Three wishes from Shawn

[Shawn Nelson]

1. Thinking through how I would use this, I want to be able to be shooting video in 1080p, 2k or 3k (or whatever the format is) and then push the 'picture' button and get that snapshot in the full 12mp (or whatever) without interrupting the video. If I can do that, then the DSMC will truly be powerful as both a video and a still camera.
2. Adding on to wish #1, I'd like to be able to, while shooting video, push a button and have a "burst" of full-res (12mp or whatever) images taken. Perhaps a 3 sec window. That way, I get it all, the video shot, plus a hi-res snapshot of the perfect moment.
3. Embedded GPS chip in every one. I read that the GPS chip in the iPhone cost $3. Please spec this in now! I want geo-tagging on every picture.

[Shawn Booth]

Couldn't the GPS also be used in theft recovery?

If so, can we pay to have them installed in the camera bodies?

[Shawn Nelson]

GPS simply receives, you would then need something to transmit out current coordinates (such as a module that would be basically a stripped down cell phone).

[Tony de Vries]

We not only need GPS, but also a digital compass so you know where the camera was aiming. Add to that some nice gyroscopes or whatever and have it output a 3D camera track. :-D

[Shawn Nelson]

I think I've figured out how to make this work!

Two problems with my basic request is shutter, and how to get the sensor to do two things at once (video and the picture). To recap, the shutter issue in taking pictures from video is you want a 1/48 (180 deg) shutter for video, but usually much higher for picture.

So...while in video mode, have the camera take the picture in the span of time that the sensor is not being used! For 24p 1/48 footage, a full 50% of the time your sensor isnt actually being used! You could then allow the user to set a *still shutter* and a *moving shutter*! Best of both worlds!

[Shawn Nelson]

Bump...I like my idea for implementing simultaneous use of video and still capture :-)

[Roberto B]

"Three wishes from Shawn"

who is he?.. just kidding.. just kidding

[Shawn Nelson]

"Three wishes from Shawn"

who is he?.. just kidding.. just kidding

sheesh, it's not an ego statement, I'm a nobody, I know this, I just couldnt think of something else to title it.

[Roberto B]

I'm a nobodyno.. you are a cool guy.

[Pawel Achtel]

I think I've figured out how to make this work!

Two problems with my basic request is shutter, and how to get the sensor to do two things at once (video and the picture). To recap, the shutter issue in taking pictures from video is you want a 1/48 (180 deg) shutter for video, but usually much higher for picture.

So...while in video mode, have the camera take the picture in the span of time that the sensor is not being used! For 24p 1/48 footage, a full 50% of the time your sensor isnt actually being used! You could then allow the user to set a *still shutter* and a *moving shutter*! Best of both worlds!

Except that you do not want to have 9 stops of ND on that still taken at faster shutter or else, still will be simply underexposed compared to video.

Sorry, Shawn: Good effort, but no cigar :biggrin:

[Shawn Nelson]

Except that you do not want to have 9 stops of ND on that still taken at faster shutter or else, still will be simply underexposed compared to video.

Sorry, Shawn: Good effort, but no cigar :biggrin:

I wonder if variable ND filters could be made with millisecond response times?

[Shawn Nelson]

Echo? Can someone tell me if I'm barking up the wrong tree? Using 1/2 of every second for video and the other half for photo seems awesome to me, we already know the sensor can handle it (based on what you can do with Red). It seems it'd just be a matter of the processor and data pipelines.

[Karl Gustav H.]

I wonder if variable ND filters could be made with millisecond response times?

I can't stop thinking about this. Most vaiable ND filters seem to use rotating polarisers. I suspect that this couldn't be made precise of fast enough. I'm wondering if electrochromatic glass could be used; it certainly would give you the accuracy and I think the response times are getting close to what you would need. I'm not at all sure about the optical charactistics, so that may be a bit of a dealbreaker!

[Thomas Dobbie]

I wonder if variable ND filters could be made with millisecond response times?

I think it was about 8-10 years ago Diacomed made a medium format camera back,which made three individual exposures for RGB. The interesting thing was unlike all the other similar digital backs which used some form of colour wheel either in front of or behind the lens,which obviously limited there use to static objects,Diacomed had a LCD filter which changed colour in milliseconds during a flash exposure. I remember reading quite a lot about it at the time,apparently is was fantastic when it worked,but was very temperamental. So obviously the technology existed to do this,it's almost certainly to be at a much more advanced state now.
It's not as crazy an idea as it first sounds.
I believe Diacomed went out of business a few years ago,but their technology was taken over by Better Light who make very high end scanning backs for view cameras. Not sure if that line of research was ever carried on.
Tom.