Category: Editorial
Point-And-Shoot Finale
When last we wrote of our camera for Z scale saga I had just purchased a used Nikon 8800 bridge camera and was waiting on its arrival. The Nikon 8800 was built to be a bit more than a standard point-and-shoot but short of a DSLR, a bridge between the two. The 8800 arrived and [...]
Z-Panzer Eyeing North America?
I received an email earlier today from Andy Hart of Z-Panzer, a company based in England producing WWII military models in Z scale. I own several of Z-Panzer’s models including their BP42, Panzerzug armored train set; it’s an amazing thing to see on the desk in front of me. I also have Andy’s recent model [...]
The Three Foot Rule
The three foot rule in model railroading generally means that if a model or scene looks good from three feet away, it’s a good enough piece of work. An alternate definition comes from a Linn Wescott article and defines the three foot rule as the distance the average person can reach comfortably into their layout [...]
Our New Z Scale Camera
If you’ve read my previous articles on choosing a good camera for use here at Ztrains.com you’re probably thinking… just buy a camera already!!! I know, I know… but I can be a little picky and I’m sort of a research junkie when it comes to things like this. During this process I’ve also driven [...]
Commit To Your Ideas
On the old HTML version of the Ztrains.com website I’d usually try to write a new editorial article once a week, Sunday evening was my time of choice to write. On the old site these writings were never archived, the new editorial was simply written over the old. There was something kind of liberating about [...]
My Point-And-Shoot Education
After my last article on cameras for Z scale I find I’m still on the hunt for a good, inexpensive point-and-shoot (P&S) digital camera to do most of our photo work here at Ztrains.com. Previously I had purchased a $200 Canon P&S that I found myself unhappy with, too much noise in moderate to low [...]
The 5″ x 8″ Lined Notepad
I’ve occasionally written about how important it is to be organized in Z scale, to set realistic (but ambitious) goals and to track your progress as you work towards those goals. Good advice that I need right now at Ztrains.com, more so now than ever before. I have a small wheelbarrow full of articles that [...]
Choosing A Camera For Z Scale
I was supposed to start photographing new pieces for the site this week and had prepared by buying a shiny, new 14 megapixel camera. Very exciting. It was when I began taking some test shots that I realized things looked a bit… off. In the macro shots I was seeing way too much grain for [...]
First Impressions Count
In the past couple of months I’ve been involved in the reworking of two popular Z scale websites: my own Ztrains.com as well as Ztrack Resale for Rob Kluz over at Ztrack Magazine. While these are both commercial Z scale ventures, there’s more than just business behind these website redesigns. Both Rob and I are [...]
Comments