can try some stuff. Still lots to learn about the Pocket 3.

Every time I power on this camera I discover some new and useful feature. If you noticed me looking at my iPhone in the video, I was using the DJI app to monitor and control the camera on the other side of the room. Additionally, the tiny remote mic can also control certain settings on the camera. It’s easy to see why this camera is so popular with vloggers.

Final thought: At 76 years of age, close-ups are not kind to me. This is about the right distance.

Jeep: 4WD, Low Range

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Had a small brush pile to get rid of but the pickup was full of mulch. Tossed the brush on the back of the Jeep, put it in 4WD/low range and headed down the hill to a big pile. Doesn’t look like much of a hill in the photo above but it’s steep-ish. The Jeep pulled it with no problem.


Decided to add a bit of flair to the Jeep.

Blog maintenance: Video

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When I started blogging in 2002 it was really hard to include video in a post. YouTube was still three years away. Google had a video player for a while but streaming just wasn’t a thing. The first video files I uploaded were tiny because they had to download before they could be watched. But all that changed with faster computers and more bandwidth. And, of course, smart phones that could record video.

YouTube made it very easy to upload and share video from a website like mine. I have 677 posts on this blog that include video. Most of those were created by someone else but I’ve created a couple of hundred. My first was in February of 2006.

There are other streaming platforms besides YouTube. Vimeo, TED Talks, and WordPress has a player for streaming mp4 files. Fifty-nine of my posts use something other than a YouTube embed.

My posts with video now fall into several categories under Media & Entertainment:

Of the 200+ videos that I’ve posted here, 44 of them were me talking to the camera. Not sure these would be considered “selfies.”

Audio

Seventy-nine of my posts include audio. Interviews, funny songs, old radio jingles and commercials, etc. Some of my favorite stuff.

 

1949 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta

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Mr. Wolf is no stranger to rare and beautiful automobiles but even he sounds a little impressed by one of his recent jobs.

1949 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta. 1 of 10 short hood Barchettas, I believe it is roughly the 30th Ferrari built, though I could be off by a large margin – Ferrari information is notoriously cloudy. Serious race history, driven extensively by Biondetti.

The gravity of this thing is incredible, just having it around to appreciate in person, in private… I spent some time each day sitting next to it while having my espresso.

A bit of tinkering, rewiring a few things, fiddling with the exhaust and carburetors, and – the best part – designing and fabricating a battery hold down. The original went missing some time ago.

I asked him what he was doing to a car “now worth something like $10,000,000.”

It’s an odd, push-down-from-above battery hold down, and all of the parts are gone, and no reference photos exist. So I got to spend a couple days thinking, sketching, welding… What would a bunch of scrappy Italians have done in 1949?

Basically, a lot of time and effort to make something simple, unimpressive, and invisible once the battery cover goes on, and I’m thrilled!

He describes the owner as “a very cool old fellow, and a longtime Ferrari historian. Very knowledgeable, really knows his stuff. I once re-jetted the triple Weber carbs with him at 11pm outside a hotel in 45 degree weather, preparing to climb the Sierras the next morning.”

Barb’s Garden (May 2024)

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The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has scores of features and hundreds of settings but I’ve been reduced to just capturing a few minutes of straight-on video. (I’m just guessing about the number of features and settings because I’m still discovering new ones every time I turn the camera on)

All of those options allow one (who knows what they’re doing) to create amazing cinematic shots. If you don’t know how to configure and use this camera, it is frustrating. Even with countless how-to videos on YouTube. I’m determined to get comfortable with this camera but I know there will be times when I’m tempted to just grab my iPhone and start recording. Shoot, I haven’t scratched the surface of what the iPhone camera can do. This is probably what it would feel like to take your first flying lesson in an F35.