Engineer/Imaginative People: Camera Setup Q.

[msommers]

So I really can't explain this any better than this horrible job I did in paint but trust me, it's the just the easiest way.

Basically that top red box is a camera looking straight down on some core. That metal box the little tripod is on moves down the table.

I want to be able to build something that is stable and also can hook or clamp onto that metal box, while extending the camera far enough away from it to not be taking a picture of the top of the box and only part of the core.

It needs to high enough enough to not cause a lot of distortion, and I think ~2ft should do it.

I have a regular tripod, thinking I could easily use something like this but flipped so it's point out, but I think it's going to get expensive or not even work.

Any ideas come to mind? At minimum I need a screw pointed out to mount the camera to, but ideally I'd like to avoid that and use a tripod clamp so I can use the much better designed plate.

Sorry I don't think I'm explaining this well at all but I think (or hope rather!) you get the jist.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1059/8888/products/panoramic-head-nn4-starter-pkg-f4500-1_grande.jpeg

https://www.cognisys-inc.com/products/stackshot/images/Arca-Plate-w-RRS-B2-ProL.jpg

[msommers]

And here's the picture I was supposed to attach...

[blitz]

I know what you're trying to do, 2 questions:

- Does it have to portable, or are you going to leave it setup for a while?
- Does it have to move laterally to shoot the entire box of core?

[blitz]

Either way, your answer is going to be either 1 or two Manfrotto Magic arms with a matching clamp

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/msowsun/photo%20stuff/Photo6/_1-43.jpg

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb4579697/p4pb4579697.jpg

https://wiki.fluidproject.org/download/attachments/33850823/magic%20arm%20front%20view%20close%20best.jpg

[msommers]

It'll have to be portable-ish as I'll have to change it between the two tables I have reserved.

Laterally would be amazing because I could zoom in and create a high resolution composite but that may be too time consuming. I suspect I'll get one good shot per core box.

I'll have to check that out and see what I can find by Tuesday night lol.

[D'z Nutz]

I have a couple superclamps if you want to borrow and experiment before you buy.

[Thaco]

you'd probably be best to just have some sort of a U shaped piece that can just slide on the lip thats already there instead of using a tripod, and if you use a smaller camera it doesn't need to be anything crazy, i could probably design and 3d print something pretty easy (and cheap) if, as i said, its a light camera like a gopro or something.

this is a challenge for me, i've never designed joints, so i wanted to give it a try, heres an idea of my thought.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57875389/test.pnghttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57875389/test2.png

[msommers]

Thaco, that would be very good actually provided I could tighten and loosen each joint.

I may speak to my supervisor and see if I buy that manfrotto dealy if the research group will just buy it off me since I surely won't be the only one who could use this...

[Thaco]

Originally posted by msommers
Thaco, that would be very good actually provided I could tighten and loosen each joint.

I may speak to my supervisor and see if I buy that manfrotto dealy if the research group will just buy it off me since I surely won't be the only one who could use this... yeah it would just be a standard nut/bolt on each so you could adjust it and then friction would hold it in place when you tighten it up.

[msommers]

Went to Vistek and walked out with these but I'm thinking I may not even need the clamp, just need something to counterbalance the whole thing. Interestingly the Kupo was cheaper and better built at a rated 4kg, along with the Mantis being better featured.

https://www.vistek.ca/store/ProPhotoLightingGripSupport/255882/kupo-max-arm.aspx

https://www.vistek.ca/store/ProPhotoLightingGripSupport/273476/mantis-super-clamp-spigot.aspx

I may get an adapter to glhavebboth ensa 3/8" and use my own Markins smalll travel head on the other end instead of the camera's tripod socket.

Do you guys think with an L-bracket there will be less tension when it's pointed down vs. straight into the socket? Like distributed the torsion (?) better?

The lab has offered to pay for it and needed it quite quickly. Appreciate your offer though, Thaco.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by msommers
Went to Vistek

https://media0.giphy.com/media/13PBOiVnRnbuZa/200.gif

[msommers]

I know! The Edmonton one has truthfully been really good in the rentals department and now with this, was pretty impressed but I think the staff was more intrigued with this one-off and racking their brains on how to make it work without a gigantic setup.

Funny there was a complete Mitsu doppelganger working there; knew all the specs of literally everything too :rofl: :D

[Minimalist]

I did something like this set-up for photographing frozen drilling cores.

http://shade-of-light.com/2015/07/31/shooting-from-the-top-how-to-photograph-from-above/

[mazdavirgin]

:dunno: There's commercial solutions to do this exact process some of them come with full on automation so you can do this on a large scale. Not sure if it's worth reinventing the wheel unless it's a one off thing.

[msommers]

Well I've bought it now but what solutions are out there?

[legendboy]

i could build you something cool, bit low on time and motivation lately tho

[blitz]

Originally posted by msommers
Well I've bought it now but what solutions are out there?

Nothing that would work with a University research departments budget :rofl:

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by msommers
Well I've bought it now but what solutions are out there?

There's a fair bit of them out there. Usually not something that you can easily find online but here's one example.

http://www.coretest.com/product_detail.php?p_id=137

It's a rather big market at the moment and there's a lot of players in the field. PetroArc being another big player.

[msommers]

That certainly is pretty snazzy and ideal. God only knows how much it would cost for 3 days. None of the core is slabbed and we don't have the budget that O&G does. I'm hoping my 36mp camera and good optics will suffice for analysis after logging, along with thin sections.

But yeah I doubt I can persuade them to spend that kind of money on my measly Masters project.

Minimalist, sorry I missed your post earlier but that is a great idea - may have to go back on Tuesday and price some things out.

So far what I've come up with is to screw a spiget into the tripod leg and clamp that end to the opposite side of the box to stabilize, then have the Kubo arm straight 90° with the camera attached looking down. But Minimalist's idea is likely more stable.


Hm...

Fuck this is super ghetto but would totally work lol

http://partysavvy.com/product/miscellaneous/coat-rack/

[Minimalist]

Originally posted by msommers
[B] Minimalist, sorry I missed your post earlier but that is a great idea - may have to go back on Tuesday and price some things out.


We later went with a ceiling mounted scenerio, two Canon DSLR, two flash units with umbrellas, cameras cabled to a monitor. Each photo was taken through the attached computer. When the unit went out of focus, we used a ladder to refocus the cameras.

It was pretty good really, I had better ideas involving moving to a Red camera set up (HD video), just move the frozen core samples through and not be stopping for every frame to take a photo. The lab was shut down a couple of months after I left. My idea would have cut the entire process down to 25% of the costs and time.

http://www.red.com/

[gogreen]

Originally posted by blitz
https://wiki.fluidproject.org/download/attachments/33850823/magic%20arm%20front%20view%20close%20best.jpg [/B]

^If you go with this setup I'm wondering if you can just use a sandbag to weigh the tripod down, then use some long ratchet straps to further secure the tripod to the box. Maybe looped around the center post of the tripod, one going back to counterbalance, one going forward to prevent the tripod from sliding back? Much like guywires securing the tripod at 4 points (i.e. each corner of the box.)

My only other thought would be something like this:
http://strobepro.com/products/16-rotatable-boom-light-stand-kit

Not sure if that would fit the available footprint though.