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brainspoon

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #60 - 09/10/09 at 23:18:14

I am thinking about building my own motorized panorama head that would automatically rotate the camera to all needed positions.
When a position is reached it could trigger the promote to shoot the bracket for that postion. After that the panorama head will move to the next position and will again trigger the promote. It will do that until the complete panorama is photographed.

Right now the head controlling would have no clue if the promote has finished to take all images and would have to wait a predefined timeframe, but when taking panoramas it is better to do it as fast as you can to minimize changing contents in the images.

Hope that makes it clear what I am looking for. My goal is a fully automated system for taking HDR panoramas.

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Arty

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #61 - 09/10/09 at 23:20:00

Quote:

I am thinking about building my own motorized panorama head that would automatically rotate the camera to all needed positions.
When a position is reached it could trigger the promote to shoot the bracket for that postion. After that the panorama head will move to the next position and will again trigger the promote. It will do that until the complete panorama is photographed.

Right now the head controlling would have no clue if the promote has finished to take all images and would have to wait a predefined timeframe, but when taking panoramas it is better to do it as fast as you can to minimize changing contents in the images.

Hope that makes it clear what I am looking for.

Yup, got it now. Do you know of any ready solutions implementing that kind of automation?

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brainspoon Ex Member	Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller Reply #62 - 09/10/09 at 23:27:01 http://www.hdrlabs.com/news/index.php?id=4956306000351384165 http://gigapanbot.de/panobot-en.htm << only ldr panoramas http://www.dr-clauss.de/VRstation_DE.htm The professional ones rely on attached laptops which I was trying to avoid.
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Arty

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #63 - 09/10/09 at 23:40:06

Quote:

http://www.hdrlabs.com/news/index.php?id=4956306000351384165

http://gigapanbot.de/panobot-en.htm << only ldr panoramas

http://www.dr-clauss.de/VRstation_DE.htm

The professional ones rely on attached laptops which I was trying to avoid.

Thanks - now I know more about panoramas than I ever did! Interesting... I wish we have known that when we designed the Promote Control - maybe we could have added a separate port.

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brainspoon Ex Member	Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller Reply #64 - 09/10/09 at 23:44:46 Yeah with some kind of script support or something to upload little programs. That would make a killer all in one tool.
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brainspoon Ex Member	Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller Reply #65 - 09/11/09 at 00:10:29 Would it technically be possible to use the usb port for more than just controlling the camera? Then it might be possible to send signals to a micro controller that will move the head.
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Arty

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #66 - 09/11/09 at 01:01:11

Quote:

Would it technically be possible to use the usb port for more than just controlling the camera?
Then it might be possible to send signals to a micro controller that will move the head.

Probably not - the USB port needs to control one thing at a time on a device like this. I'd rather think of adapting our remote release port for that.

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brainspoon Ex Member	Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller Reply #67 - 09/11/09 at 01:26:15 If you understand you right you think it would someday be possible to control a motorized head with the promote? Options for the count rows and columns should be sufficient. If that is the case I will wait with my plans and see what you come up with to built my stuff around the promote.
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Arty

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #68 - 09/11/09 at 02:50:34

Quote:

If you understand you right you think it would someday be possible to control a motorized head with the promote? Options for the count rows and columns should be sufficient.

If that is the case I will wait with my plans and see what you come up with to built my stuff around the promote.

Well, technically we should be able to send a signal about finishing a sequence... would that to be sufficient? We won't be able to send anything "smart" though, at least not with the current design, and/or not without serious modifications to the firmware.

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brainspoon

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #69 - 09/11/09 at 10:45:57

Ah ok. If that is the only technical possibility than it is ok.

Just found this nice project. There they take a cheap system that tracks stars with a telescope and stick instead a camera to it. Seams to be done easily and software is already there. The system triggers the camera with a 2.5mm plug, so it should be easy to place the promote between both.

http://www.brewzone.com/2008/11/diy-pano-head
http://www.autopano.net/forum/f20-merlin,orion-and-papywizard

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Arty

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #70 - 09/15/09 at 19:35:41

OK guys, I would like for you to have a look at something and let me know what do you think. Sam once mentioned that it'd be nice to attach Promote Control to the tripod - so we got our suppliers to work. This is a sample we just got in the mail:

I know there are a few issues with this design - starting with the fact that to operate the control you need to take it out of the case. But other than that, does it look like something you all could use? If not, what needs to be changed? Your comments will go straight to the supplier, and we'll see if they can do what you want.

Thanks

Regards,
Arty

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ricardo

Junior Member

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Panographer

Posts: 4

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #71 - 09/16/09 at 00:43:51

Arty,

I’m very glad seeing how much you listen to your market!

Great job! Is not a Fendi or a Luis Vuitton but if it holds Promote firmly, it’s okay for me, but I would like to see another feature in Promote in order to I can buy it immediately.

My main issue regarding Promote is: I have a Nikon D200 and a 5D Mark II. Nikon has a better bracketing (up to 9 shots at 1 EV steps maximum) than Canon (only 3 shots at 2 EV steps maximum) but the bracketing of both cameras has the same approach as Promote has: You chose an intermediate exposure and than chose the EV increment, and finally the number of shots. In fact, what I would love to have is the following option: set the limits of bracketing (the darker and the brighter) and than the number of shots I want and the “bracketing software” automatically set the EV step.

The bracketing setting screen of Promote could looks like this (additionally to the existing one):
Minimum exposure: 1/250
Maximum exposure: 2
Number of shots: 12

I believe Canon and Nikon will enhance bracketing capabilities, but if Promote could do it now, I would buy it.

Like me many photographers have both (Nikon and Canon) cameras. Who knows Promote becomes a bracketing standard?

Sorry my English,

Ricardo

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Sam Rohn

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #72 - 09/16/09 at 01:53:03

hey arty -

at this point, i am using a piece of foam packing material, cut out w/ a serrated kitchen knife about 20mm x 40mm x 100mm + a strip of velcro, with the block acting as a spacer so the cables will clear the Nodal Ninja upright knob

it works well, and stays put when i move the tripod from place to place, but it does block the controls, so i am thinking of threading the velcro through the foam block, and sticking some velcro on the promote and the block - i'll let you know how that works out in the field...

also, the foam spacer block could have a notch cut along the back to give it a better grip on tripod legs

something a bit more sturdy along these lines would work well for me, something which can attach firmly & quickly onto a mount which lives on the head

maybe a silicon skin w belt clip kind of thing ?

thanks arty

sam

ps - wow, 72 replies to this thread so far, blochi, maybe time for a dedicated HDR hardware (promote, bracketmeister, etc) forum ?

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promote-nodal-ninja.jpg (Attachment deleted)

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Blochi

Administrator

Offline

Posts: 1726
Hollywood

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #73 - 09/16/09 at 07:51:20

Hey Arty,

Glad you're jumping on the ideas that come up here. Your pouch would sure be handy for carrying the rig around, and then taking the Promote out for the shoot. Agree, the controls should better be accessible. How about just cutting some holes in for the buttons and the display? I used to have an iPod case that was just like that, for the first gen where you actually had to touch the wheel. Damn, I wish I could find it... The front of it was also made from a transparent rubbery foil, so you could see the display through...

But how about the other way? If you could somehow slim the device down a bit, you would be instantly compatible with a million case designs...

@Sam:

Interesting to see the telephone-cord style cable. Is that your WiFi remote? Don't you also wish the Promote cables would be like that, perferrably combined into one. I don't mind when it splits into USB and Release Cable on both ends, as long as I don't have all this stuff dangling around....

Hardware forum, eh? I'm hesitant to make more categories, already people are missing many useful posts just because they are in an another category. If this thread would go off-topic I would split it, but for right now I think it's just a super-fruitful discussion that is well kept together.
But maybe we can come up with a good wishlist, and make that a poll for Arty. Might be good to have a simple shortnamed reminder list, prioritized by users.

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Sam Rohn

Ex Member

Re: Promote Control Bracketing Controller
Reply #74 - 09/16/09 at 21:20:17

yeah, the curly cable is the phottix plato 2.4 ghz (not wifi though) receiver, mounted on my hot shoe - but i think i prefer the straight cables, as they bundle tighter together

im carrying the promote around in a case sized for an SLR flash unit, i can leave the cables on the promote, and also stuff in the velcro/foam mount thing, plus it attaches to the side of my camera bag

another idea that has crossed my mind would be a bluetooth breakout dongle kind of thing, hotshoe mount (or wherever) with usb & camera cables going to the body, and the promote would control it wirelessly, perhaps w/ an add on transmitter or built in - this would let you monitor remaining time, etc and keep yourself & shadows out of the shot, always an issue w/ panos

i know what you mean about too many forums, but we do have a couple different conversations going on here, new user questions, new feature reqs, case design, etc - it can get kind of jumbled and overwhelming all bunched together...

but that is another conversation, now i'm off topic

sam

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« Last Edit: 09/17/09 at 23:40:54 by N/A »

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