Some two months after market introduction there are already many Roundshot Livecam D2 HD in operation - in Europe, North America, Central America and Asia.
The success of the new camera boils down to 5 important factors:
a high quality sensor with very good dynamic range and high sensitivity
a robust hardware with a weatherproof case resisting all climatic challenges
a far advanced software, built on the same platform as our leading camera models - the Roundshot D3 and Seitz 6x17 Digital
modern website graphics (html/php or flash to choose from) with possibility of "full screen"
an attractive price!
(image cropped from a Livecam Ajaccio "La Plage D'Argent" panorama)
Every day we see new Livecam panoramas of impressive beauty. Here are some links to a selection of new Livecam installations in France and in Switzerland:
Also visit the "Livecam 360" website for more news and more Livecams.
Seitz 6x17 Digital in the Swiss Alps
18.11.2009
Photographer Patrick Jantet is creating new fine-art gallery panoramas of the Swiss mountains with his Seitz 6x17 Digital.
We are happy to show some of his first stunning images of the South-Western part of the Swiss Alps (Western Valais):
The originals have a 160 million pixel resolution (print size at 300 dpi: 63.5 x 179.9 cm / 25.0 x 70.8 inches).
New Roundshot Livecam D2 HD
13.10.2009
We are introducing a new member to the family: the Roundshot Livecam D2 HD - the 66 million pixel webcam for the internet.
Reinventing the webcam: the Roundshot Livecam D2 HD revolutionises the way a tourist resort, a hotel, a city, a harbour, an airport or a company is presented on the internet. Also, it is ideal to create time-lapse movies, for example to document a large construction site or for the film or advertising industry.
We built in the finest hardware and software components into this interesting new camera.
The camera will be first presented at the Salon de la Photo in Paris from 15-19 October 2009, where it will be creating a live 360° broadcast of the show:
Roundshot Livecam D2 HD - the world's best webcam - soon on an internet browser near you!
Tel Aviv by Night & Day
2.10.2009
Tel Aviv based photographer Izik Binunsky has created a very unique panorama of his home city. He started the panoramic scan with a constant exposure (rotation) speed just at the beginning of sunset.
With this technique his Roundshot Super 220 VR camera captured a unique image which is impossible to create with any other camera system:
image: Izik Binunsky (photographs with Roundshot Super 220 VR and with Roundshot D3) - visit his website
Roundshot VR Drive on Himalaya Expedition
28.9.2009
>>> click thumnail to enlarge
Fabiano Ventura and his team of mountaineers and scientists have taken on a demanding photographic and physical challenge. For the 100th anniversary of the mountain-climbing expedition to the Karakorum Himalayas by H.R.H. the Duke of Abruzzi, Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, they set out to Pakistan in July 2009 for the "Sulle Tracce Dei Ghiacciai" expedition and project.
The objective: visit the glacier and reproduce the images from the same vantage points as 100 years ago, thus showing the dramatic change in the shape of glaciers over time. The two panoramas on the left are unmistakable evidence of the dramatic reduction of the glacier over the last 100 years.
A Roundshot VR Drive Panorama Set was the faithful companion of Fabiano during his mountain adventure in the Himalayas. It worked flawlessly and was producing a variety of stunning panoramas.
Reliability of gear is key for succeeding in such a harsh environment. We congratulate Fabiano and his team for their success!
From 15 until 19 October 2009 we are exhibiting at booth F13 in Paris / Porte de Versailles.
Besides our D3 cameras ( Seitz 6x17 Digital and Roundshot D3) we will also show a monumental panorama that pictures the 4'000 mayors of France. This image was taken by Arnaud Février and Daniel Donzel a year ago at the very same location.
Come and visit us, experience our cameras and the newest technology in tablet PCs and see the enormous group panorama yourself! We are looking forward to your visit.
New D3 accessories
21.7.2009
We are pleased to introduce some very practical new accessories developed for the Roundshot D3 camera and the Seitz D3 digital scan back. They are now in stock and can be delivered immediately. For all pricing information please refer to our new D3 price list:
Our new compendiums allow to bundle the light on the Seitz D3 TDI sensor and block any light coming sideways, which effectively reduces lens flare.
Compendium (light shade) for Schneider Apo Digitar lenses available in 54mm diameter (for 35mm Schneider Apo Digitar lens) and in 42mm diameter (for 60mm to 210mm Schneider Apo Digitar lens).
Compendium (light shade) for 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens
Especially for fisheye photography the new compendium helps to significantly improve image quality.
Counterweight
This new accessory helps to balance the weight of the lens on the Roundshot D3 camera head and is needed for:
fast rotations (for example 4 seconds and less) with heavy and decentered lenses
vertical panoramas
Various accessories
Some other very practical accessories which are now in stock include the following:
front glass cover for the Seitz D3 digital scan back
Roundshot D3 lens mount protection cover
Roundshot D3 back mount protection cover
Roundshot D3 starter cable (when releasing the camera is not possible with the computer)
Summer greetings from Ibiza
15.7.2009
D3 photographer Antonio Boned Tur (Ritu) has sent us some impressive summer greetings from his island Ibiza:
All panoramas were taken with the Roundshot D3 camera - the interior and night shots under difficult lighting conditions at ISO 800.
New sample images - now also for Seitz 6x17 Digital and with dng/raw files!
19.6.2009
We produce the fastest and highest quality panorama cameras in the world.
With the introduction of our Seitz D3 digital scan back - generation 2 - and our new raw conversion software the image quality of our D3 cameras - the Seitz 6x17 Digital and Roundshot D3 - has again improved and has reached an excellent level. The new scan back - now with thinner filters optical filters and electronic shutter - makes it possible to photograph even under difficult lighting conditions.
Check out our new sample image website. Zoom in full screen and explore the new panoramas at 100%. Or download the dng/raw files and convert them into RGB files in camera raw (Photoshop CS2, CS3, CS4) or Lightroom. Experience the richness in resolution, dynamic range, tonality and definition yourself!
Seitz 6x17 Digital -
the world's first and only digital 6x17 panorama camera
Roundshot D3 -
the formula one of digital panorama cameras
Roundshot D3 QTVR -
the fastest high resolution QTVR solution on the market
But very good is not good enough. We continue to invest in raw conversion algorithms and in our D3 software - for the benefit of our D3 customers, who, by the way, receive these improvements and software upgrades free of charge.
New Motion tablet PC - faster, brighter, longer, lighter!
10.6.2009
With the introduction of the new tablet PC J3400 Motion Computing takes again the lead in the market for high-end touch screen computers.
Last week, we received the first units and are very pleased to introduce the J3400 for our D3 customers. The new computer allows a quantum leap in speed and productivity and is therefore ideal for viewing and storing the high definition panoramas created with the Roundshot D3 and Seitz 6x17 Digital cameras.
64 GB SSD disk, allowing 4.5x faster data saving - which means that even large images can now be saved in a matter of a few seconds only
new back-lit LED screen for a brighter image, much improved viewability even in daylight conditions with direct sun, large 16.5 x 26 cm (6.5 x 10.2 inch) screen for easy viewing of the image
ultra-low voltage Intel-core duo 1.4GHz processor for faster start-up and operation
rugged design - waterproof sealing - shock resistant screen and case - ideal for outdoor photography
extended battery life of up to 7.4 hours, faster charging (1.5 hours for each battery), 2 batteries swappable during tablet operation
reduced weight: 1.8 kg only
built-in additional accessories such as GPS (for image metadata), smart-card reader, WLAN, webcamera, bluetooth etc.
mobile keyboard (to use tablet like a laptop computer), work anywhere kit (protection case), 3 year international warranty
For applications requiring immediate data saving it is also possible to save the image to RAM disk within 2-3 seconds regardless of its size. Also, the Seitz Roundshot D3 capture software is already 64-bit compatible, so it is also possible to use a 64-bit computer for image capture.
Of course you may use the Seitz Roundshot D3 software on any other computer of your choice. Possible operating systems include Mac OSX 10.4 and 10.5 (Intel-based Mac computers) as well as Windows XP and VISTA (32-bit and 64-bit computers).
For post-production we recommend using a computer with fast processor, fast hard disks, at least 8 GB RAM and with a 64-bit operating system. With Photoshop CS4 64-bit the post-production of very large images can now be done in no time.
Rent it - love it - buy it!
2.6.2009
As of now it is possible to rent the Seitz 6x17 Digital and Roundshot D3 cameras at attractive rates - for a day, a week or even a month.
This rental service is ideal for those customers who have to create hundreds of high quality panoramas during a project within a short time span.
But also for photographers who would just like to try our cameras to their fullest.
The number of rental cameras is limited - please get in touch with us as early as possible.
Of course you can also test our cameras at our factory during a 2-3 hour demonstration. Contact us for a demo!
Roundshot D3 CGI - Designer's Digest article
20.5.2009
The latest issue of the German "Designer's Digest" features an in-depth report on the state-of-the art in CGI - Computer Generated Imaging.
The article covers the complete workflow, from image capture (with Seitz Roundshot cameras), to 32-bit HDR mixing, visualisation in 3D software (VRED) to post-production and retouching.
Did you think that with the Roundshot D3 spherical QTVRs with an angle of 180x360° are not possible? Wrong!
Our latest product - the Roundshot D3 QTVR - can capture gigantic spheres. To do this we use the following fisheye lenses, which are specially calibrated at our factory:
24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens (9,424 x 18,848 pixels, ie 7,854 x 18,848 effective pixels)*
* The 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens can capture 150° vertically. The calibrated QTVR image (9,424 x 18'848 pixel) contains a border at the lower edge of the image.
The lens and camera hardware are fixed in such a way that pixel-exact images at the top and bottom of the image are possible. Every lens is individually measured and its specific lens data (effective focal length, optical values, etc.) are saved in a calibration file which is added to the Seitz Roundshot D3 software. This means: a very easy camera handling and best image results.
One clic - one scan - and the 180x360° panorama is finished. It has never been easier and faster to create a QTVR! With the Roundshot D3 QTVR spherical QTVR panoramas can be captured significantly faster than with traditional scanning cameras or with digital stitching.
Here is an example taken with the Roundshot D3 panorama camera and a 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens:
Another highlight at this show is the 2.4m wide panorama of David Osborn, captured with the Seitz 6x17 Digital. Go very close to the image and observe the stunning amount of detail, dynamic and sharpness! "Canary Wharf" - copyright David Osborn 2009 - www.britishpanoramics.com
"Don't get me wrong. When I saw these images coming off the printer my reaction was - wow! I believe in "no pain, no gain" and these prints are more than worth any pain involved in shooting or printing. All that counts is the print. I think my fellow photographers will be as stunned as I was." - David Osborn
VR Drive - now compatible with more than 90 cameras
27.3.2009
New record - the Roundshot VR Drive is now compatible with more than 90 digital cameras.
David created his 6x17 panoramas with a Seitz 6x17 Digital provided by our UK distributor Teamwork - www.teamworkphoto.co.uk.
They were on display at Focus on Imaging (Birmingham/UK, 22-24 February 2009) and were printed on fine digital-art paper provided by Innova - www.innovaart.com
Livecam - communicate with the image!
13.3.2009
Over the last months our network of Livecams has been growing fast. Be it in tourism, on construction sites, for schools and universities or in city/corporate marketing, the Roundshot Livecam is the ideal product to communicate with the image.
Here is a selection of new Livecam sites that show a landscape in all its beauty:
D3 cameras at Professional Imaging Nieuwegein / Netherlands - 8-10 March 2009
27.2.2009
Our representative for Benelux, Mr. Ivo Vleugels / ALL4, will be featuring the Seitz 6x17 Digital and Roundshot D3 cameras at the Professional Imaging show in Nieuwegein / Netherlands.
Meet Ivo at the booth of Arca & Atento printer supplies, booth number 8.
8 March 2009: 10.30 am - 5.00 pm 9 March 2009: 10.30 am - 10.00 pm 10 March 2009: 10.30 am - 5.00 pm
Also on display will be some 8ft (2.4m) prints of David Osborn's recent work with the Seitz 6x17 Digital camera. Come to Nieuwegein to see the stunning quality, fine detail and impressive dynamic range of these fine-art images.
London-based photographer David Osborn has taken the Seitz 6x17 Digital camera through a tough road test and has produced some impressive 6x17 panoramas which go on display at the Innova booth at Focus on Imaging (Birmingham / UK, 22 - 24 February 2009).
Innova Art Ltd is represented at "Focus" at booth C4 (www.innovaart.com)
"There isn't another camera anywhere in the world that takes a larger panoramic digital picture than the Seitz 6x17 Digital and the 160 million pixel files produce incredible results. In terms of scale, image definition and sheer drama, this camera brings to photography what the IMAX brings to cinema." - David Osborn
Come to Birmingham and see the first public display of images produced with the new Seitz 6x17 Digital. These include four stunning 8 ft (2.4m) images printed with Epson on finest Innova Art paper. Have a chat with David and hear his direct and unfiltered feedback on the Seitz camera, the image workflow and the printing.
"Don't get me wrong. When I saw these images coming off the printer my reaction was - wow! I believe in "no pain, no gain" and these prints are more than worth any pain involved in shooting or printing. All that counts is the print. I think my fellow photographers will be as stunned as I was." - David Osborn
The Seitz 6x17 Digital is available for purchase and for rent at our UK distributor Teamwork Digital: www.teamworkphoto.com or at sales@teamworkphoto.com. Contact Mr. Steve Martin for appointments.
Livecam - The Silent Photographer
16.2.2009
See the entire beauty of a landscape in high resolution panorama quality! Visit some of our newest Livecam installations in France and Switzerland and explore some stunning panoramic views!
We found this beautiful early morning image on the Val d'Isère webcam on 15 February 2009. It was taken at 7.30am and captures dawn, the lights of the ski lift, the fading moon and the mountain landscape in its white winter dress.
<<< click thumbnail to download full resolution webcam panorama
Results 4D CGI Workshop
9.2.2009
Audi R8 photorealistically rendered into spherical panorama with VRED software (www.pi-vr.com) The spherical panorama was used at the same time as a light source model as well as a backplate image Image taken with Roundshot D3 and Mamiya 645 fisheye lens (Bernina photo shoot)
On 22 and 23 January 2009 the first 4D CGI (computer-generated imaging) workshop was held in Wilkinghege near Münster /Germany. 28 workshop participants attended the workshop and were guided through the workflow by CGI/rendering specialists (VRED) and panorama professionals (Seitz Roundshot). The workshop was organised by Matthias Langner of Photo 4D (www.photo4d.com) - many thanks!
The Wilkinghege castle was a beautiful backdrop for high-dynamic range photography. The resulting 32-bit HDR images were immediately transferred and rendered in the CGI workflow with VRED software in real time (raytracing technology). As a result, the 32-bit HDR scene was visualised within minutes on the set, giving the CGI photographer the possibility to check the light and composition of the captured scene directly in the 3D construction data model.
The backplate images were taken with the Seitz 6x17 Digital camera, allowing a very pleasing image format especially for car photography.
Below are some examples of spherical and 6x17 panoramas (all captured with Roundshot D3 and 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens and Seitz 6x17 Digital and 90mm Schneider Super Angulon lens). The 32-bit HDRs have a dynamic range of 20-30 f-stops. Thanks to anti-blooming and multiple bracketing technology all light sources are clearly confined (no clipping). All panoramas have been converted to 16-bit and 8-bit images by local tonemapping.
Photo 4D CGI Workshop 2009 22 / 23 January 2009
9.1.2009
Now we are ready: To start the new yaer Matthias Langner of Photo 4D organises a workshop that revolves around the subject 3D Visualisation in photography.
Speakers at the workshop will be Alexander Grasse of PI-VR (VRED rendering software), Klaus Junk of VINX Media (virtual photography cross-media, 3D visualisation, post production) and Seitz (equipment sponsor Roundshot D3 and Seitz 6x17 Digital).
The workshop covers the entire CGI (computer-generated imaging) workflow from capturing the HDR sphere (with Roundshot D3), backplate photography (with Seitz 6x17 Digital), mixing of the 32-bit HDR images up to the 3D workflow with new construction data in VRED software.
32-bit HDR image material will be created on site with the Seitz Roundshot cameras. Also, we will integrate images produced during the pre-Christmas photoshoot in the Swiss mountains (see report below).
The workshop is held at the Wilkinghege castle (near Münster/Germany) and will take place on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 January 2009. The number of participants is limited to 25 - a few places are still left:
PHOTO4D Matthias Langner tel: +49 2505 937 736
We are looking forward to an interesting workshop and to high quality 3D results!
32-bit 6x17 HDR image taken with Seitz 6x17 Digital, consisting of three 160 million pixel images, tonemapped
D3 32-bit HDR survival test
9.1.2009
32-bit spherical HDR Panorama captured with Roundshot D3 panorama camera and 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens, 3 spherical panoramas bracketed at 4 f-stops (each with 141 Mio. pixel resolution) mixed to a 32-bit spherical HDR panorama, tonemapped all 32-bit HDR images pictured here have a dynamic range of 20-30 f-stops
Survival test
Of course this is not everyone's cup of tea. A photo shoot at -17° C with ice-cold wind in the midst of a blizzard on top of the Bernina mountain pass (2,300 metres above sea level) - this is very tough. But we wanted to know it once for all: What is the Roundshot D3 camera and computer gear capable of and how will they perform in extreme arctic conditions?
The result: Cameras and tablet PC were operating flawlessly and delivered about 15 GB of high quality data within 3 hours. Even at very fast rotation speeds (2 seconds for a 141 million pixel spherical image) the motor turned without problems and generated pixel-accurate panoramas for precise mixing of the 32-bit HDR images.
How it is done
Ingredients: 1 x Seitz D3 digital scan back 1 x Roundshot D3 panorama camera 1 x Seitz 6x17 Digital panorama camera 1 x 24mm Mamiya 645 fisheye lens 1 x 90mm / f 5.6 Schneider Super-Angulon XL lens 1 x Motion LE1700 tablet PC 1 x Seitz Roundshot D3 software 1 x Photomatix HDR software 1 x sturdy tripod 2 x waterproof exlorer cases Spare batteries, chargers, ethernet cables, warm cloating, lots of enthusiasm
Mount Roundshot D3 panorama camera (with Seitz D3 digital scan back) on tripod. Test image to determine exposure, optimise focusing. Capture of 3 panoramas bracketed at 4 f-stops (bracketing: 1 overexposed, 1 normally exposed, 1 underexposed image). Save data.
Mount Seitz 6x17 Digital panorama camera (with Seitz D3 digital scan back) on tripod. Test image to determine exposure, optimise focusing. Capture of 3 panoramas bracketed at 4 f-stops (bracketing: 1 overexposed, 1 normally exposed, 1 underexposed image). Save data.
Retreat to shelter. Analyse images and mix 3 differently exposed panoramas with Seitz Roundshot D3 software or Photomatix: - to a 32-bit HDR spherical panorama (for lightfield) - to a 32-bit HDR 6x17 panorama (for backplate)
What really counts
1. Speed In the mountains light conditions can change within seconds. To avoid artefacts it is therefore important to capture and save the images as quickly as possible. With Roundshot D3: in less than a minute for all DNG images.
2. Resolution Thanks to the 60mm vertical resolution (7,500 pixels) of the Seitz D3 digital scan back the Roundshot D3 camera creates gigantic spherical panoramas (141 million pixels resolution) - ideal for high quality 3D visualisations!
3. Raw data / dng workflow Contrary to other HDR systems the Roundshot D3 and Seitz 6x17 Digital allow a pure raw data workflow, from image capture up to mixing of the 32-bit HDRs. The DNG images are sequentially loaded by the Seitz Roundshot HDR mixer (or Photomatix) - this allows very large 32-bit HDR panoramas without file size limits! Another intrinsic advantage of the raw workflow compared to RGB is that no arbitrary gamma or tone-mappings are applied, which leads to more precise results.
In summary
The Bernina mountain pass photo shoot was an extraordinary experience and has shown us again how important the quality of camera hardware really is. The produced 32-bit HDR images are highly dynamic, show a dramatic scene and expand the boundaries of current 32-bit photography. We are looking forward to seeing how the image data will translate into lively 3D visualisations during the CGI Workshop and how car models will come to life in the midst of the beautiful Engadine mountain scenery.
32-bit 6x17 HDR panorama captured with Seitz 6x17 Digital panorama camera and 90mm Schneider Super Angulon XL lens 3 6x17 panoramas bracketed at 4 f-stops (with 160 million pixel resolution each) mixed to a 32-bit HDR panorama, tonemapped
For the backplate - besides a very high dynamic range - artistic aspects are very important. Thanks to the ultra-wide 6x17 image format the Seitz 6x17 Digital is the ideal camera for this task. As the same digital scan back is used for the lightfield (32-bit sphere) as well as for the backplate, light and colours within the 3D composition are as a whole very consistent.
