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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Nikon D90 - An Amateurs Dream Camera

By Matt Ryan

Whether you are looking for an easy to use camera, with a minimal learning curve, or a more professional camera for crisp photographs, Nikons D90 fits the bill. With many improvements, from predecessors, and over the years, Nikon has nearly perfected the middle ground camera. Amateurs and professionals can agree that this camera is full of user-friendly features and produces amazing images.

Measuring in at 5.2-inches x 4.1-inches x 3.0-inches, this is nowhere near a compact, pocket size, point-and-shoot camera. Nor is it as large and bulky as many professional cameras. Regardless of size, the curvy design makes the camera fit nicely in the palm of your hand. The D90 was designed ergonomically as all buttons, and functions, are easily reached with the use of one hand.

Even though Nikon has always provided users with a nice user interface, they took an extra step when designing the interface of the D90. All consumers, whether they are familiar with cameras or not, can easily find their way around the D90 and re-touch images on the spot. RAW development and straightening are features available, through re-touching, right through the camera itself.

On the back of the camera is a 3.0-inch VGA monitor, which displays over 900,000 colors. The resolution, in concatenation with the technology and coloration, provides consumers with vivid, crisp imagery.

The display also offers 170-degree wide-angle functionality for your viewing pleasure. Viewing and reviewing both video playbacks, and still images has never been more clear. Navigation, through media files, is nearly effortless with a 72-image calendar display. (Calendar display lays images and videos out in chronological order.)

Live View offers consumers a new way of taking pictures and video. With this functionality, users can select from 11 different autofocus modes. Some of these modes are single, dynamic, and face. Each of these focus, in different ways, to provide you with your desired outcome. For spotless images, Nikon implemented sensor cleaning. This functionality automatically removes dust particles, from internal sensors, so there are not spots on images and videos.

Different lighting can affect images in ways that can be frustrating. The D90 allows users to change ISO settings, appropriate to your surrounding light, from as low as 200 to as high as 3200. This range will cover nearly any lighting atmosphere. Additionally, 3-D Color Matrix Metering II automatically adjusts focus, WB, and exposure for the perfect outcome.

The combination of Nikons Expeed image processing and 12.9-megapixel CMOS sensor gives consumers the ability to produce high quality images with every click. The perfection, that these technologies produce, allow users to manipulate images (larger and smaller) without distorting the beauty.

A first, in the world of cameras, is the integration of digital SLR. This technology produces HDTV (720p) quality and allows for the capture of up to 23 frames per second. For the first time ever consumers can capture personal events and share them, with family, in the highest quality possible.

Whether you are looking for a professional or amateur camera, the Nikon D90 is the perfect solution. For only around $1,000, you can pick up this feature packed digital camera. Enjoy taking still images, along with video memoires with your new D90.

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What industrial camera would be best for taking pictures at a chemical reactor?

What industrial camera would be best for taking pictures at a chemical reactor?
November 4, 2008

I can’t be too specific about a recommendation for reasons that will become clear later. There are is a wide selection of cameras, each adapted to a fairly narrow range of applications. It all depends on what you want to do with it.

There is no “general purpose industrial camera” that is appropriate for all industrial applications. Off hand, I can think of about five classes of digital cameras of interest in industrial applications. I’ll give you a rundown on all of them, so you can choose what most closely matches what you want to do:

Industrial photography — Handheld or tripod mounted cameras equivalent to the 35-mm SLR cameras so loved by professional photographers everywhere are still around. They just capture images on CCD or CMOS based image sensors instead of photographic film. Yes, there are still film cameras manufactured, but they are specialty items. Kinda like buggy whips. Their control systems for the three parameters photographers need to control (focus, exposure time, aperture) reached a high level of sophistication before image sensors replaced film, and they have continued developing since. Look for a standard lens-mount system that will allow you to couple the camera body with a selection of third-party lenses. When I bite the bullet and replace my beloved Canon AE-1 film camera, I’ll almost surely pick a model from the company’s Rebel series. If price were no object, however, I’d look into Nikon’s D series. My experience (and apparently that of most professional and semi-professional photographers) has been that Nikon professional level cameras somehow make you take better pictures. Use these cameras to take pictures of what you’re doing, but do not, generally, use them as part of your process.

Surveillance — My introduction to video cameras came in college when I had a summer job as an electronics technician. One project was installing a set of video cameras to observe activity on a large production floor. I’ve no idea what they planned to look for, but the employees gave us a lot of dark looks as we carried a bunch of closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras up into the rafters to be aimed at them. In general, surveillance is still done by CCTV cameras wired directly through recorders to monitors that underpaid humans stare at. The cameras are, for the most part, junk compared to anything in the machine-vision world. More sophisticated technology is available, and may slowly be adopted, but cheaper-is-good-enough seems to be the watchword.

Automated inspection — Probably the most common use for machine vision in industry is still automated inspection for product quality control. Because this market is so big, there are a large number of products offered with characteristics optimized for specific niches, such as circuit-board inspection, mechanical component dimensional inspection, print inspection, color, etc. I hesitate to even suggest who the technology leaders are. Things change faster than I can keep up. Such cameras are most often black and white using fixed optics. They are generally permanently mounted in fixtures that allow exquisite control of field of view, product placement, lighting, etc.

Motion-control and robot guidance — As automated production systems become more common, the need for flexible machine guidance sensors becomes more acute. Cleverly designed machine-vision systems using sophisticated high-speed image analysis software coupled with motion-control systems are becoming more popular. In this category, the camera often takes over for a number of more traditional sensors. For example, machine vision can measure positions and speeds very accurately. I’ve seen applications where machine vision helps two robots fit components together as a human assembler coordinates two hands. Certainly all vision-based driver aids making their way onto highways fall into this category. The application list is long and growing.

High-performance imaging — The most expensive cameras with the most stupifying performance specifications serve specialized applications. The best way to communicate what I’m driving at is to describe a few applications I have in mind.
* A number of sports-equipment manufacturers use high-speed, high-resolution cameras to study what happens when a stick hits a ball. Baseball, hockey, tennis and other stick-and-ball sports have been extensively studied this way.
* Web-inspection systems can locate flaws in, for example window film, flying past at hundreds or even thousands of feet per minute. At the other end of the spectrum, cameras literally watch paint dry for product-development purposes.
* Optical astronomical telescopes are basically specialized cameras that can pile up photons one at a time to form an image over tens of hours of observation time, or take quick snapshots of thousands of objects per night. Most such cameras are fully automated pieces of equipment designed for a specific project at sometimes enormous expense. Even amateur astronomers have systems available that can take a typed-in name of an object to observe, look it up in a star catalog, find it, autofocus on it, autoguide to avoid motion blurring, and shoot the picture sans human intervention.

There are a few companies that provide mostly off-the-shelf units that fit a range of applications. In any case, for high-performance applications you should begin consulting with the camera manufacturer as early as possible, giving people there as much detail about your application as possible, and let them help you work out the specifications.

This is almost surely an incomplete list, and the categories are pretty broad. Nonetheless, I think it hits 80-90% of the market. I’ll bet your application fits in one of them.

Finding the right camera

From the question’s wording, I suspect that the application in mind fits into the last — high-performance imaging — category. It sounds like the questioner wants to observe something visual about the process. Maybe it’s a color change that occurs as a reaction proceeds. Maybe it’s a question of how two reagents mix prior to reaction. Perhaps it’s an exothermic reaction that proceeds at high speed, and the engineer wants to watch a flame front move through the reaction vessel.

In any case, here are a few steps to take to get the best result:

1. Clearly define what you’re trying to observe, along with any constraints. Especially think about time, available light, and the space you have to work in. Think very carefully about how what you want to see provides contrast for the vision system. Remember, redheads look like brunettes on a black-and-white TV. Cameras can sometimes see things that human eyes can’t, and they can completely miss things we see clearly. These considerations all fall under the heading of “what you want to do.”

2. Study available tutorial sources. Edmund Optics has an especially useful online library for beginning through advanced machine vision engineers. For information specific to automated control topics, visit the Control Engineering Website and search on machine vision as a keyword. While you’re there, visit the Resource Center for tutorials and white papers. Use these sources to help you define “how you want to do it.”

3. Seek out advice from machine vision vendors and system integrators. Check the Control Engineering System Integrators Guide for individuals and companies with experience solving problems like yours, and visit the Buyer’s Guide to find machine vision equipment suppliers. Use these sources to help you plan “how to make it happen.”

VISION 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany Highlights New 1394b Cameras

VISION 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany Highlights New 1394b Cameras

At VISION 2008 in Stuttgart in early November, leading industrial camera Vision2008and instrumentation companies delivered new products built with1394b, which can transfer data at up to 800 Mbps. This is much faster than GigE and up to four times the rate provided by USB 2.0. The significant number of new systems and cameras underlines the success 1394 has experienced in these important markets.

Allied Vision Technologies presented two new versions of its popular Stingray camera family: the 1394b-equipped Stingray F-125 and Stingray F-504 with 1.3 and 5 megapixels, respectively. Both combine the newest Sony CCD sensors with AVT’s clever Smart Features. The Stingray F-125 is equipped with the new, high-sensitivity Sony CCD sensor ICX445 with 1.3 megapixel resolution. ExView HAD technology enables the camera to deliver high light-sensitivity. With its IEEE 1394b interface, the Stingray F-125 can deliver up to 30 frames per second at full resolution.

ToshibaTeliToshiba-Teli added to their popular FireDragon series of FireWire (1394b) machine vision cameras, the FireDragon CCSFU15CC18. The new high-speed, high-resolution industrial camera offers Progressive Scan UXGA resolution (1600 x 1200), 1/1.8" CCD sensor, 15 frames per second, full frame shutter, and backwards compatibility with 1394a. It measures only 44mm x 29mm x 44mm. Eight 1394-enabled models from Toshiba Teli were also on site. Ranging in resolution from VGA to UXGA, these FireWire cameras are available in either B&W or color.

Among many products with 1394 at its booth, Point Grey Research Inc. added four new models to the Flea2 family of the world's smallest IEEE 1394b digital cameras. The Flea2 line now offers a total of 12 different monochrome and color models that are designed to address a wide variety of industrial imaging and machine vision applications, such as 2D and 3D metrology, electronics and semiconductor inspection, medical visualization, packaging verification, and object recognition. The new models are based on the high sensitivity 1.3 MP Sony® ICX445 and the new 5 MP Sony ICX655, and offer a number of new features, including opto-isolated general purpose I/O (GPIO), an on-camera frame buffer for image storage and retransmission, flash memory for non-volatile data storage, and a new high-speed FPGA for improved performance.

PointGreyStaff

Point Grey also featured its new Grasshopper2 line of digital cameras. PtGreyGrasshopper“The Grasshopper2 was definitely our biggest draw,” said Mike Gibbons of Point Grey Research. “Its unique dual-bus architecture allows it to achieve data rates up to 160 Mbytes/second over 1394b, which enables it to run a variety of new high resolution, quad output Kodak CCDs at their full frame rates.”

Hamamatsu displayed its newly released 1394b-capable ORCA-R2 cooled CCD camera. ORCA-R2 offers high sensitivity from visible to near-infrared (NIR) light, high dynamic range, fast readout speed, and low noise, which makes it ideal for applications including microscopy (fluorescence, TIRF, and real-time confocal), red to NIR fluorescence, time lapse fluorescence imaging, ratio imaging, failure analysis, semiconductor inspection, and others. The ORCA-R2 camera is equipped with both a 12-bit and 16-bit A/D converters. Data output is via 1394b, which provides fast, easy, and reliable operation. Also included are an extended range of programmable trigger signal output options such as edge, level, start, and synchronous readout triggers.

NewnexNewnex showcased the S800 FireNEX-800™ and the S400 FireNEX-CAT5™ repeaters along with the new FireNEX-COAX, which is the first 1394b device over a single COAX cable at 800 Mbps.

Sony showed its new 1394b-enabled XCD series of cameras, which provide a full range of resolutions and frame rates. The line includes the XCD-SX-90, XCD-V60, XCD-60CR, and XCD-SX90CR. Featuring outstanding picture quality, high-speed image capturing, and the digital 1394b interface, this new XCD Series is perfect for high-quality industrial and manufacturing solutions. Unibrain’s Fire-i™ application and ubCore™ 1394b drivers are the ideal companions for controlling a single or multiple Sony 1394b cameras. The drivers support all Sony's special features like multi trap functionality, broadcast trigger, and pixel binning. The cameras ship with a Unibrain 1394b 4.5m cable with screw lock connectors.

SonyAtVision

Basler introduced new 1394b Scout light cameras, which come in a compact 29x44x73.7-mm industrial housing with screw-mount options for the 1394b connector. They are equipped with a standard C-mount lens adapter and provide progressive-scan readout with global shutter technology. The four models deliver resolutions of 752x480 pixels, 1034x779 pixels, 1392x1040 pixels, and 1628x1236 pixels with respective frame rates of 60 fps, 30 fps, 17 fps, and 14 fps. Starting prices are as low as $499. According to Henning Tiarks, product manager at Basler Components, “The Scout light camera series combines the successful and established IEEE 1394b interface standard with the most commonly used sensors at resolutions from VGA up to 2 megapixels.”

PixeLINK announced a new, smaller line of 1394b cameras, the new PL-C series of CCD and CMOS machine vision industrial cameras with new black housing; faster camera frame rates, and1394b.

More than 62,000 people attended VISION 2008 in Stuttgart.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Cuddeback No Flash Digital Hunting Camera - Features in Detail

By Bandy Rally

If We have worry in bow hunting then We should likewise sustain becoming knowledge around the bow hunting equipment. You should be able to get the ideal bow so that You do not neglect on the target area. Go look at several of pointer spears with superior high quality. Even if Most are cold in the woods exacerbating prey; target area shooting or 3D striking is always reliable when it follows to bow hunting equipment. Bow hunting equipment will be true and superior character as well. There are so umpteen diverse types of arrow beams; it sometimes appears like a intimidating challenge to pick the duplicate that will accommodate your need the strongest. Let's take a feel at numerous high quality arrow shafts and so get more umteen data about them.

Axes by Flecha Beman Arrow Shafts by Beman The first high-quality bow hunting team was made by Beman, USA. They have three sizes in its Eject series of Coal. One is in A 9.3 340 axis, a 9.3 400 and 9.3 500-axle shaft. These arrows are perfect for large diameter 3rd or target shooting. This axis is of heavier weight, durable and accurate. It is also very quiet to be drawn through the rest. This is the whole team bow hunting, which is of the first category.

Hunter Beman ICS ICS Hunter Black NegroBeman Axle Shaft The next series of spin axis by Beman is the look of Hunter ICS Axis Black. They come in sizes of 300, 340 and 400. This axis is super nocks, which are part of the ICS Beman or Internal Component System, which lets you easily adapt and save the nocks with perfect alignments. The last line is the ICS Hunter Junior Arrows with vanes, 28 inches long. The new junior CSIs bows are perfect for less than 40 pounds. It is a great choice for someone who is new to bend hunting. Some of bow hunting equipments like GrizzlyStik line of carbon arrows have taken the bow-hunting world by storm. They are designed with the optimum mass weight for intense penetration.

The continuous taper shaft design gives us an extreme forward of center (EFOC) advantage that other carbon arrows just don't have. They recover quickly from any bow and many former light-arrow compound shooters have found that the point of impact is nearly identical to their previous set-up. That's incredible! They're seeing all the advantages of increased penetration without the loss of trajectory they expected. They are available in raw shafting, as pre-finished arrows with choice of real turkey feathers or vanes.

Another of the equipment is single bevel broadheads. Once you understand the benefits of single bevel broadheads you'll never use anything else again. Even new Ashby broadheads are amazing. The steep, wide 25% angle creates a tremendous wound channel for a two-bladed broadhead. The penetration using this bow hunting equipment has been phenomenal.

Nanook, is another bow hunting equipment, which are solid one-piece single bevel broadhead along with the Samurai and Maasai broadheads. The Samurai broadheads are straight edged but offer a two-piece construction. They're extremely tough and available in 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 grains. Maasai broadhead offers the convex edge like the Nanook and like the Samurai, is available in 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 grains.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

T-Mobile G1 - A Whole New Experience for Consumers

By Matt Ryan

T-Mobiles G1 has a truly open source operating system - Google's Android. This was a big step, not only for Google, but for T-Mobile as well. The combination of Smartphone technologies and open source OS, gives consumers full control over their experience with the G1. With the G1 consumers can truly work and / or play from anywhere!

The front panel, of the phone, is a 3.2-inch TFT LCD touch screen, with necessary navigational buttons directly below. With a 320 x 480-pixel resolution, you will experience crisp imagery when playing with applications, browsing the internet, or simply gliding through the multiple screens of you phone.

Sliding the display, or front face, of the phone slightly upwards will reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Rather than having an on screen keyboard, T-Mobile felt that a true QWERTY keyboard would allow consumers to be more efficient with their typing.

Knowing that Google developed the operating system, it should be no surprise that many of the default applications are also Google. (Applications like Gmail, Google Maps, Talk, and Calendar.) However, there are other applications like Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger, which are standard on the G1. Through the collaboration on Android Market, many other applications are also available.

The G1 is at the top of the line for Smartphones, and there is one reason for this - the operating system - Android. The operating system was created for consumers, so they could create applications that they want to use. Not only can consumers create their own applications, they can also share them with other Android users.

The G1 gives consumers a true "always-connected" experience. With the combination of 3G and Wi-Fi, consumers seamlessly transfer between networks when necessary. The transition is unnoticeable to consumers, or to the people they are talking to. The only difference, users might notice, is when browsing the web or using GPS functionality on the 3G network. The speed, on the 3G network, is phenomenal - you would never know you are connecting through a phone.

Many other features are included with the G1. One-touch Google search, web browsing, instant messaging, e-mail, and a 3.2-megapixel camera are just a handful of the additional features. The camera, while a nice feature, is not a very functional feature. The outcome, that this camera produces, typically looks like a 4 year old was the photographer. It appears as if there needs to be some sort of image stabilizer integrated into the phone to help with picture capturing.

This being the first release of the G1, there are a few features missing from the phone. For example, there is not stereo Bluetooth, no way to record video, and there is no on-screen keyboard. The battery could use a pick-me-up as well. The average lifespan, of the G1s battery, has only been around a couple of hours. If you turned everything off, you could probably make it last a bit longer. Regardless, there has been talk that there will be a fix to this issue soon.

You can purchase the G1 for around $179.99 (with a new or extended contract through T-Mobile). With the numerous features and additional bonuses - on the G1 - this is an incredible price. T-Mobile and Google have worked diligently to bring you a phone that you can truly experience on a personal level. The G1 fits that bill.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Shooting Video Advice

By SFXsource

You don't have to be a professional to start making short films and videos. No matter what kind of camera you have, these tips will help you create professional looking videos. A lot of what you do to make a fantastic video is in post-production, however, you will absolutely need some well-shot footage. First, figure out what you want to document. Find an interesting person to make a short film about. Leave the tripod behind, use a steady hand, and go off on an adventure.

1. When first starting off, don't move the camera. To capture movement, you can have a still frame. Simply hold the camera still, and let movement pass in and out of the frame. If you start getting good, you may learn to pan the camera.

2. Get a close-up shot. Not only does it draw attention to the action, but it gets the viewer engaged. Don't be afraid to stick the camera in someone's face.

3. Get an 'over the shoulder' shot. This is a great shot because it makes the viewer feel as though they are among the action. Don't be upset if the person moves in and out of the frame.

4. An overview shot will tie in the previous shots- take a step back and get all the action in one frame. Walk around (not while you are recording) and get shots from all around.

5. After you get the critical shots, experiment with other angles. Try shooting from up high, or getting down low. Rarely do you want to "zoom." If you want to get a close-up, all you have to do is move yourself closer in.

Ideally, hold each shot for 10 seconds. Following your instincts is good, rely on what your eye is drawn to. Now, with a number of different shots you can put together a great film.

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Shoot a Video

By SFXsource

Anyone can make a short film, you don't need to be a professional. Any kind of camera will do, because these tips will help you make a great video. Post-production is key to creating an awesome film, however, you'll need really good footage for post-production to run smoothly. The first step is to figure out what you want the film to be about. You'll want to pick someone interesting. Get ready for an adventure- forget the tripod, you can leave it behind.

1. Don't move the camera. You don't need to move the camera to capture movement. Hold the camera still and don't feel like you need to follow the movement. Later on you may want to pan the camera, if you have a steady hand.

2. A close up shot is key. It draws attention to the action and engages the viewer. This is no time to be shy- get the camera right next to that person's face.

3. Next, get a great shot over the person's shoulder. This is a good perspective to have, and the viewer feels as though they are right there. It's okay if the person moves in and out of the frame.

4. An overview shot will tie in the previous shots- take a step back and get all the action in one frame. Walk around (not while you are recording) and get shots from all around.

5. Once you have the previous shots, you can begin to experiment filming from other angles. You can shoot from above, or get on the ground. Try not to "zoom in." If you feel like you need to get closer, just move yourself in closer.

Ideally, hold each shot for 10 seconds. Following your instincts is good, rely on what your eye is drawn to. Now, with a number of different shots you can put together a great film.

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