RX0 Multi-camera panoramic

[snaefell]

What I was hoping for with this setup was to get basically a digital version of a Panon Widelux/HorizonT camera. After some more test shots this morning I'm pretty sure I have that. The FOV is basically what you see ahead of you. On a couple of shots I have minor blend errors so I might see about redesigning the mount plate to get the cameras a little closer to each other to see if that fixes it. If not, I will reduce the angle between them slightly.

This is a cool idea. If you use the cameras in landscape orientation, the image should be even wider.
Do you plan to share the construction plans?

 

[shawn]

This is a cool idea. If you use the cameras in landscape orientation, the image should be even wider.
Do you plan to share the construction plans?

My original RX0 version was two cameras in landscape. That gave great width(about 130 degrees when level) but was a little more limiting due to image height. If the camera aren't exactly level you lose more image height due to how the blend changes. These are from the dual camera setup.

This is the one where the lack of height bothered me enough to explore the 3 camera setup.]

The 3 camera in portrait gives me about the same width but considerably more image height to work with.

With the interchangable plates I can easily go landscape. I've built a plate that is portrait-landscape-portrait but haven't tried it yet. 3 RX0 cameras in landscape would be around 180-190 degrees but limited image height so probably around a 4 or 5:1 AR. That is very hard to shoot and pretty limiting IME.

My first multi-camera setup with 3 Coolpix As in landscape. More often than not I used 2 of the cameras, not 3 as that wide is tough. Was kind of fun to get an entire field in one shot though.

 

[snaefell]

My original RX0 version was two cameras in landscape. That gave great width(about 130 degrees when level) but was a little more limiting due to image height. If the camera aren't exactly level you lose more image height due to how the blend changes. These are from the dual camera setup.

That makes sense. When I shoot digitally, I usually do this in portrait orientation. Cropping pixels is easier than not having them 😉

 

[shawn]

Yup, much easier to crop and the extra height actually acts a little like a shift lens as I can crop high or low depending upon what I want.


The 35mm top plate is done and I designed a LCD cover for it too. Added an end piece off the left camera to better lock the sunscreen in on that side and also added a recess in the plate so that the side panels will fit into that to really lock them in place too. Also printed a trim cover for the top of the grip.







The other thing I *finally* figured out was why one RX0 was acting differently from the others. After about 5 seconds 2 out of the 3 of them were dimming the screen and one was staying at full brightness. Hitting the AF activate or taking a picture did not restore the brightness on the two RX0s. The screen brightness setting didn't change the dimming, neither did any of the power save options. The one that was staying bright is a PAL model, changing it to NTSC or changing the NTSC to PAL didn't change anything. Thought it might have been something off in the wiring but that wasn't it. Went page through page in the settings comparing side by side and they were the same on everything setup related.

Then I finally found it... I had configured Wifi on my original 2 but not on the third one. In Sony's infinite wisdom.... if you setup Wifi the screen runs dimmer all the time. Even if it isn't wifi connected.....

Once I cleared the network settings on the two units they went back to whatever screen brightness I set and stayed there.

 

[shawn]

Shot this morning. Not sure which version I prefer.

 

[JoeV]

I like the color image for the green floor tile.

 

[snaefell]

The 35mm top plate is done and I designed a LCD cover for it too. Added an end piece off the left camera to better lock the sunscreen in on that side and also added a recess in the plate so that the side panels will fit into that to really lock them in place too. Also printed a trim cover for the top of the grip.

Do you use the screens as a kind of finder or do you simply shoot the scene?

I like the color image for the green floor tile.

I like this detail, but overall I prefer the black and white version.

 

[shawn]

Do you use the screens as a kind of finder or do you simply shoot the scene?

A little of both, depends on what I am doing. For the hallway that was using the screens to get centered and to make sure I was going to get the upper light then the level. Sometimes just an outside screen to get the edge I want and sometimes just using the levels to get a scene.

 

[shawn]

The problem with keeping a running search for deals on used RX0s....

Modeling out a couple of versions of an expanded 4 camera edition.

The version on the right doesn't overhang the camera base (right edge) at all but has to push all the cameras further forward to clear the grip. The version on the left holds the cameras in closer to the grip but has some overhang on the right edge.


Bottom view with sides reversed. Feel like the edge aligned version would be very front heavy and also probably wouldn't fit in the bag I use for this camera.





On the flip side it would give more room around the grip but I think I have the smaller version set for enough room for fingers.

This version is set to 30 degrees between cameras for more overlap to hopefully elminate in close blend errors.
It should give a max of about 144 degrees horizontal field of view. 54 degrees for the base camera and then 30 degrees for each additional camera.

If I went with the 40 degree offset (which does work at distance) this would have a max of about 174 degrees, 54 degrees for the base and 40 degrees for each additional camera.

 

[shawn]

I have a couple of old tests shots from a Widelux that I tried to duplicate with a 4x Sony rig set at 30 degrees between cameras.

Widelux

RX0x4

 

[shawn]

Panon

RX0x4

More image height (effective 24mm vs 26mm) and more width with a very similar perspective.

 

[Archiver]

This is seriously impressive. I love how you're taking the RX0 as far as it can go.

 

[shawn]

Thanks, I'm loving this project so far. The Sony multiport interface is what makes this work so well. This setup is dramatically easier to use than any of my other multi-camera rigs.

Most annoying part is just dealing with the micro-SD cards as they are sort of hidden below the cables. I need tweezers to get them in/out. I'd love to wire all the cameras into a micro USB hub and download images that way. You have to short the two USB pins to each other on each camera to allow shooting while charging. Without that they go into PC connect mode and won't shoot.

 

[shawn]

Latest version:

This one has been working well.

I found a tiny 4 port USB hub circuit board that I have on order. I'm going to see what happens if I run a camera through that when I short the input D+ and D- and supply charging power to the cameras from the hub. I suspect it will still go into PC connect mode and not shoot. If not I'll design a new camera base with room for that board and wire all the cameras into that to make downloading pics easier. I have a few other tweaks I want to make to the base too.

 

[RoboRepublic]

As a huge fan of the widelux/noblex cameras this project is so very cool! I used to have an RX0 for recording performances and the like, but never quite got on with one for stills.

 

[shawn]

Thanks, this was a very fun project and did meet my goal of being basically a digital Widelux.

 

[lynnb]

What a great (and fun) project. Love the results. Thanks for sharing.