Micro/pocket fieldsigns guide

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

You raised a point about scale, vole woman. I find many of the excellent images posted on this site sometimes difficult to ID because of scale (apart from yours and shirls!).

For example, your recent pics of prints and spraints. You often include a coin on a string that makes me smile every time I see it because it's a novel way to scale an image (and cheap at £0.01!). Prints, leaves, flowers etc are all easier to ID with a scale. I agree that it transforms the image into a "contrived" one, but if the purpose of taking the picture is for ID, then so be it. Another natural pic can be taken without scale for the album or reference collection.

I've been trying to find the perfect scale for prints and scats for ages and have now found one courtesy of a Scenes of Crime equipment supplier.



This gadget would fit the bill for me, 60 mm on two axises but purchasing one from the supplier doubles the cost with the postage to a horrendous £30ish.

I have spoken to the manufacturer and they will ony sell me a minimum of five at around £17 each! I would use two so that leaves three to sell......

If anyone knows of a similar product (same size) could they let me know please.

Hi Woodman - I found this for sale, I don't know if it's what you require but it's only £2.50 and the site may have something more suitable.

Ron

ABFO No. 2 Photomacrographic Scale

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

You raised a point about scale, vole woman. I find many of the excellent images posted on this site sometimes difficult to ID because of scale (apart from yours and shirls!).

For example, your recent pics of prints and spraints. You often include a coin on a string that makes me smile every time I see it because it's a novel way to scale an image (and cheap at £0.01!). Prints, leaves, flowers etc are all easier to ID with a scale. I agree that it transforms the image into a "contrived" one, but if the purpose of taking the picture is for ID, then so be it. Another natural pic can be taken without scale for the album or reference collection.

I've been trying to find the perfect scale for prints and scats for ages and have now found one courtesy of a Scenes of Crime equipment supplier.



This gadget would fit the bill for me, 60 mm on two axises but purchasing one from the supplier doubles the cost with the postage to a horrendous £30ish.

I have spoken to the manufacturer and they will ony sell me a minimum of five at around £17 each! I would use two so that leaves three to sell......

If anyone knows of a similar product (same size) could they let me know please.

I think I have seen some draughtsmans kit which is very similar I will see if I can remember where

[Badger Watching Man]

£2.50 for the scale sounds excellent Ron. I looked for one but couldn't find any.

I've adopted a low-tech approach. I used to carry a ruler but I kept leaving it at home. What I've done is to mark up my tracking stick/walking stick at 10cm intervals, and then I've printed out a cm scale and taped that on. Do a google search for 'printable rulers'.

It's rough and ready, but it means I've always got something for rough measuring of stride lengths etc and adding scale to pictures.

Not sure it would make it onto CSI though...

[camo]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

It's an interesting question, Roy. I actually did a blog post about kit here:

Hi VW

Thats great I think the stick (in my case an extendable monopods is an absolute must. I am guilty of not thinking about the Health and Safety risk of infection and I will add some hand cleaner.

Woodman I like your scale rule and pleased that it allowed Ron to identify a well priced alternative. I have checked it out and as long as we can buy from the site I will speculate on a SOC scale however I won't be buying the available body bags.

I also tend to forget a sample cannister and must get round to getting some film containers.

VW I haven't read Strachan although iknow the book and tend to consult Animal Tracks and Signs by Bang and Dahlstrom which i find really good.

Roy

[The Woodman]

Hi Folks - vole woman, camo, ron1863, nightshade, Badger Watching Man et al.

Firstly apologies vole woman for hijacking your thread with this but I really am grateful and thanks Ron for finding a cheaper alternative for the scale on t'internet. I'll contact them today with a view to a purchase and let you know how it works out.

BWM - I like the way you've adapted your stick, the length of stride is a good measurement to take and helps enormously with ID. Many's the time I've carefully brought stems of grass home cut off at the required length!

v-w, here's a little snippet. I read with interest in a book called "Conference at Cold Comfort Farm" by Stella Gibbons (1949) on p.155 a reference to male and female water voles. In a reference to them in dialogue an explanatory note is added in parenthesis - quote "(the pell and the mell are the water-vole sire and dam)" I have never heard or seen the sexes referred to by those names, have you?

[vole-woman]

Fancy! I know that book well, but wasn't aware of that reference. Google throws up nothing on the topic. I wonder whether it's either dialect, or something Gibbons made up to go with the weird and wonderful world of the Starkadders?

(No need to apologize, TW - the thread's about scale gadgets and I've learned all sorts of inteesting stuff.)

[vole-woman]

I tell a lie: it's CCF I know well, not the sequel. Off to track one down.