Tanks !!!

[TheFox]

A few photos of Tanks to wet the appetite of those who are into GVs !!!

http://gallery43526.fotopic.net/c113774.html


Regards

[frank3]

Yep

[gofaster]

What is this?  French?  I don't recognize the markings.  Looks like early WW2 or late WW1, or maybe between the two.


This is an interesting paint scheme.  Was it used in combat?  Seems like it would make the tank an easy target to spot.


This camo scheme is the best reason to buy a model of the Grant tank. I have a 1/72 kit of the Somua I may paint like this.  I think it looks pretty cool!

[Replicant]

Nice Fox, where were these taken?  Bovington? or??

[Kweassa]

Er, GoF, I think the second pic is a tank with reconstructed parts - like in the way how archaeologists fill in missing parts of bones or pottery with plastic or clay.

[TheFox]

Hi Nexx

Yes -  right first time - Bovington.

I really needed a wide angle lens to get better shots, as all the tanks are parked very close together and it is difficult to get enough distance to position them full frame.

Also the lighting is strange there - tends to give an extra glow to some of the surfaces - when I get some time I will tweak the original shots and put a revised set up on the site.

Regards

[Replicant]

Originally posted by TheFox
Hi Nexx

Yes -  right first time - Bovington.

I really needed a wide angle lens to get better shots, as all the tanks are parked very close together and it is difficult to get enough distance to position them full frame.

Also the lighting is strange there - tends to give an extra glow to some of the surfaces - when I get some time I will tweak the original shots and put a revised set up on the site.

Regards

Hi Fox

I've never been to Bovington but now I know they have Pnzrs I will have to make an extra special effort to get down there!

I was wondering about the lighting since your photos came out really well.  Whenever I goto museums it's often a b*tch to get everything balanced well without reducing the shutter speed (digital user here).  

Good photos!

[gofaster]

Originally posted by Kweassa
Er, GoF, I think the second pic is a tank with reconstructed parts - like in the way how archaeologists fill in missing parts of bones or pottery with plastic or clay.

That makes sense.  Looks like a lot of tank to "fill in", but it would answer the camo question.

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by gofaster
That makes sense.  Looks like a lot of tank to "fill in", but it would answer the camo question.

Looks like it may be red oxide primer before painting.  M26 Pershing I think. The late WW2 US Heavy.  Probably in the process of restoration, not the finished effort.  Look at the restoration pictures of their Tiger I.  It was painted in that same red oxide primer during the process.

http://www.tankmuseum.org.uk/home.html
 
Dan/Slack

[TheFox]

You're right about the Primer - although it looks like clay, it is actually metal. The restoration job is pretty extensive on all the Tanks, but they don't try to make them look 'as new' - many (King Tiger) etc still with bullet/shell holes in the thinner plating, and general 'battle damage' clear to see on track covers, sprockets etc.

There is a PC based 3D 'walkaround' of the inside of the King TIger, showing both pre and post restoration. The quality of work is superb, but unfortunately, you can't get in to actually see it !

In those tanks that you can look into, the other thing that you become very aware of is the confined space inside the Turret. The fact that you are being thrown around all over the place, plus the noise and heat from the main weapon, along with the clamour of shells etc hitting the hull - must have been absolute hell.

It is well worth a visit, especially as Bovingdon is a live 'Tank Town', with most of the Tank Corps facilites there. It is quite strange to be walking around the relative quiet of the museum and suddenly hear the roar of live Tank engines as three of the latest (Conqueror/ Challenger ?) charge past at 30mph not 30 feet from you !! - Very impressive.

In the Summer months, they also have Tank Days - where you can 'buy' a ride in two or more vehicles (at least one heavy Tank). If I remember correctly it's about £85 - so if you do visit, you might want to check the dates for these events.

And finally - yes Nexx - I use a Canon D10 Digital SLR with (in this case) a 35-85 Zoom lens. I have slightly tweaked the exposure settings, but by and large it is pretty well standard - I prefer to adjust my photos in Photoshop to get the required Contrast and Lighting. (As stated in an earlier message, I haven't yet adjusted these - might start with a German Heavy !) Unfortunately in situations like this the 1.6 magnifying effect that is standard in most Digital SLRs is a bit of a pain (whereas at Air Displays it is a real bonus - taking my 300m lens out to 480m equivalent) - so unless you have a true Wide Angle lens, confined spaces can be a bit of a problem.

Regards

[hogenbor]

Originally posted by Replicant


I was wondering about the lighting since your photos came out really well.  Whenever I goto museums it's often a b*tch to get everything balanced well without reducing the shutter speed (digital user here).  

Good photos!

Digital or not makes no difference, although digital allows you to adjust the white balance for indoor lighting, something you can't really do with film (you can use tungsten optimized film but that won't work under fluorescent lighting either).

My advice is : Buy a simple tripod.  An el cheapo aluminium one designed for camcorders will do (I have been using one for years in exactly these circumstances). Then you can select low ISO (for less noise/grain) and choose any shutter speed you want

In my experience they never mind if you use one, but it helps to make sure beforehand and ask nicely. Never been to Bovington myself but saw a lot of British WWII related museums.

Finally, a wide angle lens is a good investment, I'd recommend something in the 24-28mm range. Any shorter would be too much (and expensive, especially digital) and it's very hard to avoid a strange perspective when using them.