What camera for pictures from a glider cockpit?

Eric Greenwell wrote:
Martin Gregorie wrote:
It would also be interesting to know of the IR control systems used
for indoor models work for this application or if they get swamped by
sunlight reflected off the wings and fuselage.

I'm not aware of this type, but I suspect swamping wouldn't be a
problem. IR units typically use modulation to avoid ambient light level
problems. Do you have a URL or two I could look at?

Sorry, no tried and tested URLs. I'm a Free Flight model flier not an RC
pilot but I read the mags and use the servos as output from Free Flight
models automatic systems. Asking your local RC club if any of them use
IR systems and talking to them if they do would probably be more useful
than reading web adverts. This way you'll find out what works and what
doesn't and crucially, what's available and well regarded in your area.

Having said that, I did a quick Google for "indoor IR control models".

http://n-lemma.com/indoorrc/

was the first hit. Cool pics, and there are links to equipment lists at
the bottom of the page. Who knows, you might even get into this stuff as
a winter activity. The links on this site may help too:

http://members.aol.com/Lecisifly/ztron.html

You need a receiver that can drive a standard servo. This will be easier
to rig to trip the camera release: the very light weight stuff uses
specialized, very small low powered control actuators and servos. Not
what you want. By "standard" servos I mean an off the shelf model shop
item with a three wire connection: they all accept the same signals and
voltage and, apart from the connectors used by different receivers, are
interchangeable. These range from small (20mm x 15mm x 7mm, 7g) upwards
and generate more oomph as they get bigger. The very small and cute
start to get expensive, but the "mini" and "standard" sizes are fairly
cheap: in the $20-$30 range per servo.

Take care to design your triggering mechanics so you can't stall a servo
or drive it into a limit stop: they don't like that at all.

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. |
org | Zappa fan & glider pilot

Bill Gribble wrote:
Yeah, story of my life! Sorry about that. Amazing how quickly a few
pictures will go through a gig of bandwidth!

Alternative link to a smaller selection of same pictures on Imageshack:

http://img373.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=gfefe2355pv.jpg

Very nice!

Shawn

Martin Gregorie wrote:

Having said that, I did a quick Google for "indoor IR control
models".

http://n-lemma.com/indoorrc/

was the first hit. Cool pics, and there are links to equipment lists
at the bottom of the page. Who knows, you might even get into this
stuff as a winter activity. The links on this site may help too:

http://members.aol.com/Lecisifly/ztron.html

When you wrote "indoor models", I assumed you meant "models used
indoors". What a surprise to see the rubber powered microfilm covered
models I used fly in college are now electric powered and radio controlled!

You need a receiver that can drive a standard servo. This will be
easier to rig to trip the camera release: the very light weight stuff
uses specialized, very small low powered control actuators and
servos. Not what you want. By "standard" servos I mean an off the
shelf model shop item with a three wire connection: they all accept
the same signals and voltage and, apart from the connectors used by
different receivers, are interchangeable. These range from small
(20mm x 15mm x 7mm, 7g) upwards and generate more oomph as they get
bigger. The very small and cute start to get expensive, but the
"mini" and "standard" sizes are fairly cheap: in the $20-$30 range
per servo.

I agree, the really small stuff is too small. Perhaps the "consumer" RC
model car stuff would be the best choice: cheap, and short range, so
unlikely to cause other users any grief.

Take care to design your triggering mechanics so you can't stall a
servo or drive it into a limit stop: they don't like that at all.

And it probably increases the current drain dramatically.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell wrote:
309 wrote:
I've had other cameras that
had efficient infra red auto focus mechanisms: they focused perfectly
on the INSIDE of the plexiglass!

How well does the infrared remote control work, or haven't you tried it
out on a wing tip?

The remote works well on the ground...I haven't tried it in the air.
I'm told other folks have had reasonable success with tip mounted
cameras & remotes. There was an article in Soaring 5 or 6 years ago on
building a camera mount and remote, solenoid operated trigger; it was
mounted on a 1-36.

I was referrring to the focusing mechanism, nowadays it's usually an
infrared beam that the camera uses to measure distance. If you fail to
disable this "feature," the camera will detect the INSIDE of your
canopy, and focus on that, rather than the other glider 75 feet away
(effectively infinity).

By setting the focus on "infinity," (or sometimes referred to as
"landscape mode"), you tell the camera to look through the
(plexi)glass. Practice this by taking pictures through a window or
screen door. You'll notice the difference (not that I have a screen
door on my 1-26 Sports Canopy...).

A camera with programmable custom modes (like the Canon G6, which C1
and C2 modes that be programmed virtually any way you want), you can
set speed, aperture, focus, etc., in advance so you don't need to mess
with that while trying to remember how to fly. FWIW, I set the C1 mode
to wide angle, infinity focus (I forget the other settings), and C2 to
maximum zoom with infinity focus. This way, I can turn it on and it
quickly will be at the settings I need for a close up formation shot,
or a far off one.

A bunch of my air-to-air photograhpy is visible on the 1-26 Association
Photo Gallery
http://www.126association.org/images.htm
There are many pix there from other photoraphers, too.

Be careful when doing this...flying formation can get
dangerous...especially when one (or both) of you is looking through a
viewfinder...nevermind flying left handed. Talking to one another is
very wise.

-Pete
#309

309 wrote:


I was referrring to the focusing mechanism, nowadays it's usually an
infrared beam that the camera uses to measure distance. If you fail to
disable this "feature," the camera will detect the INSIDE of your
canopy, and focus on that, rather than the other glider 75 feet away
(effectively infinity).

You'll be pleased to know that most cameras now look at scene features,
rather than use infrared, so they no longer focus on transparent
objects. Big improvement!

By setting the focus on "infinity," (or sometimes referred to as
"landscape mode"), you tell the camera to look through the
(plexi)glass. Practice this by taking pictures through a window or
screen door. You'll notice the difference (not that I have a screen
door on my 1-26 Sports Canopy...).

For example, my 4 year old Minolta Dimage X has no trouble with canopies
and windows (haven't tried screen doors - not good for the image
either). It can still mis-focus if something nearby is in the focus
field, so being able to manually set the focus can occasionally be useful.


A camera with programmable custom modes (like the Canon G6, which C1
and C2 modes that be programmed virtually any way you want), you can
set speed, aperture, focus, etc., in advance so you don't need to mess
with that while trying to remember how to fly.

This feature was on several of the cameras I looked, including the Canon
S80 that seems the best match for my criteria (so far). Sounds useful.

snip

Be careful when doing this...flying formation can get
dangerous...especially when one (or both) of you is looking through a
viewfinder

This is why I want a large LCD monitor, visible in sunlight, that I can
use instead of a viewfinder. Don't know how well it will work, but I
really hope it does.

...nevermind flying left handed.

No problem here - I'm left-handed and fly almost as well with it.

Talking to one another is
very wise.

That's what prompted my mostly unsuccessful posting about a wireless,
ear mounted microphone. I'll probably go back to my sunglasses mounted
Plantronics mike, wired though it is, until I come up with something better.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA