A Exposure/DOF calculator for Windows Mobile (alpha)

**domaz** · 12-Mar-2010, 10:11

This is a fairly simple Exposure and Depth of Field calculator I made for Windows Mobile phones. Here is what it can do:

1. Calculate bellows extension factor
2. Calculate exposure based on Zone System
3. Calculate exposure by picking from a manual EV guide (when you have no light meter)
4. Automatically compensate for reciprocity failure based on film type
5. Filter exposure compoensation
6. Calculate near/far depth of field for common film formats

That is the good news- the bad news is I haven't made a GUI editor for editing things like what lenses you own (focal length needed for DOF/Bellows calculations), what films you use (needed for reciprocity failure) and what filters you use (needed for exposure compensation). All of this data is in an XML file that you must edit and put in the same directory where you install the LFBuddy.CAB file. I've attached the XML file that comes in the CAB file- so you can easily take a look at it and edit it. The schema should be pretty self-explanatory.

General operation/installation:
1. Download the CAB file unzip it, put it somewhere on your Windows Mobile Phone/PDA.
2. Execute the CAB file using the File Explorer app on your Windows Phone (hopefully you have one) or through some other method
3. Installation will proceed and will ask if you want to install on the Storage Card or the Main memory etc.
4. After instalation edit the XML file to add your lenses, films, filters etc.. copy it to the same directory where you installed the program.
5. Start the program. The first step is to pick your lens, then pick your film then put in the meter reading of the scene you are photographing.
6. If you want to place the meter reading at a different zone change the zone, if you think bellows exposure compensation will come into play enter the bellows extension.
7. The adjusted exposure will show in Red. You can also go to Corrections and dial in a filter you are using to adjust the exposure further.
8. If you want to calculate DOF- after you dial in an aperture go to More and select DOF Calculator and put in your focused distance. It will give you near/far DOF.

That's pretty much it. Hopefully someone on this list uses Windows Mobile and will find this useful.

**domaz** · 16-Mar-2010, 08:39

Really nobody uses Windows Mobile? If your phone has a little Start button in the upper left corner you have it...some phones don't really advertise they are Windows Mobile like HTC Touch etc..

**svarzaru** · 2-Jun-2010, 08:02

I'm trying to install it now. On my phone (HTC Pure) it complains the .Net compact framework is too old on my phone. I'm guessing this would discourage the average user. I'm installing version 4 now. Hopefully that will work ;-)

**domaz** · 3-Jun-2010, 14:27

Originally Posted by svarzaru

I'm trying to install it now. On my phone (HTC Pure) it complains the .Net compact framework is too old on my phone. I'm guessing this would discourage the average user. I'm installing version 4 now. Hopefully that will work ;-)

Ya you do need the latest version of the .NET framework. I could try to bundle it with my install but that would probably put it over the attachment limit for the forum.

**haplo602** · 29-Nov-2010, 23:46

Hi

I registered just to try this application, on my winmo 6.5 it crashes with an exception:

v: System.Double.Parse(String s, NumberStyles style, IFormatProvider provider)
v: LFBuddy.FMain.LoadDataFromXml()
v: LFBuddy.Fmain..ctor()
v: LFBuddy.Program.Main()

I do have Net CF 3.5 on the phone.

**domaz** · 30-Nov-2010, 12:46

Did you edit the XML file before you put it on your Storage Card? You may have put some bad data in the XML file or the XML file I uploaded was wrong somehow. The error suggests somewhere there is text that couldn't be parsed to a number.

**haplo602** · 1-Dec-2010, 02:08

Originally Posted by domaz

Did you edit the XML file before you put it on your Storage Card? You may have put some bad data in the XML file or the XML file I uploaded was wrong somehow. The error suggests somewhere there is text that couldn't be parsed to a number.

I expected this when I saw the error message. However the CAB installs a default xml file, so I just reinstalled to get the default instead of my custom one and the error was the same.

**domaz** · 6-Dec-2010, 16:23

Originally Posted by haplo602

I expected this when I saw the error message. However the CAB installs a default xml file, so I just reinstalled to get the default instead of my custom one and the error was the same.

Hmm try this version. It works in the Emulator- I actually moved to Android so don't have a way to test with a live phone anymore.

**haplo602** · 6-Dec-2010, 23:42

Originally Posted by domaz

Hmm try this version. It works in the Emulator- I actually moved to Android so don't have a way to test with a live phone anymore.

Still the same issue. I guess I have some of the system components either not correct version or missing (custom ROM). Anyway thanks for the effort. Looks like I have to move to Android as well.