Oneshot Panocamera · first step

Looking forward, after Canal View experience we are to build up a new oneshot photo system. This is based upon 3 fisheye lens addons and 3 compact cameras.
This is the story of the first small attempt, the idea is to have a proof of concept and a kind of working prototype.
We want to investigate on how small we can go with the system, how close we can go to the objects, in order to experiment a panoramic oneshot camera, able to capture timelapses and video.
Resulting will be the investigation about artistic and communicative languages, the decision if to acquire or build our own oneshot panocamera from scratches, and a better knowledge on how to project or build it according to our own real applications.
Aiming to be:

  • able to take full 360 panoramas, complete with Zenit and maybe Nadir.
  • small and lightweight, hungable and high-pole-wise
  • having less parallax possible, and be usable in tight spaces (<= 6meter diam sphere)
  • being able to take 1 pano/sec perfectly syncronized
  • being as automatic and as remotable as possible.
  • being cheap, cheap and cheaper again while always better than mirror solution

.

Ideas and solutions:

Canon A460 is the camera I selected for the task.
2nd hand cheap, you can hack the firmware with chdk, good resolution (no overtight sensor) small size.
Nikon FC-E8 is perhaps the best fisheye adapter ever.
I got 3 of them by cheapo on ebay in the years.
Soligor 0.19x fisheye adapter was also sold by IPIX with their logos and marks.
I’m experimenting with 3 cameras cause I’ll be eble to enhance resolution by zooming in a little bit, and still have a full spherical pano.
Also a dual camera setup is possible.
Here
http://www.diy-streetview.org/
run from my friend Jan.
Here he explains the normal problem you will always have with these fisheye adapters.
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Control box.

Canon cameras with StereoDataMaker hacked firmware can be remotely triggered from the usb plug.

A 5.2 to 6 volts signal is needed.
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/USB_Remote_Cable
Jan’s way.
http://www.diy-streetview.org/2010/02/10/black-box-landed/
Jan’s way is more or less THE way. Still perfectible, but now it is really the best.
Concept: the device that drives the camera is in the box, while a remote trigger with a timer and whatever is secure in your hands.
My way will be far more rude and easy for the moment.
Cheap device with 1 aaa battery
http://www.canoremote.de/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinesejetpilot/2376735136/in/photostream/
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The Panocamera:

canocube
This is the concept camera, Jackar adapters on. They provide optimum result for the price and the project limit, but lack a situable camera-to-rig connection. Decided then to glue a thread mount to camera, in order to be able to attatch the cameras through their own screw, or through the tubes lateral holder.
image001
Cameras with and without cosmetic ring.
image004
Camera fitting with the adapter tube. Once the aesthetical ring is removed we can glue on a stepping ring to hold the jackar tube. The tube is estensible and can be set to the desired lenght.
image005
Close up of the camera and tube fitting. Old Fujix digital viewer on the background.
image015
Difference in dimension between FC-E8 Nikkor and Soligor/iPix fisheye 0.19x lens.
image019
Partially assembled rig, with Fuji eye-level monitor, usb cables and stuff.
image020
Lucky finding, cheap chinese lens collar fits exactely the Soligor lens.
Looks like a really pro-looking solution.

day2-image001
day2-image002
day2-image003

Displaying the final setup. Still incomplete.
.

I’m waiting for 3 step up filters, male 37mm/female 40.5 to glue on the cameras to fit a permanent screw-on tube holder. I believe better in this far better than bayonet cause it is far more firm and secure. Plastic bayonet with plays are NOT a professional choice and would induce even more complicated and less predictable lens misalignments.
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© Luca Vascon / Officine Panottiche 2009,2010

22. February 2010 by OPOF
Categories: research & development | 11 comments

Comments (11)

  1. AYRTON says 28 February 2010 at 01:52

    Great article Luca.
    Congratzs from Rio

    Ayrton

    Reply
  2. Germain says 6 March 2010 at 19:20

    Hello Luca
    Very interesting, and specially for panoramic vidéo.
    -What’s about the nodal point , It’s sems to be at 40mm behind the true nodal point !?
    Have you take spherical with your device ?

    Reply
    • OP says 8 March 2010 at 11:30

      Sorry, no test done yet!
      The roadmap is to fix an adapter holder direcly to the camera. We had a spedcial ring made on purpose, a stainless steel ring…
      Next is to build and solder an usb adapter to trigg the cameras together.
      Again next step will be a rework of the head project…
      It will be 40mm and more off nodal point.
      :-)

      Reply
  3. Henri says 12 March 2010 at 00:14

    Nice project, just wondering why you don’t use the triple D700 setup, was it to complex or heavy?

    Isn’t the Canon S90 a better choice with it’s relatively sensitive optics and better manual settings?

    Keep us posted on your progress!

    Henri

    Reply
    • OP says 12 March 2010 at 15:24

      Hi, Henri! thanx for asking, you give me the opportunity to explain the whole thing better! :-)
      the D700 pack is an huge, expensive, heavy monster, delivering state of the art images for a oneshot camera.
      Also due to the really wide latitude of the sensors, high microcontrast, perfect color rendition.
      - links ai nostri post in blog -
      Due to the dimension of the camera setup, lenses are far away from no parallax point, causing images to brake on close subjects.
      We want to try to shoot in tighter places, like normal rooms, we want to have a very light device to suspend a 8meters with an agnos pole
      -mettere link ad agnos pole e BIGagnos-
      A460 were the cheapest 2nd hand cameras to play with, yet delivering a good resolution output, acceptable quality etc. They run on chdk firmware
      http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
      This adds a lot of manual contrrol, raw, programmability, remote and synchro at 1/20000 second through usb, and gives ALL THE TOOLS you need for the usability in core part of the project
      The whole project is fully founded on our own pockets, to evaluate all the critic points, to learn bit by bit in hacking cameras, to find the limits and the solution, so we will able to invest our money in the best way, or decide that the cameras we need aree still to come, and wait for the right one.
      http://www.dpreview.com/news/0908/09081907canons90.asp
      Canon S90 has no chdk hacked firmware, yet, that is at the very base of the project. Without it I could not sinchronize the cameras and the shooting. this alone would put it out of contest.
      A 10 megapixel small sensor camera is not SO useful, week detail melted borders etc. 6 megapixel is the limit of usefulness!
      This expensive toy also has mechanical control ring and light sensor just where I’d like to glue or fit the lens holder…
      Really a no-no camera… :-)

      Reply
  4. fathul wahhab says 22 June 2010 at 07:08

    I am interested using jackar to create 360′ panorama. but i am doubt with the result of jackar fisheye image (vignetting,circle blurry). can you make me sure before i buy this adapter for my Fuji A220. please give me sample image that taken by jackar

    Reply

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