> Alternatively, if you get som black electrician's take and a > "white" pen from a garden center you can stick it over the > existing ring. > > Vlad (to be of service) Thanks for the advice Vlad but I've already fixed the whole thing. I ground the finish off the lens barrel and aperture ring. Then after filling the hole I ground in the barrel when I accidentally kept the grinder in one spot too long while I was reaching for a glass of vodka, I soldered the aperture ring at a little less than 1/2 open. Then, since this makes the viewfinder image too dark, I drilled mounting holes in the filter ring and using self tapping screws, mounted a bracket to hold dual 400 watt Sylvania Sun Gun 8mm movie lights. Since I use a tripod, the extra weight is no bother and I Photoshop out the blur where the screw heads stick out in front of the lens. The whole thing looks a little less than professional but initial tests are encouraging although I did catch my hair on fire twice when I got too close to the lamps. I've been pondering wearing a cool hat for years. The intense heat also kills insects you might be photographing but as an added bonus it also cooks them so when you're done you can just pop them into your mouth and get a little protein. When I eventually market this rig, I'll include a cookbook. So far I can tell you locusts should be shot at f8 for about 2 sec for a nice el dente or f16 for 6 sec for more of a cookie texture. Greg
