A Study of Old Derailleurs

Four Rear Derailleurs from my collection of spare bike parts (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 70mm, 1/4 sect at f/22, ISO 8.0, tripod)

So today's photogrpahy exercise was in response to the fortnightly challenge for the Lochalsh Cemera Club - macro or close-up photography.  My other main passion is bikes and cycling and I have quite a collection of spare parts, many older than I am from my mum's and dad's days on the bike.  Today I opted to shoot some of my rear derailleurs, dating back to the late 1950s and psanning over 60 years in terms of cycling history.  It is interesting that the essential mechanism is much the same, and it is possible to fit a modern derailleur to an old steel road bike from the late 50s, I have done it with my Dad's 1959 Flying Scot.  This small collection includes a late 1950s/60 Huret with a coiled leaf spring and chain tensioner; a Sunrace of indeterminate age c. 1970s/80s, a classic 1950s Capmagnolo Gran Sport (in really nice condition) and a modern 10 speed long cage Shimano 105 .

I shot these images in a small light cube with two tungesten lights, one each side, with the subjects set on a sheet of white perspex.  This collection was shot using my Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM lens to get a wide enough field of view to fit all four derailleurs in the frame.  I cropped the image square to remove the edges of the perspex sheet.  The other images were shot using my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens to get closer in on each piece individually.

Huret Derailleur c. 1959/60 (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens, 1/50 sec at f/8.0, ISO 800, tripod)

Sunrace Derailleur c. 1970s/80s? (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens, 1/13 sec at f/18, ISO 800, tripod)

Campagnolo Gran Sport Derailleur c. 1950s (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens, 0.4 sec at f/32, ISO 800, tripod)

Modern Shimano 105 ten speed long cage rear derailleur (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens, 1/2 sec at f/32, ISO 800, tripod)