Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008


Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008

Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 22 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Sunday, September 28, 2008

DSC07179: Bird


DSC07179: Bird, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

A "Black-capped Chickadee" eating on my grandparents bird feeder during the summer. This photo has lovely Bokeh with the green trees all blurry and the feeder in the forefront. I used my 70-300mm lens for this photo.

Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008


Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

This was taken using my SAL-1870mm lens or the kit lens that came with my camera. United van lines. It was a big balloon!

Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Saturday, September 27, 2008

F-16 Thunderbirds


F-16 Thunderbirds, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-16 Thunderbirds flying up for their next stunt!

Exposure: 1/3200 sec
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 250 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Friday, September 26, 2008

F-16 Thunderbirds


F-16 Thunderbirds, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-16 Thunderbirds

Doing a high speed pass down the front in a 4 point roll.

Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 160 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Grasshopper: Old Photo


Grasshopper, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

I was at the hotel in Orland and i saw him on the back of a car. I thought that it was a good shot. I took this with the DSC-H1 Sony Cybershot 5.1 megapixel. IT was in the early morning before were going to go and visit Epcot.

Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 21.1 mm
ISO Speed: 64

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

F-16 Thunderbirds


F-16 Thunderbirds, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-16 Thunderbirds: taking off and afterburner is on!

I use the surround land and trees to give you a sense of perspective. You cant tell how fast he was going, but i hope that the land gives you a sense of urgency that he was taking off in a big hurry! You can see the fire shooting out of the exhaust and the heat trail behind that. He is only about 30 feet off the ground and is giving it some major power to take off at that pitch.

Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 160 mm
ISO Speed: 200

F-16 Thunderbirds


F-16 Thunderbirds, originally uploaded by RMStringer.


Classic formation. Looking at the belly of the F-16.

Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 200

F-16 Thunderbirds


F-16 Thunderbirds, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-16 Thunderbirds: Artistic blur 1.1

The flight crews were lined up to assist the pilot. I thought that an out of focus shot would be nice or interesting. By Me placing them out of focus, i tried to divert the attention and seriousness of the act that was happening and also to make it more surreal about what was going to happen.

Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 90 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Evening Sky.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

DSC00835: Almost There!


DSC00835: Almost There!, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-15 taking off at Scott AFB on 9.20.2008. I love the after burner and the heat stream that is behind the jet as it is building power to do a vertical climb.

Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/2000)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 150 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Freezing Cold?


People always talk about wanting to conserve energy and some try to do it and green. That is a good thing. What I have noticed is that lots of things can and could be changed to help conserve energy but never gets mentioned.

Take for instance, Going to the grocery store. We all do it and have to. We might get some bread, milk, cereal, and milk or cheese. But wait, how is the mike and cheese kept cold? In a freezer, an open face freezer. All that cold is just falling to the floor. It keeps the products cold, but also the people, the floor and most of the stuff surrounding that isle. Talk about WASTEFUL!! Not to mention the energy costs and refrigerant that is used in the process of cooling.

Hey, I know, let’s open the door of our home and cool the neighborhood! The open faced freezer is the same suggestion. Very inefficient and inadequate for what is needed. I went to the store last night and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. What is the energy cost of this unit while it is running 24/7 and also on the environment? My daughter always complains about how cold it is in that area. No wonder! They are cooling the whole back on the store with the open faced freezers and coolers.

Can people offer suggestion on this topic? Perhaps we can and should close all of the open face freezers and coolers and this would save a tremendous amount of energy and cut down on the store’s electric bill. In my opinion, it is an antiquated way of keeping food products cold and fresh. This is just my thoughts on the energy crisis that we are having…




What is your opinion?
Blogroll Me!

Looking East.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Through the field.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

2 new shrooms!

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Companies joining to push music on memory cards

This is a very interesting concept. I use a MicroSD card in my LGVX8600 cell and hold music and photos taken with the camera.  Hmm..  Perhaps i was ahead of the curve on this idea.


Sep 22, 12:09 AM (ET)

By RACHEL METZ

NEW YORK (AP) - Just as vinyl once gave way to compact discs as the main physical medium for music, could CDs be replaced now by a fingernail-sized memory card?

Perhaps not entirely, but SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) (SNDK), four major record labels and retailers Best Buy Co. (BBY) (BBY) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) (WMT) are hoping that albums sold on microSD memory cards will at least provide an additional stream of sales. The companies were expected to unveil plans Monday to sell memory cards loaded with music in the MP3 format, free of copy protections.

Called "slotMusic," the new format is meant to address two intertwined trends. Most albums are still sold in a physical format - 449 million were sold on CDs in 2007, while 50 million were sold digitally, according to Nielsen SoundScan - yet CDs are decreasingly popular. Albums sold on CD dropped almost 19 percent last year.

Given this, the record labels - Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) (WMG) and EMI Group PLC - are hoping slotMusic can be another physical revenue source - and one that is more versatile than CDs, given the kinds of gadgets people carry around these days.

Unlike when the CD was introduced and people had to buy new players, many people already have the ability to play slotMusic albums, since many cell phones and multimedia players support microSD cards.

These new albums will come with a small USB dongle that lets buyers use them with computers, too.

"Particularly in this kind of economic climate, the idea of being able to use an electronic device you already own to enjoy music rather than going out and buying a dedicated player is pretty compelling," said Daniel Schreiber, who heads the audio-video business unit at SanDisk, which created the microSD card format and is working on the technology behind slotMusic.

Schreiber said slotMusic albums will be sold on 1 gigabyte microSD cards, which means they will be able to hold a full album and related content such as liner notes and cover art. Buyers will be able to use extra space on the cards to hold songs and photos from their own collections.

The cards and dongles will come in boxes similar to current CD packaging, and Schreiber expects the cost of slotMusic releases to be "in the ballpark" of current CD prices.

It's not yet known exactly when - or how many - albums will be initially sold in the format, but Schreiber expects retailers to give a "sizable amount of shelf space" to slotMusic albums. The albums are expected to debut at multiple retailers, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores in the U.S., and later in Europe.

Rio Caraeff, executive vice president of Universal Music Group's eLabs digital music unit, said the label will initially release about 30 titles in the slotMusic format. The titles will include old and new albums, such as one by singer Akon.

"We want to provide the benefits of digital music to people who go to physical retail environments," he said.

Asked whether he sees the format taking the place of the CD, Caraeff said, "I think we would certainly hope that would be the case, but I don't think we are so tied to that."

NPD Group entertainment analyst Russ Crupnick sees a potential for slotMusic to emerge as a compelling format. He said the industry needs "desperately" to give people a new reason to head back into the music sections at brick-and-mortar stores.

"Not that we want them out of the gaming section, but once they're done looking at 'Guitar Hero' we want them to come look at the music section," he said.

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Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008


Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Forest Park Balloon Glow
Friday 19, 2008

Taken in Manual Mode.
Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 45 mm
ISO Speed: 200

DSC00732: B-52H 1.2


DSC00732: B-52H 1.2, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

This is 1 out of 2 in a photo series showing the "Prandtl-Glauert singularity" on the jet.

Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 200

DSC00691: B-52H 1.1


DSC00691: B-52H 1.1, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

B-52 Flying "Dirty" with landing gear and flaps down. It was on a training mission out of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/2000)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 120 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Sunday, September 21, 2008

DSC00677: Mig-17


DSC00677: Mig-17, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
First Russian Jet with Afterburner. Used during the Vietnam War. His "Afterburners" are on during this photo.

Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 280 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Mack: Don't Worry; New Orleans is Safe

I feel exactly as you do on this one Mac.  Thank you for letting me post this to my Blog.

 

 



 

Don't Worry; New Orleans is Safe

 

This is my audition script for a job with National Public Radio:

 

After weeks of brewing at sea, mighty Hurricane Ike, bearing Mother Nature's wrath and reflecting the global warming caused by greedy Americans driving cars and working at jobs, thundered ashore on a dark and stormy night, making landfall while wreaking havoc on women and minorities because of an evil CIA plot.  Snapping trees like matchsticks, and matchsticks like trees, because people are always snapping matchsticks and saying "See, that sounds just like a pine tree!", the hurricane, an iconic symbol of America's loss of innocence, a storm that defined a generation, left devastation in its wake in places we in Washington never heard of and don't care about, thankfully sparing our most European city and center of culture, New Orleans (cue the saxophones).

 

Evil, wicked oil companies cruelly pre-left oil production facilities in the path of Hurricane Ike in their pre-abysmal pre-failure to pre-plan the pre-needs of, like, y'know, harp seals 'n' stuff.  A select congressional delegation will fly to Las Vegas in taxpayer-funded jets for a week-long investigation into corruption by Big Oil, and to participate in budgeting workshops to consider raising taxes in order to give more money to New Orleans, which was so ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.  Leave no child behind.  Unless you're Mayor Nagin (cue the sloshing water).

 

Images of devastation in Galveston, Texas can only suggest to imaginative people a little of what Hurricane Katrina must have been like in New Orleans when President Bush's levees failed (cue the harmonicas).

 

Learning that every building in Bridge City, Texas, was flooded by the storm surge, with many of them completely destroyed and with whole families' livelihoods destroyed, makes one want to take up a collection for the suffering of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina (cue the zydeco).

 

Hearing that Bolivar Peninsula is no longer a peninsula but three islands and that the loss of life there is not yet determined makes one feel sorry for those in New Orleans who suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome from Hurricane Katrina (cue loud sniffles).

 

Pictures of the flooded homes in Beaumont and Orange, sleepy little towns in Texas, make one weep for the tragedies in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina (cue more loud sniffles).

 

Considering that the homes, businesses, and families of Winnie, High Island, Rollover Pass, Crystal Beach, and other quaint little places occupied by the sort of people who cling to guns and religion will never be the same, with some people having lost everything they ever worked for, leads this reporter to take the front in leading a national day of our-thoughts-and-hearts-go-out-to-you for the people of New Orleans who lost so much more during Hurricane Katrina (cue some vaguely church-like sounds).

 

-30-

 

 

 

An institute run with such knavish imbecility that if it were not the work of God it would not last a fortnight.


-- Hilaire Belloc (speaking of the Church)



Saturday, September 20, 2008

DSC01358: F-18


DSC01358: F-18, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

F-18
I was at the Air Power Over The Midwest Air Show today at Scott Air Force Base. I took this today, it is a 1 in a Million photo! I cannot believe that I got this photo.


High speed pass over the viewing area. We had a very humid day and i was able to get this photo of the "Vapor Cone" around the plane.

Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 140 mm
ISO Speed: 200

gleeheartwinktongue

Air Power Over the Midwest!

Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

September 20, 2008 9am to 5 pm

 

I went a little crazy today and i really gave my a200 a good workout!! I took close to 2000 photos using my Minolta 35-105mm and my Quantaray 70-300mm lenses. The a200 preformed like a champ!! I did not have any misfires or issues. I started out with 2 fully charged batteries. I switched to bat 2 at 29% for the Thunderbirds. We had an F-15, F-18 and the F-16 Thunderbirds at the show plus various other aircraft that flew as well as numerous other jets on the ground. I hope to have some of the photos posted by tomorrow as I have many to go through.

 

RMStringer

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced

equation inherent to the programming of the matrix.

You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite

my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate

from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision.

While it remains a burden assiduously avoided, it is not

unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control.

Which has led you, inexorably, here." - The Architect, The Matrix Reloaded

 

Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008


Forest Park Balloon Glow 2008, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

It was really my first big exposure with using Manual Mode on my camera. A little blurry but i like it.

Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO Speed: 200

DSC09853: The Arch!


DSC09853: The Arch!, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Taken using the Minolta 35-105mm lens looking North while driving across the Mississippi River on I64 West.

Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Friday, September 19, 2008

Minolta 35-105


Minolta 35-105, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

My newest lens. f/3.5-4.5 35.105mm Minolta Lens.

Here is a link to the set of photos that were taken with this lens.
http://flickr.com/photos/rmstringer/sets/72157607187781212/

Sunrise...

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Thursday, September 18, 2008

SIUE Trailhead.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone. WWW.GORC.COM
From RMStringer

Cutting 2.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Cutting!

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

This Weekend!!! September 20-21 2008

Airshow Welcome

DATES, TIMES & COST
Air Show Dates: September 20-21 2008
Air Show Times: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Air Show Flying Times: To Be Determined
Shiloh & Belleville Gates: Open at 9:00 AM
Cost: FREE
Parking: FREE
DIRECTIONS TO SCOTT AFB

Scott AFB is located by Shiloh, Illinois and is approximately 19 miles east of St. Louis

By Auto:
From Interstate 64 take exit 19 towards Shiloh and follow the signs to enter through the Shiloh Gate.

From Illinois Route 161 the base is located between Belleville and Mascoutah where you can enter through the Belleville Gate.

By Metro Link (highly recommended):
You can take the Metrolink to the Shiloh-Scott station where buses will take you to the Air Show area of the base. Normal Metrolink and bus fees apply.

FLIGHTLINE MAP DOWNLOAD
Flightline layout showing where most of the aircraft are located (subject to change).
Current as of: 17 Sept 08
HANGAR-1 MAP DOWNLOAD
Hangar-1 layout showing where most of the displays are located (subject to change).
Current as of: 15 Sept 08

OFFICIAL AIR SHOW POSTER
 
SELECT FORMAT:
 
PROHIBITED ITEMS
  • No backpacks (backpacks specifically made for cameras are okay, but will be searched)
  • No coolers
  • No knives
  • No weapons
  • No contraband
  • No helium balloons
  • No pets
  • No tents, awnings or beach umbrellas
  • No cooking equipment
  • No bikes, roller blades, scooters or skateboards
NOTE: ALL CARRY-IN ITEMS AND PERSONS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH
RECOMMENDED ITEMS
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Lawn chairs
  • Ear plugs
  • Sunscreen
  • Cameras
  • Diaper bags
  • Pen for autographs
  • Water bottles
SAFETY ITEMS
For the safety of all visitors and aircraft there is NO SMOKING on the flightline.
 
Do not cross the crowd fencing and ropes - this could result in the show being stopped!
 
AIRCRAFT:
  • Do not touch or climb on any aircraft unless you're invited to do so by the aircrew.
  • Remember that trash can be sucked up into the aircraft engines, damaging the aircraft and endangering the pilot's life. Please keep the flightline litter-free by using the trash receptacles provided for your convenience.
  • Trip hazards are everywhere. Watch for tent ropes and aircraft tie-down chains.
  • Observe all signs, including the ones that say "do not touch."
FIRST AID:
  • Drink plenty of fluids, especially if the day is a sunny, warm, summer day.
  • Apply sunscreen often, especially to small children. Temperatures on the flightline typically are higher than normal. Bring a hat to protect the top of your head.
  • Take time out to rest during the day. With the heat and excitement, you could become fatigued.
  • A first aid tent will be set up inside our maintenance building. If you are on the flightline and looking at the air show entrance it is the building to the right. Look for the Red Cross.
LOST AND FOUND:
  • A lost and found/information booth will be set up by the main entrance to report lost children. Announcements will be made over the public address system. Bring found items or report lost items to the lost and found/information tent.
MOTORCYCLES:
All riders operating a motorcycle on base are required to wear required safety gear to include:
  • Helmets
  • Long sleeve shirts
  • Gloves
  • Long pants
  • Face shields
YOUR COOPERATION AND PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED!
Divider


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DSC09667: Mushrooms


DSC09667: Mushrooms, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Four in a row. I love the white against the green grass. It is really a contrasting photograph. As i was standing in my kitchen looking out yesterday evening, i saw a squirrel eating a mushroom like theses. He had it in his hands and ate the top off and then tossed the stem aside.

Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 60 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Mobile.

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

We can dream!

Taken with my LGVX8600 1.3Megapixel phone.
From RMStringer

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Blurry Photography on Flickr!

1.alphamale_31
summer night in sauga (2)

2.goanga
Ghost dancing (I)

3.jaypearson15
Working Late

Three photos taken from the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 group on Flickr. 
We had a "Blurry Photo" contest and i selected the top 3 pics that
entered to be showcased on my blog. 
Please enjoy!!

If you use a Sony A200, please join Flickr and our group!!

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Mack's Favorite After-the-Hurricane Things

 

 

 

Thanks to Mack Hall for letting me publish that.  He lives in Deep South East Texas where Hurricane Ike came through on late Friday/Early Saturday morning.   He is now going through the cleanup process like my family is having to do. Our prayers go out to all the victims of Hurricane Ike.

 

Favorite After-the-Hurricane Things
(apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein)
Dedicated to Jasper-Newton Electric Co-Operative

 

Sweet smelling armpits and hot-water showers
Plugged-in electric clocks that tell us the hours
No more MREs in pink plastic wrappings
These are a few of my favorite things
 
Co-Op bucket trucks working on my street
Clean socks and clean shorts and non-smelly feet
Linemen who make electricity sing –
Definitely some of my favorite things!

 

The generator stored once more in the shed
Children asleep in their own little beds
Thankful for cold winds that autumn will bring
These are a few of my favorite things

 

In the gas line
In the ice line
When I'm FEMA sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad!

 

 


Just to be alive is a grand thing.

-- Agatha Christie



Monday, September 15, 2008

DSC09767: Optical Illusion 1.1


DSC09767: Optical Illusion 1.1, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 90 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Flash: Flash fired

Pink Floyd Member Rick Wright Dead at 65

I have been a big fan of Pink Floyd since i can remember.  I was able and fortunate enough to see them in 1994 at Rice Stadium in Houston Texas.  It was an incredible show!   He will be missed in the rock community.


From Rolling Stone Website:



Rick Wright, keyboardist and a founding member of Pink Floyd, died today after a battle with cancer. He was 65. “The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd, announce with great sadness that Richard died today after a short struggle with cancer,” Wright’s spokesman said. “The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.” Wright, along with Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and drummer Nick Mason, laid the foundation for Pink Floyd, with Wright’s organ work one of the trademarks of the band’s debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. With the addition of David Gilmour and the subtraction of Syd Barrett, Wright’s responsibilities with Floyd expanded, writing and singing on two songs on the band’s second album A Saucer Full of Secrets. Among Wright’s most well-known works as a member of Pink Floyd are co-writing credits on “Us & Them,” “The Great Gig in the Sky” and the Atom Heart Mother gem “Summer ‘68.” In a sidebar to a feature last year, David Fricke said of “Us & Them,” “Rick Wright composed the floating-chord piano figure at the heart of this song during the sessions for Zabriskie Point. Director Michelangelo Antonioni rejected it, allowing Wright to resurrect the theme for this Dark Side highlight.” Wright remained a member of Pink Floyd until a rift with Roger Waters resulted in his exit after The Wall. Wright later rejoined the band when David Gilmour took over the reins after Waters left the band. Wright was also on hand when the band reunited in 2005 for the Live 8 concert in London. Recently, Wright had joined David Gilmour’s solo tour. Check out the playlist of key Richard Wright songs below.

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Hurrican Ike Mid-West Effects.

We felt Hurricane Ike' s presence in the St Louis Metro area late Saturday night/Early Sunday morning with wind over 53mph and 3+ inches of rain. We have stream and river flooding in the Metro area. The effects really caught the region by surprise! We are supposed to have beautiful weather all week long as Ike was coupled with a cool front coming through the area as well.

I took these photos during some rain squalls yesterday morning.
DSC09821: Ike 1.1

DSC09777: Ike 1.2


What is your opinion?
Blogroll Me!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

DSC09797: Contrast 1.2


DSC09797: Contrast 1.2, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

The dark and light tones created by the ambient light are nice. I took this in B/W to show the contrast around the window.

Exposure: 0.333 sec (1/3)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO Speed: 200

DSC09731: 9.33pm=All Digital


DSC09731: 9.33pm=All Digital, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Digital Time Caught In A Digital Moment...

Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 800