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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
Hi there
I have a project which requires an SLR with a very long focal length lens mounted in a difficult to reach location. I would like help choosing a camera and lens that would allow me to take photos from a little distance away, connected with a data cable. Here are my detailed requirements: 1) 1000mm (35mm equivalent) focal length at 12 Megapixels. (I need to see 500 dpi at 20 feet, but the field of view doesn't need to be any larger than 1 degree, so I won't be using all of those pixels) 2) At most 5000mm minimum focal length 3) On-screen preview at at least 3 frames per second (no need for capture at this speed, just preview). This will likely require that the shutter mirror lock-up. 4) Perform from a PC, through USB or firewire, without access to the camera: *digital zoom (optical zoom will be fixed) *digital pan *focus *capture (The numbers are high because the camera is for remote visual inspections) I know I can get high end cameras (Fuji S3 Pro, Canon EOS 5D, Nikon D2S) and lenses (500mm telephoto with 2x crop ratio) to do this, but I don't know whether the 'remote capture' software that comes with these (used for studio sessions?) is up to the task. Can anyone with experience with remote software let me know? Should I be looking at high end digital video cameras with still capture instead? Thanks, Brendan |
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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
2) should be: 5000mm minimum -focus distance-
Sorry, Brendan |
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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
Thanks David.
I'm sorry to hear you don't think the remote software would be appropriate. In the time since I compiled this list, I found the names of the manufacturers softwa Nikon Capture Control Olympus Pro Studio Canon Remote Capture I have no experience with these, so if anyone has used them, please speak up! I also found some third party remote softwa Breeze Systems DSLR or PS Remote (http://www.breezesys.com/products.htm) Pinetree Camera Controller (http://www.pinetreecomputing.com/camctl_features.asp) Both of the above seem to have hacked a 'live remote viewfinder' (no better than 3fps, and no digital panning or zooming). They can control the shutter speed and aperture, and (in non-slrs) the zoom, but they cannot control the lens' manual focus which is a dealbreaker. So I might be looking at digital camcorders instead, but since they have poorer pixel density sensors, I need an even LONGER lens - up into telescope territory. This isn't going to be as easy as I hoped (I did mean Nikon D2X, sorry) Brendan |
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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
wrote:
So I might be looking at digital camcorders instead, but since they have poorer pixel density sensors, I need an even LONGER lens - up into telescope territory. This isn't going to be as easy as I hoped If you need to control manual focus on the lens, I don't think *any* of the digital SLRs are going to meet your requirements. -- Jeremy | |
#6
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Best Camera + Software for Remote Telephoto?
If you need to control manual focus on the lens, I don't think *any* of
the digital SLRs are going to meet your requirements. You're right Jeremy. I think I'm going to try a different approach: (The following is for the poor souls who google their way here years from now trying to do the same thing as me) There is a class of digital cameras called "machine vision cameras" or "firewire cameras" or (if they're low light) "microscopy cameras. A couple of good (3 MegaPixel - 6MegaPixel) examples are he http://www.xlimaging.com/content/products.html http://www.pixelink.com/products.asp?id=9 http://www.prosilica.com/products.htm These cameras have NO optics, or media. They are designed to attach to your own instruments (I will probably use a "spotting scope" like this: http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/zeiss_diascope.html to compensate for the fewer pixels) Most importantly, they come withsoftware that lets me preview the live image at better than 15fps, digitally pan and zoom, and capture frames to disc. So in the end, not really an SLR question at all. Sorry to research out loud. I hope someone else finds this useful Brendan |
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