Looking for DirectX controllable camera

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.directx.misc,alt.comp.periphs.webcam,rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I work as a developer with Photomodeler (a close range photogrammetry
system) and I'm working on a project to do some automatic image
acquisition (and subsequent processing) from a set of digital cameras.
I've been working with the LeadTools DirectX wrapper and using a
couple of Logitech QuickCam pro 4000 cameras with good (but
inadequate) preliminary results.

The problem is that I need an image format larger than 640x480 for the
project I'm working on and that seems to be the best I can get out of
the QuickCam 4000s through Leadtools; the cameras have a
software-interpolated megapixel format (which would be ok) but I can't
seem to access it using the LeadTools software which leads me to
suspect that it's being done off-camera by the Logitech QuickCapture
application. [I realize that I could do my own interpolation but I'd
like to leave that as a last resort.] I'm willing to experiment with
other consumer-level cameras (not necessarily a webcam) but it seems
to be difficult to find out which cameras have image acquisition which
can be controlled by LeadTools/DirectX. Many digital cameras seem to
be advertised as 'USB' cameras but for the most part, that seems to
mean that hooking them up to a pc allows someone to get at the images
as a storage device.

So my question is: Can anyone recommend a relatively cheap (consumer)
digital camera which can provide megapixel-size images and which can
be controlled by DirectX/LeadTools for grabbing an image? [I don't
need zoom or positioning controls and B&W would be ok, if that helps.]

Thanks to any digital camera wizards out there who can help me out
with a recommendation... N

----------------------
Nou Dadoun
Eos Systems / PhotoModeler
Leaders in Close Range Photogrammetry
http://www.photomodeler.com
ndadoun AT eossystems.com
604.732.6658 x106

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.directx.misc,alt.comp.periphs.webcam,rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Nou Dadoun wrote:
> I work as a developer with Photomodeler (a close range photogrammetry
> system) and I'm working on a project to do some automatic image
> acquisition (and subsequent processing) from a set of digital cameras.
> I've been working with the LeadTools DirectX wrapper and using a
> couple of Logitech QuickCam pro 4000 cameras with good (but
> inadequate) preliminary results.
>
> The problem is that I need an image format larger than 640x480 for the
> project I'm working on and that seems to be the best I can get out of
> the QuickCam 4000s through Leadtools; the cameras have a
> software-interpolated megapixel format (which would be ok) but I can't
> seem to access it using the LeadTools software which leads me to
> suspect that it's being done off-camera by the Logitech QuickCapture
> application. [I realize that I could do my own interpolation but I'd
> like to leave that as a last resort.] I'm willing to experiment with
> other consumer-level cameras (not necessarily a webcam) but it seems
> to be difficult to find out which cameras have image acquisition which
> can be controlled by LeadTools/DirectX. Many digital cameras seem to
> be advertised as 'USB' cameras but for the most part, that seems to
> mean that hooking them up to a pc allows someone to get at the images
> as a storage device.
>
> So my question is: Can anyone recommend a relatively cheap (consumer)
> digital camera which can provide megapixel-size images and which can
> be controlled by DirectX/LeadTools for grabbing an image? [I don't
> need zoom or positioning controls and B&W would be ok, if that helps.]
>
> Thanks to any digital camera wizards out there who can help me out
> with a recommendation... N

Hi...

Old, retired, and stroke damaged. But wrote lots of
software (mostly shareware), and digital photography
has been my prime hobby for years.

Tell me a little about "LeadTools", or where I can
see what it is... perhaps I can help - slim chance,
but a possibility. And/or tell me a little more
about your project.

Take care.

Ken

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.directx.misc,alt.comp.periphs.webcam,rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Ken Weitzel <kweitzel@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<BPUnc.440318$Ig.330225@pd7tw2no>...
> Nou Dadoun wrote:
> > I work as a developer with Photomodeler (a close range photogrammetry
> > system) and I'm working on a project to do some automatic image
> > acquisition (and subsequent processing) from a set of digital cameras.
> > I've been working with the LeadTools DirectX wrapper and using a
> > couple of Logitech QuickCam pro 4000 cameras with good (but
> > inadequate) preliminary results.
> >
> > The problem is that I need an image format larger than 640x480 for the
> > project I'm working on and that seems to be the best I can get out of
> > the QuickCam 4000s through Leadtools; the cameras have a
> > software-interpolated megapixel format (which would be ok) but I can't
> > seem to access it using the LeadTools software which leads me to
> > suspect that it's being done off-camera by the Logitech QuickCapture
> > application. [I realize that I could do my own interpolation but I'd
> > like to leave that as a last resort.] I'm willing to experiment with
> > other consumer-level cameras (not necessarily a webcam) but it seems
> > to be difficult to find out which cameras have image acquisition which
> > can be controlled by LeadTools/DirectX. Many digital cameras seem to
> > be advertised as 'USB' cameras but for the most part, that seems to
> > mean that hooking them up to a pc allows someone to get at the images
> > as a storage device.
> >
> > So my question is: Can anyone recommend a relatively cheap (consumer)
> > digital camera which can provide megapixel-size images and which can
> > be controlled by DirectX/LeadTools for grabbing an image? [I don't
> > need zoom or positioning controls and B&W would be ok, if that helps.]
> >
> > Thanks to any digital camera wizards out there who can help me out
> > with a recommendation... N
>
> Hi...
>
> Old, retired, and stroke damaged. But wrote lots of
> software (mostly shareware), and digital photography
> has been my prime hobby for years.
>
> Tell me a little about "LeadTools", or where I can
> see what it is... perhaps I can help - slim chance,
> but a possibility. And/or tell me a little more
> about your project.
>
> Take care.
>
> Ken


For a little more detail:

LeadTools MultiMedia is a DirectX/DirectShow wrapper that encapsulates
the MS functionality within fairly easy to use player/capture objects
with a good filter library etc. (In fact, there is a bicubic
interpolation filter which I can use to resize the image if I need to
as a last resort.)

http://www.leadtools.com/SDK/Multimedia/Multimedia-Products-n.htm

Our system Photomodeler is a close range photogrammetry (i.e.
measurement from photographs) system, which (among other things) is
used to build geometric models from photographs. Given the right
conditions, it can automatically mark points in photographs, figure
out the correspondences between (AKA reference) those points and
construct the 3d geometry of the object or scene within the
photographs with a high degree of accuracy.

http://www.photomodeler.com

But as I say, I'm actually looking for a camera recommendation; that
is, a medium-resolution (better than VGA) camera with (preferably) a
USB connection over which a computer can snap the shutter and acquire
an image automatically.

Thanks ... N

----------------------
Nou Dadoun
Eos Systems / PhotoModeler
Leaders in Close Range Photogrammetry http://www.photomodeler.com
ndadoun AT eossystems.com 604.732.6658 x106

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.directx.misc,alt.comp.periphs.webcam,rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Nou Dadoun wrote:
> Ken Weitzel <kweitzel@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<BPUnc.440318$Ig.330225@pd7tw2no>...
>
>>Nou Dadoun wrote:
>>
>>>I work as a developer with Photomodeler (a close range photogrammetry
>>>system) and I'm working on a project to do some automatic image
>>>acquisition (and subsequent processing) from a set of digital cameras.
>>> I've been working with the LeadTools DirectX wrapper and using a
>>>couple of Logitech QuickCam pro 4000 cameras with good (but
>>>inadequate) preliminary results.
>>>
>>>The problem is that I need an image format larger than 640x480 for the
>>>project I'm working on and that seems to be the best I can get out of
>>>the QuickCam 4000s through Leadtools; the cameras have a
>>>software-interpolated megapixel format (which would be ok) but I can't
>>>seem to access it using the LeadTools software which leads me to
>>>suspect that it's being done off-camera by the Logitech QuickCapture
>>>application. [I realize that I could do my own interpolation but I'd
>>>like to leave that as a last resort.] I'm willing to experiment with
>>>other consumer-level cameras (not necessarily a webcam) but it seems
>>>to be difficult to find out which cameras have image acquisition which
>>>can be controlled by LeadTools/DirectX. Many digital cameras seem to
>>>be advertised as 'USB' cameras but for the most part, that seems to
>>>mean that hooking them up to a pc allows someone to get at the images
>>>as a storage device.
>>>
>>>So my question is: Can anyone recommend a relatively cheap (consumer)
>>>digital camera which can provide megapixel-size images and which can
>>>be controlled by DirectX/LeadTools for grabbing an image? [I don't
>>>need zoom or positioning controls and B&W would be ok, if that helps.]
>>>
>>>Thanks to any digital camera wizards out there who can help me out
>>>with a recommendation... N
>>
>>Hi...
>>
>>Old, retired, and stroke damaged. But wrote lots of
>>software (mostly shareware), and digital photography
>>has been my prime hobby for years.
>>
>>Tell me a little about "LeadTools", or where I can
>>see what it is... perhaps I can help - slim chance,
>>but a possibility. And/or tell me a little more
>>about your project.
>>
>>Take care.
>>
>>Ken
>
>
>
> For a little more detail:
>
> LeadTools MultiMedia is a DirectX/DirectShow wrapper that encapsulates
> the MS functionality within fairly easy to use player/capture objects
> with a good filter library etc. (In fact, there is a bicubic
> interpolation filter which I can use to resize the image if I need to
> as a last resort.)
>
> http://www.leadtools.com/SDK/Multimedia/Multimedia-Products-n.htm
>
> Our system Photomodeler is a close range photogrammetry (i.e.
> measurement from photographs) system, which (among other things) is
> used to build geometric models from photographs. Given the right
> conditions, it can automatically mark points in photographs, figure
> out the correspondences between (AKA reference) those points and
> construct the 3d geometry of the object or scene within the
> photographs with a high degree of accuracy.
>
> http://www.photomodeler.com
>
> But as I say, I'm actually looking for a camera recommendation; that
> is, a medium-resolution (better than VGA) camera with (preferably) a
> USB connection over which a computer can snap the shutter and acquire
> an image automatically.
>
> Thanks ... N
>

Hi Nou...

I don't think I can help much; but perhaps a little...

Virtually all of my experience is with Olympus
branded cameras, so I'll speak to them - perhaps
a little will also apply to other makers.

A long time ago (in digital camera terms) I (and many
others) wrote our own software that spoke to the
camera serial ports. This was easily done

Far and away the most eloquent of us wrote (and
shared freely) a piece called came09. This, I
suspect, will do all and more than what you
want - provided I understand your project sufficiently
well.

That works well on every Olympus camera I've owned
but through the serial port.

Now most if not all current cameras are USB, and you've
mentioned that you'd prefer it. It is clearly
incredibly faster. But from what I saw that you
were doing on your website, perhaps speed isn't too
very important? (buildings don't move very fast
I could be wrong; if so apologize.

Now to talk to Olympus's with USB ports, Olympus
has kept the standard secret. They will however
sell a sdk kit - two versions, of which only the
"pro" grade would be of interest to you. For that,
they want $800 US.

Only you know your resources, but perhaps serial is
good enough. The last camera I have that I'm sure
is serial is the D-460z. Came09 talks to it just
fine, controlling everything but the zoom.
Came09 is freeware; and a used d-460 should be
very inexpensive on ebay.

Let me know if I can help further. My reply to is
valid if you prefer; I suspect not too many in the
ng's will be interested

Take care.

Ken

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.directx.misc,alt.comp.periphs.webcam,rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Nou Dadoun wrote:

Hi again...

After the last message I went snooping around,
and stumbled across this site.

http://www.breezesys.com/PSRemote/

They offer usb control of Canon powershot cameras.

Free download trial version (seems to do all except
save pics to hdd) Price $49 (didn't notice, but
assume US)

Don't know either the software, or canon digital,
so you're on your own.

Take care.

Ken

dollars.