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Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:05 pm**

I read over on DPreview of a person that used a mini ultra violet light to check for dust bunnies on his sensor, in a darkened room.

If it works then one would be able to see those peskies and how many.

Investigated and found that Jaycar sells a UV LED keychain light for $4.95 so a cheap way to see if it does work and if not, you have a cute keychain :wink:

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:17 pm**

That is most interesting.

Thanx

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:22 pm**

I'll get one tomorrow and see, Chris.

I probably won't use it as a keychain (I have a plush Stitch taking up more space than you'd believe) but I do happen to love UV light, plus it's useful for hurting vampires... so should I come in contact with a lawyer...

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:46 pm**

Do you know where I can find a larger UV flashlight to look for scorpions with?

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:53 pm**

Nice find Chris - look forward to your review Leigh!

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:54 pm**

Nice one Leigh - let us know how you go before I lay out $4.95 :wink:

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:36 pm**

sirhc55 wrote:Nice one Leigh - let us know how you go before I lay out $4.95

I make less than you and yet I'm going to spend $4.95 on a lawyer-protection system.

Well, at least that's what I'll tell myself.

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:25 pm**

Nnnnsic wrote:
sirhc55 wrote:Nice one Leigh - let us know how you go before I lay out $4.95

I make less than you and yet I'm going to spend $4.95 on a lawyer-protection system.

Well, at least that's what I'll tell myself.

Posted: **Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:40 pm**

Uv light can blind if intense enough and cause burns. They do light up dust very well.

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:15 am**

There's a little UV LED torch, together with an "invisible" ink pen, in a brand of breakfast cereal at the moment. Look for the Superman promo.

It emits a fair amount of UV, enough to light up security features on bank notes, make my watch dial glow like it has never before, etc.

I didn't find any dust on my sensor, but then, I just wet cleaned it

Cheers
Steffen.

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:32 am**

Steffen wrote:There's a little UV LED torch, together with an "invisible" ink pen, in a brand of breakfast cereal at the moment. Look for the Superman promo.

It emits a fair amount of UV, enough to light up security features on bank notes, make my watch dial glow like it has never before, etc.

I didn't find any dust on my sensor, but then, I just wet cleaned it

Cheers
Steffen.

Well the kids have made me buy about 10 boxes of that promo and pens :evil:

.

MATT

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:02 pm**

MATT wrote:Well the kids have made me buy about 10 boxes of that promo and pens

They haven't made you watch the movie have they? *shudders*

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:11 pm**

Dug, ive seen Dick Smiths... i think they had a fluro UV light.. like a 12v work light... dont know if they still have them tho

Tim

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:50 pm**

Wanna come scorpion huntin' tim?

i'll spot them you pick them up :wink:

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:03 pm**

yep, sure... no worries

Tim

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:01 pm**

I have one of those Dick Smith flouro UVs that I specifically bought to find scorpions with. Not that we get many here in sunny Melbourne, but I take it outback with me. Works quite well, although a UV LED light would be smaller and more convenient.

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:22 pm**

How'd you go with this Leigh?

I'm interested as I've got an idea for an image using UV

Does anyone know if there's some kind of filter sheet etc that you can fit over your say SB-800 to emit a burst of UV light?

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:46 pm**

daniel_r wrote:How'd you go with this Leigh?

I'm interested as I've got an idea for an image using UV

Does anyone know if there's some kind of filter sheet etc that you can fit over your say SB-800 to emit a burst of UV light?

Most flashtubes for photographic use are designed to deliberately reduce UV light emission as much as possible, by the composition of the envelope material, so you may not get very much UV out of an SB-800. In fact most general-purpose light sources try to limit UV output for safety reasons.

Filtering for UV photography and avoiding IR contamination is another challenge, it's explained pretty well on Bjorn Rorslett's UV pages. And then there's getting a lens that transmits UV in sufficient quantities to make an exposure.

All this aside though, if all you want to do is photograph visible fluorescence caused by UV, that's much easier!

Good luck, and be sure to post your results!

Cheers

ps Do scorpions really fluoresce under UV?

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:47 pm**

http://www.ledshoponline.com/8_led-flashlight.htm

I may try one of these.

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:49 pm**

yes... scorpions glow pale blue under UV Light.. Scientists cant work out why. but it happens with all scorpions.. .. looks pretty cool actually, the docks in london are riddled with scorpions.. and they only seem to be in the docks area on the rock walls and such... some scientists can gather upto 200 specimens a night just walking around with a UV light

Tim
p.s. I love discovery channel!

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:34 pm**

Ok, so I got home an hour or so ago and we got the 5 buck ($4.95) UV LED keyring and tried shining it on each of our sensors... you can see the nifty holographic-like squares appear, but nope... no dust. I doubt my sensor is that clean, honestly.

Just to test that the UV itself was working, we ran the light over an American piece of currency and voila, the security strip was there so it worked.

Guess the UV dust method doesn't work too well.

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:38 pm**

Nnnnsic wrote:Ok, so I got home an hour or so ago and we got the 5 buck ($4.95) UV LED keyring and tried shining it on each of our sensors... you can see the nifty holographic-like squares appear, but nope... no dust. I doubt my sensor is that clean, honestly.

Just to test that the UV itself was working, we ran the light over an American piece of currency and voila, the security strip was there so it worked.

Guess the UV dust method doesn't work too well.

Thanks Leigh - maybe your sensor is clear of bunnies after so many B&W pics :wink:

Posted: **Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:45 pm**

Chris, I should swap my Nikon D70 sensor for an Agfapan 100 sensor... :lol:

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:59 am**

There is an even cheaper version than the JayCar UV light.
Kellogg’s are including a Superman X-ray vision pen in the rice bubbles cereal box! My son got one, so I did a little test on my computer screen, yep lots of dust there

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:12 am**

Mal,

Yes, that's mentioned earlier in the thread, but it's a one in three offer, meaning that, according to Kellogs, one in three boxes have the pen included.

That by no means translates to meaning that if yiu buy three boxes, you will get one: you could buy those three boxes and get three, or you might buy ten and get none. At around $6/box, that could become a rather expensive way to get one.

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:06 am**

Spot on Gary - I went into Woolies yesterday and my first thought - marketing :evil:

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:14 am**

Chris,

Exactly.

Leigh stepped into some on the way home the other day, and needed to clean his shoes as a result.

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:40 am**

Yeah it is marketing, but when the kids eat Rice Bubbles each morning for breakfast and we go through two box's a month, if they want to add little trinkets then I am happy to let the kids have them

Just as long as they let me use the UV light